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,... [ Continue Reading ]
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, a... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
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 multit... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Genes... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
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 writers d say, the Lord buried him; it may be by the minist... [ Continue Reading ]
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 o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WEPT FOR MOSES IN THE PLAINS OF MOAB THIRTY DAYS,.... According both to Josephus n and the Samaritan Chronicle o, 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 f... [ Continue Reading ]
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, Isai... [ Continue Reading ]
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 Jews p; nor to the times of Samuel, whom others take to be the writer: of them; nor to the times of Ezra, as others; nor... [ Continue Reading ]
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, A... [ Continue Reading ]
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 ISR... [ Continue Reading ]