Deuteronomy 10:6

KJV

And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera: there Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.

KJV (with Strong's)

And the children {H1121} of Israel {H3478} took their journey {H5265} from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan {H885} to Mosera {H4149}: there Aaron {H175} died {H4191}, and there he was buried {H6912}; and Eleazar {H499} his son {H1121} ministered in the priest's office {H3547} in his stead.

Complete Jewish Bible

"The people of Isra'el traveled from the wells of B'nei-Ya'akan to Moserah, where Aharon died and was buried; and El'azar his son took his place, serving in the office of cohen.

Berean Standard Bible

The Israelites traveled from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah, where Aaron died and was buried, and Eleazar his son succeeded him as priest.

American Standard Version

(And the children of Israel journeyed from Beeroth Bene-jaakan to Moserah. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest’s office in his stead.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 10:6 offers a concise, almost parenthetical, historical detail within Moses' final address, recounting a specific leg of Israel's wilderness journey from Beeroth to Mosera. This verse notably records the death and burial of Aaron, the first high priest, and the immediate, divinely ordained succession of his son, Eleazar, into the priestly office, underscoring the continuity of God's covenant work despite human mortality.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within Moses' second major address to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, specifically within a historical retrospective (Deuteronomy 9:7-10:11). In this section, Moses recounts key events of their forty-year wilderness journey, reminding them of their past rebellions (like the golden calf incident, which immediately precedes this passage) and God's enduring faithfulness. The mention of Aaron's death and Eleazar's succession is a brief but significant interjection, emphasizing divine provision and the continuity of the established order for worship amidst past failures and divine judgment. It serves to highlight God's unwavering commitment to His covenant and the sacred institutions He established, even as individuals pass away.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The verse describes a specific segment of Israel's arduous [wilderness wanderings](/numbers/14 "Numbers 14 - The Wilderness Wanderings") before their entry into the Promised Land. The locations, Beeroth of the children of Jaakan and Mosera, mark points in their journey. Aaron's death was a pivotal event, marking the end of an era for one of Israel's foundational leaders and the first high priest. In ancient Israelite society, the high priesthood was a hereditary office, central to the nation's covenant relationship with God, responsible for mediating atonement and providing instruction. The immediate succession of Eleazar underscores the vital importance of this office and God's provision for its uninterrupted continuation. The apparent discrepancy with [Numbers 20:28](/numbers/20-28 "Numbers 20:28 - Aaron's Death at Mount Hor") and [Numbers 33:38](/numbers/33-38 "Numbers 33:38 - Aaron's Death Recorded") placing Aaron's death at Mount Hor is often understood by scholars as Mosera being a regional name encompassing Mount Hor, a nearby encampment, or a different perspective on the same event.
* **Key Themes:** Deuteronomy 10:6 contributes to several overarching themes. It highlights **Divine Guidance and Provision**, illustrating God's meticulous oversight of Israel's journey, even through difficult terrains and significant losses. The immediate mention of Eleazar stepping into Aaron's role underscores the theme of **Succession and Continuity of Leadership**, demonstrating that God ensures His work and the sacred service of the priesthood continue uninterrupted, even with the passing of key figures. This reflects God's faithfulness to His covenant and the established order for worship. Finally, the death of Aaron, a pivotal figure in Israel's history and the first to hold [the high priestly office](/exodus/28 "Exodus 28 - The Priestly Garments and Office"), powerfully illustrates the theme of **Mortality and God's Enduring Plan**. Human leaders are mortal, but God's covenant purposes transcend the life of any single individual, ensuring the preservation of the vital priestly office for Israel's relationship with God.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Mosera (Hebrew, _môserâ'_):** This geographical reference is unique to Deuteronomy 10:6 as the place of Aaron's death, contrasting with the more common [Mount Hor](/numbers/20-28 "Numbers 20:28 - Aaron's Death at Mount Hor") found in [Numbers 20](/numbers/20 "Numbers 20 - Water from the Rock and Aaron's Death") and [Numbers 33](/numbers/33 "Numbers 33 - The Stages of Israel's Journey"). The name itself might derive from a root meaning "bond" or "fetter," possibly alluding to the difficult, restrictive nature of the wilderness journey or even the "binding" nature of death. Scholars often reconcile the discrepancy by suggesting Mosera was a region encompassing Mount Hor, a nearby encampment, or a different name for the same location from a specific perspective, highlighting the divine orchestration of Aaron's final journey.
* **Ministered in the priest's office (Hebrew, _yəḵāhēn_):** This verb, derived from the root _kāhan_ (to act as a priest), signifies the immediate and divinely sanctioned assumption of the full duties and responsibilities of the high priestly office. It's not merely a succession of title but of sacred function – offering sacrifices, interceding for the people, and instructing them in God's law. The use of this specific term emphasizes the continuity of the divinely established cultic system, ensuring that Israel's relationship with God through atonement and worship remained unbroken despite the death of its foundational high priest.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera:"** This clause succinctly traces a specific, though geographically debated, segment of Israel's arduous wilderness journey. Beeroth of the children of Jaakan (also known as Bene-Jaakan in Numbers 33:31) and Mosera mark points of encampment, highlighting the continuous, divinely guided movement of the Israelite nation. The inclusion of such precise, albeit obscure, geographical details underscores the historical veracity of the narrative and God's meticulous oversight of their forty-year pilgrimage.
* **"there Aaron died, and there he was buried;"** This brief, stark declaration records a monumental event: the death and burial of Aaron, Moses' brother and the first high priest of Israel. The repetition of "there" emphasizes the specific location (Mosera/Mount Hor) as the site of this significant transition. Aaron's death marked the passing of a pivotal figure in Israel's formative history, a leader who had served as Moses' spokesman and the architect of Israel's sacrificial system, reminding the new generation of the mortality of even their most esteemed leaders.
* **"and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead."** Immediately following the account of Aaron's death, this clause highlights the divinely ordained principle of succession within the high priesthood. Eleazar, Aaron's third son, seamlessly assumed the sacred duties, ensuring the uninterrupted continuity of the priestly service vital for Israel's covenant relationship with God. This swift transition demonstrates God's faithfulness to His established order and His provision for the ongoing spiritual needs of His people, illustrating that His purposes transcend the life of any single individual.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs **Conciseness** and **Narrative Summary**, compressing significant historical events—a journey segment, a major leader's death, and a crucial succession—into a single sentence. This brevity, rather than diminishing the events, highlights their factual importance within the broader historical recounting. There is also an element of **Juxtaposition**, placing the death of Aaron immediately alongside the succession of Eleazar. This rapid succession emphasizes God's providential care for the continuity of His work, demonstrating that even in moments of profound loss, His divine plan for Israel's spiritual leadership remains unbroken and divinely sustained. The factual, almost reportorial tone lends an air of historical authority to Moses' address.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 10:6, though a historical aside, is rich in theological implications. It underscores God's meticulous oversight of Israel's journey, even through difficult transitions and losses. The immediate succession of Eleazar to Aaron's high priestly office reveals God's commitment to the continuity of His covenantal relationship with Israel, ensuring that the means of atonement and intercession remain available. This principle of divine provision for leadership and the enduring nature of God's plan, even in the face of human mortality, is a recurring theme throughout Scripture. It teaches that God's work is not dependent on any single individual, but on His sovereign will and the faithful succession of those He calls.

