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Deuteronomy Chapter
Thirty-four
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 34
This
chapter informs us of Moses going up to the top of Pisgah
where he was shown
the whole land of Canaan
Deuteronomy 34:1;
of his death
burial
and age
Deuteronomy 34:5;
of Israel's mourning for him
and the time of it
Deuteronomy 34:8;
of his successor Joshua
Deuteronomy 34:9;
and of the character of Moses
to whom no prophet was to be compared
Deuteronomy 34:10.
Deuteronomy 34:1 Then Moses went
up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo
to the top of Pisgah
which is across
from Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of
Gilead as far as Dan
YLT
1And Moses goeth up from the
plains of Moab unto mount Nebo
the top of Pisgah
which [is] on the front of
Jericho
and Jehovah sheweth him all the land -- Gilead unto Dan
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab
.... Where the
Israelites had lain encamped for some time
and where Moses had repeated to
them the law
and all that
is contained in this book of Deuteronomy; and after
he had read to them the song in Deuteronomy 32:1;
and had blessed the several tribes
as in the preceding chapter: at the command
of God he went up from hence:
unto the mountain of Nebo
to the top of Pisgah
that is
over against Jericho; Nebo was one of the mountains of Abarim
which formed a ridge of
them
and Pisgah was the highest point of Nebo
and this was over against
Jericho on the other side Jordan
see Deuteronomy 32:49;
hither Moses went
to the top of this high mountain
for aught appears
without
any support or help
his natural force not being abated
though an hundred and
twenty years old; and hither he seems to have gone alone
though JosephusF16Antiqu.
l. 4. c. 8. sect. 48. and the Samaritan ChronicleF17Apud Hottinger.
Smegma
l. 1. c. 8. p. 456. say
Eleazar
Joshua
and the elders of Israel
accompanied him:
and the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead
unto Dan; the Word of
the Lord
as the Targum of Jonathan
who appeared to him in the bush
sent him
to Egypt
wrought miracles by him there
led him and the people of Israel
through the Red sea and wilderness
and brought them to the place where they
now were: and though the eye of Moses was not become dim
as was usual at such
an age he was of
yet it can hardly be thought it should be so strong as to
take a distinct view of the whole land of Canaan
to the utmost borders of it:
no doubt but his natural sight was wonderfully strengthened and increased by
the Lord
by whom he was directed first to behold the land of Gilead on that
side of Jordan where he was
and which was the possession of the two tribes of
Reuben and Gad
and the half tribe of Manasseh; and then he was directed to
look forward to the land of Canaan beyond Jordan
to the northern part of it; for
Dan is not the tribe of Dan
but a city of that name
formerly Leshem
which
the Danites took
and lay the farthest north of the land
hence the phrase
"from Dan to Beersheba"
see Joshua 19:47; this
city is so called by anticipation: Aben Ezra thinks Joshua wrote this verse by
a spirit of prophecy; and it is very likely the whole chapter was written by
him
and not the eight last verses only
as say the Jewish writers: this view
Moses had of the good land a little before his death may be an emblem of that
sight believers have
by faith
of the heavenly glory
and which sometimes is
the clearest when near to death; this sight they have not in the plains of Moab
in the low estate of nature
but in an exalted state of grace
upon and from
off the rock of Christ
in the mountain of the church of God
the word and
ordinances being often the means of it; it is a sight by faith
and is of the
Lord
which he gives
strengthens
and increases
and sometimes grants more
fully a little before death.
