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Deuteronomy 34

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Moses Views the Promised Land 1–4

1
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And Jehovah showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, ​
2
and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the hinder sea,
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and the South, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm-trees, unto Zoar.
4
And Jehovah said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. ​

The Death and Burial of Moses 5–8

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So Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Jehovah. ​
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And he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. ​
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And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. ​
8
And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended.

The Legacy of Moses 9–12

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And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as Jehovah commanded Moses. ​
10
And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face, ​
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in all the signs and the wonders, which Jehovah sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,
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and in all the mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 34

Verse 1

the top of Pisgah — Pisgah is the summit of Mount Nebo in Moab, 'over against Jericho', the mountain named for Moses' death (Deut 32:49–50). He had asked to 'see the good land' (Deut 3:25). 'Shewed' is the causative of raah, to see: the LORD himself brings the land into view, from Gilead to Dan, and on to the western sea and Zoar (vv.2–3).

Verse 4

the land which I sware — The promise given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen 12:7; 28:13) is repeated where Moses sees the land and may not enter it. 'Go over' is abar, the verb of 'thou shalt not go over this Jordan' (Deut 3:27; 31:2); the cause is stated at Meribah: 'ye believed me not' (Num 20:12).

Verse 5

the servant of the LORD — Ebed, servant: the title Joshua opens with, 'after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD' (Josh 1:1), and the LORD himself says 'Moses my servant is dead' (Josh 1:2). Hebrews sets him as 'a servant' in God's house beside Christ 'as a son over his own house' (Heb 3:5–6). 'Word' here is peh, mouth.

Verse 6

no man knoweth of his sepulchre — 'He buried him' follows 'according to the word of the LORD' (v.5), and the fathers read the burying as God's own act. The valley lay 'over against Bethpeor', where Israel had abode (Deut 3:29). Jude 9 recalls that Michael and the devil 'disputed about the body of Moses'.

Verse 7

his eye was not dim — The verb kahah, 'dim', is the one used of Isaac's failing sight (Gen 27:1). 'Natural force' is lechoh, freshness or vigour, found only here. Moses had said 'I can no more go out and come in', but gave the cause as the LORD's word: 'Thou shalt not go over this Jordan' (Deut 31:2), not age.

Verse 9

the spirit of wisdom — Joshua was already 'a man in whom is the spirit' (Num 27:18), and Moses 'laid his hands upon him' and gave him a charge before Eleazar and the congregation (Num 27:22–23). The same gesture appears in Acts 6:6. 'The spirit of wisdom' is among the gifts named for the Messiah in Isa 11:2.

Verse 10

whom the LORD knew face to face — 'The LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend' (Ex 33:11); to others he spoke in dreams and visions, to Moses 'mouth to mouth… and not in dark speeches' (Num 12:6, 8). The prophet 'like unto me' promised in Deut 18:15 is applied to Christ by Peter (Acts 3:22).