* [Numbers 20:22-29](/numbers/20-22 "Aaron's Death and Eleazar's Succession")
* [Numbers 27:15-23](/numbers/27-15 "Joshua's Succession to Moses")
* [Hebrews 7:23-24](/hebrews/7-23 "The Impermanence of Priests vs. Christ's Eternal Priesthood")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 10:6, while detailing a specific historical event, offers profound insights for believers today regarding leadership, transition, and God's enduring faithfulness. It reminds us that God's plans are not contingent upon the life or presence of any single human leader, no matter how influential. Just as He seamlessly transitioned the high priesthood from Aaron to Eleazar, God continues to orchestrate leadership changes in His church and in our personal lives, always ensuring that His purposes are fulfilled. This verse calls us to trust in His sovereignty during times of loss or change, to faithfully prepare the next generation of leaders, and to recognize that the work of the Kingdom is ultimately God's, carried out through His chosen instruments. It provides comfort that even in the face of mortality, God's redemptive plan moves forward, unbroken.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the swift succession of Eleazar after Aaron's death challenge or affirm your understanding of leadership in the church or in your own life?**
* **In what areas of your life or community are you experiencing transition or loss, and how can the principle of God's enduring plan, as seen in this verse, bring you comfort or guidance?**
* **What is your role in preparing or supporting the next generation of spiritual leaders, ensuring the continuity of God's work?**