Deuteronomy 34:2 2 all
Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh
all the land of Judah as far as
the Western Sea
[a]
YLT
2and all Naphtali
and the
land of Ephraim
and Manasseh
and all the land of Judah unto the further sea
And all Naphtali
.... Which lay in the northern part of the
land
and where was Galilee of the Gentiles
and so he had a sight of all that
country most frequented by the Messiah when come
see Matthew 4:13
and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh: which lay in
the midland part of the country:
and all the land of Judah; which lay to the south:
unto the utmost sea; the Mediterranean sea
which was the western boundary of the land
called the "hinder sea"
Zechariah 14:8; and
might as well be so rendered here
for the same word is used: Jarchi would have
it read
not the "hinder sea"
but the "latter day": for
he says
the Lord showed to Moses all that should happen to Israel until the
resurrection of the dead; and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the above
passages
and observes that the Lord showed Moses the mighty deeds of Jephthah
of Gilead
and the victories of Samson
who was of the tribe of Dan; the
idolatries of that tribe
and Samson the saviour that should spring from them;
Deborah and Barak
and the princes of the house of Naphtali; Joshua the son of
Nun
of the tribe of Ephraim
that should fight with and slay the kings of
Canaan; and Gideon the son of Joash
of the tribe of Manasseh
that should
fight with Midian and Amalek
and all the kings of Israel
and the kingdom of
the house of Judah; the king of the south
that should join the king of the
north to destroy the inhabitants of the earth; and even the destruction of
Armiilus or antichrist
and the war of Gog and Magog
and the great affliction
Michael shall save from.
Deuteronomy 34:3 3 the
South
and the plain of the Valley of Jericho
the city of palm trees
as far
as Zoar.
YLT
3and the south
and the
circuit of the valley of Jericho
the city of palms
unto Zoar.
And the south
.... The southern part of the land
even all
of it; and having shown him that
he is directed eastward to take a view of
the plain of the valley of Jericho; which lay before him
a
delightful plain; see Joshua 5:10
the city of palm trees; so Jericho was called
because of the multitude of palm trees which grew there
and which Josephus not
only testifiesF18De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 18. sect. 5. & l. 4. c.
8. sect. 2.
who speaks of it as a plain planted with palm trees
and from
whence balsam comes; but several Heathen writers: Pliny saysF19Nat.
Hist. l. 5. c. 14. Jericho was set with palm trees; Diodorus SiculusF20Bibliothec.
l. 2. p. 132. speaks of the country about Jericho as abounding with palm trees
and in a certain valley
meaning the vale or plains of Jericho
is produced
that which is called balsam; so Strabo saysF21Geograph. l. 16. p.
525.
Jericho is a plain surrounded with mountains abounding with palm trees
where there is a plantation of palm trees
with other fruit trees
the space of
a hundred furlongs:
unto Zoar; near the salt sea; see Genesis 19:22.
Deuteronomy 34:4 4 Then
the Lord said to him
“This is the land of which I swore to give
Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
saying
‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have
caused you to see it with your eyes
but you shall not cross over
there.”
YLT 4And Jehovah saith unto him
`This [is] the land which I have sworn to Abraham
to Isaac
and to Jacob
saying
To thy seed I give it; I have caused thee to see with thine eyes
and
thither thou dost not pass over.'
And the Lord said unto him
.... The Word of the
Lord
as the Jerusalem Targum
having shown him all the land of Canaan:
this is the land which I sware unto Abraham
unto Isaac
and unto Jacob
saying
I will give it unto thy seed; to Abraham
Genesis 15:18; to
Isaac
Genesis 26:3; to
Jacob
Genesis 28:13
I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes; not only had
indulged him with a general view of it
but had strengthened his eyesight
that
he had a full
clear
and distinct sight of it:
but thou shalt not go over thither; which he had said more
than once before and abides by it
and this because of the behaviour of Moses
at the waters of Meribah
Numbers 20:12; see Deuteronomy 3:25.
Deuteronomy 34:5 5 So
Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab
according to the word of the Lord.
YLT
5And Moses
servant of the
Lord
dieth there
in the land of Moab
according to the command of Jehovah;
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there
in the land of Moab
.... Which
formerly belonged to Moab
and was taken from them by Sihon king of the
Amorites
and now in the possession of Israel: here on a mountain in this land
Moses died; and yet
contrary to the express words of this text
some Jewish
writers affirmF23T. Bab. Sotah
fol. 13. 2. Yalkut & R. Abraham
Seba in Tzeror Hammor in loc. that be died not
but was translated to heaven
where he ministers; yea
that he was an angel
and could not die: but it is
clear he did die
even though a servant of the Lord
as he was
and a faithful
one; but such die as well as others
Zechariah 1:5;
there is a saying of someF24Seder Tephillot
fol. 213. 1. Ed. Basil.
