Deuteronomy 34
Summary for Deut 34:1-12: 34:1-12 a Moses fell short of entry into the land of promise (see study note on 32:51), but God did permit him to share a moment of glory in the land at Jesus’ transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36 b). 34:1 c Mount Nebo is a high elevation in the Abarim hills east of the Jordan River. Virtually the whole land west of the Jordan can be seen from this vantage point (32:49 d).• Nebo was part of Pisgah Peak (see study note on 3:17).
• Gilead as far as Dan was the northernmost part of the land. The Sea of Galilee and Mount Hermon lie straight north from Nebo. Gilead is just east of the sea, and Dan (Laish; Judg 18:29 e) was south and west of Hermon.
34:2 f The land of Naphtali was northwest of Nebo and west of the Sea of Galilee.
• The land of Ephraim and Manasseh was a large area to the west-northwest of Nebo, the present West Bank area of Palestine.
• The land of Judah lay to the immediate west-southwest of Nebo, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.
34:3 g The desert region of the Negev (meaning “desert” or “south”) extends south from Judah to the Gulf of Eilat (or Aqaba) and thus to the far southwest of Mount Nebo.
• Jericho ... as far as Zoar: These two sites marked the northern and southern ends of the Jordan Valley from the viewpoint of Mount Nebo. Zoar was a city of the plain that was not destroyed in the days of Abraham and Lot (see Gen 19:21-22 h, 30 i).
34:6 j Beth-peor was where Israel engaged in pagan ritual (see 3:29 k; 4:3 l; Num 25 m) and where Moses presented his farewell address (see Deut 4:44-46 n).
• The phrase to this day refers to the time of Deuteronomy’s final composition (see Genesis Book Introduction, “Authorship”).
34:7 o At age 120, Moses was as strong as ever and in full possession of his faculties. He did not fail to enter Canaan because he died; he died because he failed to enter Canaan.
34:9 p full of the spirit of wisdom: When Joshua was selected as Moses’ successor, he had to be invested with the Spirit of God to fill the office (Num 27:15-23 q; cp. Num 11:16-30 r). Now that Moses had died, God showed that Joshua was Moses’ divinely appointed successor by giving continuing evidence of the Spirit’s power and blessing.
34:10 s face to face: Moses and the Lord had an intimate relationship, and there was no need for an intercessor between them. Aaron and Miriam once challenged Moses’ leadership and were severely rebuked by the Lord (Num 12:8 t), who reminded them that they were ordinary prophets that received revelation by dreams and visions. Moses was not such a prophet. God said, “I speak to him face to face, clearly, and not in riddles” (Num 12:8 u). No other prophet in Old Testament times could rival Moses in his relationship with God (see study note on Deut 18:15).
34:12 v terrifying acts in the sight of all Israel: The people of Israel as well as the Egyptians were impressed by the power of God. They needed a constant reminder to submit to him in reverential fear (see 4:10 w; 5:29 x; 6:2 y; Prov 1:7 z).
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