### FAQ
**Why does Deuteronomy 10:6 place Aaron's death at Mosera, while Numbers 20:28 and Numbers 33:38 say Mount Hor?**

Answer: This apparent discrepancy has been a subject of scholarly discussion, but it is not a contradiction. [Numbers 20:28](/numbers/20-28 "Numbers 20:28 - Aaron's Death at Mount Hor") and [Numbers 33:38](/numbers/33-38 "Numbers 33:38 - Aaron's Death Recorded") explicitly state that Aaron died on Mount Hor. Mosera (or Moseroth, as in [Numbers 33:30-31](/numbers/33-30 "Numbers 33:30-31 - Moseroth in the Journey Itinerary")) is likely a general region or an encampment near Mount Hor. It's common in ancient itineraries for a significant event to be associated with either the specific peak or the broader area where the camp was located. Alternatively, some suggest that Mosera was the starting point of the ascent to Mount Hor where Aaron died, or perhaps the place where the *record* of his death was made, or where his burial journey began. Moses, in Deuteronomy, is giving a summary of events from a different perspective than the detailed itinerary in Numbers, focusing on the journey's progression rather than the exact peak. The core fact—Aaron's death and Eleazar's succession—remains consistent across all accounts, highlighting the divine orchestration of this crucial transition.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The historical account of Aaron's death and Eleazar's immediate succession in [Deuteronomy 10:6](/deuteronomy/10-6 "Deuteronomy 10:6 - Aaron's Death and Eleazar's Succession") powerfully foreshadows the ultimate, perfect, and eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ. The Aaronic priesthood, though divinely instituted and vital for Israel, was inherently temporary and subject to the mortality of its human incumbents, as seen in Aaron's passing and the need for a successor. Each high priest, like Aaron and Eleazar, served only for a limited time, and their sacrifices had to be continually repeated because they could not perfectly atone for sin ([Hebrews 7:23-24](/hebrews/7-23 "Hebrews 7:23-24 - The Impermanence of Priests vs. Christ's Eternal Priesthood")). In contrast, Christ is our great High Priest, "who holds His priesthood permanently, because He continues forever" ([Hebrews 7:24](/hebrews/7-24 "Hebrews 7:24 - Christ's Eternal Priesthood")). His death was not an end that required succession, but the consummation of His priestly work—a single, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice that atoned for sin once for all ([Hebrews 9:11-14](/hebrews/9-11 "Hebrews 9:11-14 - Christ's Superior Sacrifice")). Unlike Aaron, who died and was buried, Christ "was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead" ([Romans 1:4](/romans/1-4 "Romans 1:4 - Christ's Resurrection Power")), ascending to the right hand of God to intercede for us eternally ([Hebrews 7:25](/hebrews/7-25 "Hebrews 7:25 - Christ's Eternal Intercession")). Thus, the temporary, mortal priesthood of the Old Testament points forward to the everlasting, perfect, and life-giving ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have direct access to God ([Hebrews 4:14-16](/hebrews/4-14 "Hebrews 4:14-16 - Approaching God's Throne with Confidence")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 33:38

And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the first [day] of the fifth month.

Numbers 20:23

And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,

Numbers 20:28

And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there in the top of the mount: and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount.

Numbers 33:30

And they departed from Hashmonah, and encamped at Moseroth.

Numbers 33:33

And they went from Horhagidgad, and pitched in Jotbathah.

Numbers 10:6

When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

Numbers 33:1

¶ These [are] the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.