Jews
"Moses died
and who shall not die?'no man can promise himself
immortality here
when such great and good men die: the Targum of Jonathan
says
he died on the seventh of Adar or February
on which day he was born; and
it is the general opinion of the Jewish writersF25T. Bab. Kiddushin
fol. 38. 1. Seder Olam Rabba
c. 10. p. 29. Judasin
fol. 10. 1. Shalshalet
Hakabala
fol. 7. 2. so Patricides apud Hottinger
p. 457.
that he died on
the seventh of that month
in the middle of the day
and that it was a sabbath
day: though
as Aben Ezra observesF26Pirush in Deut. i. 2. so
Midrash Esther
fol. 93. 2.
some say he died on the first of Adar; and
JosephusF1Ut supra
(De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 18.) sect. 49. is
express for it
that it was at the new moon
or first day of the month; and
with this agrees the calculation of Bishop UsherF2Annales Vet. Test.
p. 37. :
according to the word of the Lord; according to the
prophecy of the Lord
and according to a command of his
that he should go up
to the above said mountain and die
Numbers 27:12; or
as the Targum of Jerusalem
according to the decree of the Lord; as the death
of every man is
both with respect to time and place
and manner of it: it is
appointed for men once to die
Hebrews 9:27;
because it is in the original text
"according to the mouth of the
Lord"F3על פי
"super os"
Montanus; "juxta os"
Tigurine version. ; hence
some Jewish writers
as Jarchi particularly
interpret it of his dying by a
kiss of his mouth
with strong expressions and intimations of his love to him
Song of Solomon 1:2;
and no doubt but he did die satisfied of the love of God to him
enjoying his
presence
and having faith and hope of everlasting life and salvation; but the
true sense is
he died according to the will of God
not of any disease
or
through the infirmities of age
but by the immediate order and call of God out
of this life.
Deuteronomy 34:6 6 And
He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab
opposite Beth Peor; but no one
knows his grave to this day.
YLT
6and He burieth him in a
valley in the land of Moab
over-against Beth-Peor
and no man hath known his
burying place unto this day.
And he buried him
.... Aben Ezra says he buried himself
going
into a cave on the top of the mount
where he expired
and so where he died his
grave was; but though he died on the mount
he was buried in a valley: Jarchi
and so other Jewish writersF4Misn. Sotah
c. 1. sect. 9. Pirke
Eliezer
c. 17. say
the Lord buried him; it may be by the ministry of angels:
an Arabic writer saysF5Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 32.
he was
buried by angels: it is very probable he was buried by Michael
and who is no
other than the archangel or head of principalities and powers
our Lord Jesus
Christ
for a reason that will be hereafter suggested
see Judges 1:9
in a valley in the land of Moab
over against Bethpeor; where stood a
temple dedicated to the idol Peor
see Deuteronomy 3:29
but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day; to the time
when Joshua wrote this
or
as others think
Samuel: if Moses is the same with
the Osiris of the Egyptians
as some thinkF6See Gale's Court of the
Gentiles
B. 2. c. 7. p. 94.
it may be observed
that his grave is said to be
unknown to the Egyptians
as Diodorus SiculusF7Bibliothec. l. 1. p.
