דברים, פרק ג׳, פסוק ד׳

The defeat of Og's kingdom was an absolute and exceptionally fast conquest. Despite facing a large number of fortified cities, the Israelites managed to capture every single location within a very brief period [ביאור יש״ר]. Not one town in the entire territory managed to withstand the advance and remain unconquered [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This campaign was particularly notable for the capture of sixty cities that made up an entire district known as Argob [ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The exact nature of this district's name carries several layers of meaning. The primary approach among commentators understands the name as a title of power and authority. Drawing from ancient Aramaic translations, the term refers to a central province, an important city, or even the royal palace itself, which ultimately lent its name to the entire kingdom [רש״י, שפתי חכמים, רבנו בחיי]. This perspective naturally explains why the region is immediately identified as the kingdom of Og; the narrative highlights the capture of the kingdom's administrative heart and the district housing the king's own palace [ברכת אשר על התורה].

Alternatively, the name can be understood through a geographical lens. By viewing the first letter of the name as an addition, the core of the word translates to clods of earth, describing a rugged landscape defined by its stones and rocky terrain [אבן עזרא, נתינה לגר]. Beyond the physical landscape, another tradition suggests a personal history, proposing that the region was named after an individual who originally inherited the territory from his father [אבן עזרא, רבנו בחיי]. Finally, a more straightforward reading suggests there is no need to search for hidden linguistic or historical meanings; it is simply the formal geographic name of the location [רשב״ם].