18. and StraboF8Geograph. l. 17. p. 552. both affirm; and the grave
of Moses is unknown
even unto this our day: for though no longer ago than in
the year 1655
in the month of October
it was pretended to be found by some
Maronite shepherds on Mount Nebo
with this inscription on it in Hebrew
letters
"Moses the servant of the Lord"; but this story was confuted
by Jecomas
a learned Jew
who proved it to be the grave of another MosesF9See
Calmet's Dictionary
in voce "Sepulchre".
whom Wagenseil
conjectures was Moses MaimonidesF11Not. in Sotah
p. 327. ; but some
think the whole story is an imposition: the reason why the grave of Moses was
kept a secret was
as Ben Gersom suggests
lest
because of his miracles
succeeding generations should make a god of him and worship him
as it seems a
sort of heretics called Melchisedecians didF12Epiphan contr. Haeres.
l. 2. Haeres. 55. : the death and burial of Moses were an emblem of the
weakness and insufficiency of the law of Moses
and the works of it
to bring
any into the heavenly Canaan; and of the law being dead
and believers dead to
that through the body of Christ
and of the entire abrogation and abolition of
it by Christ
according to the will of God
as a covenant of works
as to the
curse and condemnation of it
and justification by it; who is Michael the
archangel
and is the end of the law for righteousness; he abolished it in his
flesh
nailed it to his cross
carried it to his grave
and left it there; the
rites and ceremonies of it are to be no more received
nor is it to be sought
after for righteousness and life
being dead and buried
Romans 7:6.
Deuteronomy 34:7 7 Moses
was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim
nor his natural vigor diminished.
YLT
7And Moses [is] a son of a
hundred and twenty years when he dieth; his eye hath not become dim
nor hath
his moisture fled.
And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died
.... Which age
of his may be divided into three equal periods
forty years in Pharaoh's court
forty years in Midian
and forty in the care and government of Israel
in Egypt
and in the wilderness; so long he lived
though the common age of man in his time
was but threescore years and ten
Psalm 90:10; and
what is most extraordinary is:
his eyes were not dim; as Isaac's were
and men
at such an age
and under
generally be:
nor his natural force abated; neither the rigour of
his mind nor the strength of his body; his intellectuals were not decayed
his
memory and judgment; nor was his body feeble
and his countenance aged; his
"moisture" was not "fled"F13So Ainsworth.
as
it may be rendered
his radical moisture; he did not look withered and
wrinkled
but plump and sleek
as if he was a young man in the prime of his
days: this may denote the continued use of the ceremonial law then to direct to
Christ
and the force of the moral law as in the hands of Christ
requiring
obedience and conformity to it
as a rule of walk and conversation
1 Corinthians 9:21.
Deuteronomy 34:8 8 And
the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the
days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended.
YLT
8And the sons of Israel
bewail Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; and the days of weeping [and]
mourning for Moses are completed.
And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab
thirty days
.... According both to JosephusF14Ut supra. (De Bello
Jud. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 49.) and the Samaritan ChronicleF15Apud
Hottinger
p. 456.
they cried and wept in a very vehement manner
when he
signified to them his approaching death
and took his leave of them; and when
he was dead they mourned for him
in a public manner
the space of time here
mentioned
the time of mourning for his brother Aaron
Numbers 20:29
so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended; on the eighth
of Nisan or March
as says the Targum of Jonathan
and on the "ninth"
they prepared their vessels and their cattle for a march
and on the tenth
passed over Jordan
and on the "sixteenth" the manna ceased
according to the said paraphrase.
Deuteronomy 34:9 9 Now
Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom
for Moses had laid his
hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him
and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.
YLT
9And Joshua son of Nun is
full of the spirit of wisdom
for Moses had laid his hands upon him
and the
sons of Israel hearken unto him
and do as Jehovah commanded Moses.
And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom
.... The
successor of Moses
and who
by the spirit of wisdom on him
was abundantly
qualified for the government of the people of Israel; in which he was a type of
Christ
on whom the spirit of wisdom and understanding is said to rest
Isaiah 11:2
for Moses had laid his hands upon him; which was a
symbol of the government being committed to him
and devolving upon him after
his death
and expressive of prayer for him
that he might be fitted for it
of
which action see Numbers 27:23
and the children of Israel hearkened unto him
and did as the Lord
commanded Moses; or by the hand of Moses; they received him and owned him as
their supreme governor under God
and yielded a cheerful obedience to his
commands
as the Lord by Moses commanded them to do
and as they promised; see Joshua 1:16.
Deuteronomy 34:10 10 But
since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses
whom the Lord knew face to face
YLT
10And there hath not arisen a
prophet any more in Israel like Moses
whom Jehovah hath known face unto face
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses
.... Not in
the times of Joshua
who wrote this chapter
at least the last eight verses
Deuteronomy 34:5
as say the JewsF16T. Bab. Bava Bathra
fol. 15. 1. ; nor to the
times of Samuel
whom others take to be the writer: of them; nor to the times
of Ezra
as others; nor even throughout the whole Old Testament dispensation to
the times of Christ
the great Prophet
like to Moses
that was to arise; and
the Messiah is by the Jews owned
as by MaimonidesF17Hilchot
Teshuvah
c. 9. sect. 2.
to be equal to him
and by others to be above him:
it is a well known saying of theirsF18Tanchuma in Yalkut in Isa.
lii. 13.
that"the Messiah shall be exalted above Abraham
and extolled
above Moses
and made higher than the ministering: angels;'but as to all other
prophets he excels them
and therefore they call him the prince
master
and
Father of the prophets
and say
that all prophesied from the fountain of his
prophecyF19Maimon. Yesode Hatorah
c. 7. sect. 6. & Vorst. in
ib. : the difference between him and them is observed
by MaimonidesF20lb.
sect. 6
7
8
9. to lie in many things; as that they prophesied by a dream or
vision
but he awake and seeing; they prophesied by the means of an angel
and
saw what they did in parables and dark sayings; but Moses not by means of an
angel
but the Lord spake to him face to face; they trembled and astonished
but not so Moses; they could not prophesy when they would
but he at any time
nor did he need to dispose and prepare his mind for it; some of which will not
hold good
especially the last; the instances in which he really exceeded them
follow:
whom the Lord knew face to face; owned
took notice of
and familiarly conversed with face to face
as a man with his friend; none were
permitted to such familiarity with God as he; see Numbers 12:6; the
Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it
"whom
the Word of the Lord knew.'
Deuteronomy 34:11 11 in
all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him
to do in the land of Egypt
before Pharaoh
before all his servants
and in all
his land
YLT
11in reference to 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
In all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do
.... The same
Targums also paraphrase here
"which the Word of the Lord sent him to
do;'for he it was that appeared to him in the bush
and sent him to Egypt to
work miracles
which he did by him:
in the land of Egypt
to Pharaoh
and to all his servants
and to
all his land; to whom they were visible
and who were all affected by them
more or less: this respects chiefly the ten plagues inflicted on the Egyptians:
the Jews observe that the superior excellency of Moses to the rest of the
prophets lay chiefly in his superior degree of prophecy rather than in
miracles
and not so much in the nature or the quality of the miracles; the
stopping of the sun by Joshua
and the raising of the dead to life by Elijah
and Elisha
being greater than his; but either in the duration of them
as the
manna which continued near forty years; or especially in the quantity of them
he
working more than all the rest put together: Manasseh Ben IsraelF21Conciliator
in Deut. Qu. 11. sect. 4. p. 238
239
240. has collected all that the prophets
wrought or were wrought for their sakes
and they came to seventy four; but
those that were wrought by Moses or on his account make seventy six; but
whether this is a just account I will not say.
Deuteronomy 34:12 12 and
by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the
sight of all Israel.
YLT
12and in reference to all the
strong hand
and to all the great fear which Moses did before the eyes of all
Israel.
And in all that mighty hand
.... In all done by his
hand
which he stretched out over the sea and divided
to make a passage
through it for the Israelites
and with his rod in it smote the rocks
and
waters gushed out for them:
and in all that great terror which Moses showed in the sight of
all Israel; meaning either the terror the Egyptians were struck with by him
in the sight of all Israel
when he publicly and before them wrought the
wonders he did in the land of Ham
which often threw them into a panic
especially the thunders and lightning
the three days darkness
and the slaying
of their firstborn; see Psalm 78:49; or the
terror the Israelites were in at the giving and receiving of the law
Exodus 19:16.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
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