King James Version
Deuteronomy 34
12 verses with commentary
The Death of Moses
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, Pisgah: or, the hill
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah</strong>—Moses's final journey ascends from the Jordan valley (900 feet below sea level) to Nebo's peak (2,680 feet), symbolizing his life's pilgrimage toward but not into the Promised Land. <em>Har Nebo rosh ha-Pisgah</em> (Mount Nebo, head/summit of Pisgah) overlooks the Jordan valley and provides a pan...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXXIV.
DEATH OF MOSES.
(1) **Pisgah.**—See Numbers 21:20. The word seems to mean a height.
(1, 2) **The Lord shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, and all Naphtali . . . unto the utmost sea**—that is, He showed him all the land which was to be given to these several tribes. Whether He then showed it to him under the names which are given here or not is a question we cannot answer. Many deep...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea,
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>All Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh</strong>—God's panoramic revelation proceeds from north (Naphtali) to central Canaan (Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph's sons). These territories would become the heartland of the northern kingdom after Solomon's reign. Moses sees not just geography but prophetic history—the tribal allotments, future kingdoms, and ultimately the Messiah's min...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees , unto Zoar.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees</strong>—<em>Vehanegev vehaKikkar</em> (the Negev and the circle/plain) describes two regions: the arid southern wilderness and the lush Jordan valley. Jericho is called <em>ir ha-temarim</em> (city of palms), emphasizing its oasis fertility contrasted with surrounding desert. Jericho would be Israel's first conquest...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **And the south**—*i.e.*, the *Negeb.*
**And the plain**—*i.e.*, the plain of Jordan.
**The valley of Jericho.**—The city of palm trees may or may not be identical with that place.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And the LORD 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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God shows Moses the Promised Land: 'And the LORD 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 poignant scene reveals both grace (Moses sees the land) and discipline (he doesn't enter). God's oath to the patriarchs reaches fulfillmen...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **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.**—“That thou mayest go and say to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, The oath which He sware to you, the Holy One, blessed be He! hath performed it,” is Raehi’s comment. But in Paradise they scarcely needed Moses to tell them of His faithfulness.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.</strong> The title <em>eved YHWH</em> (servant of the LORD) appears only here in the Pentateuch regarding Moses, marking the supreme honor of faithful service completed. Jewish tradition notes the phrase <em>al-pi YHWH</em> (literally 'by the mouth of the LORD') can mean both 'according to t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **So (**better, *and***) Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.**—Literally, *upon the mouth of the Lord, *and hence the Jewish interpretation that he died by a kiss! But the language of the sacred narrative is too simple to need even this interpretation. For many years it had been the habit of Moses to do everything “at the mouth of th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The Mystery of Moses' Burial</strong><br><br>This verse presents one of Scripture's most intriguing mysteries: the burial of Moses by God Himself. The Hebrew phrase <em>vayyiqbor oto</em> (וַיִּקְבֹּר אֹתוֹ) literally means "and He buried him," with the subject being the LORD mentioned in verse 5. This divine interment in an unknown location "in a valley in the land of Moab, over against B...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **And he buried him.**—Moses is alone in this honour. The Son of God was buried by sinful men. Moses was buried by Jehovah.
**But no man knoweth of his sepulchre.**—I have always believed that the contention between Michael and the devil about the body of Moses (Jude 1:9) was in fact, *a struggle for his body*—that Moses was to be raised from the dead, and that Satan resisted his resurrection....
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. natural: Heb. moisture abated: Heb. fled
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.</strong> The phrase <em>lo-khahah eno</em> (his eye was not dim) and <em>lo-nas lekho</em> (his vigor/moisture had not fled) emphasize Moses' supernatural preservation despite advanced age. The 120 years divide neatly into three 40-year periods: Egyptian prince, Midianite shepherd, an...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>The children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.</strong> The <em>sheloshim yom</em> (thirty days) of mourning matches the period for Aaron (Numbers 20:29), indicating the highest honor for covenant leaders. This formalized grieving acknowledged not merely personal loss but the end of an era—the exodus genera...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **The children of Israel wept for Moses . . . thirty days . . .**—As they did for Aaron, his brother (Numbers 20:29). It is remarkable that the burial and the tomb of Aaron are only alluded to in Deuteronomy 10:6. (See Note and Excursus on that passage.) Miriam was buried in Kadesh (Numbers 20:1).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →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 the LORD commanded Moses.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him.</strong> The phrase <em>male ruakh khokhmah</em> (full of the spirit of wisdom) indicates not native intelligence but divine endowment for leadership. <em>Khokhmah</em> here means practical skill for governance and warfare, not merely philosophical insight. The <em>samakh yadav</em> (laying o...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom.**—Probably we should connect this with the preceding verse, “The days of mourning for Moses were ended,” and ended more naturally because Joshua proved so well able to meet the wants of the people.
**Moses had laid his hands upon him.**—See Numbers 27:18; Numbers 27:23. It is the first example of “ordination” in Holy Scripture.
**An...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**49. The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far--**the invasion of the Romans--"they came from far." The soldiers of the invading army were taken from France, Spain, and Britain--then considered "the end of the earth." Julius Severus, the commander, afterwards Vespasian and Hadrian, left Britain for the scene of contest. Moreover, the ensign on the standards of the Roman army was "an eag...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
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KJV Study Commentary
The chapter concludes: 'And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.' The phrase 'face to face' (Hebrew panim el-panim) indicates intimate, direct communication unmatched by other prophets. Moses' uniqueness lay in immediacy of divine revelation and scope of ministry—lawgiver, deliverer, covenant mediator. However, this statement anticipated a fut...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.**—Probably these words are later than the time of Joshua, when longer experience gave men the power to see how far inferior the prophets were to their great predecessor in this respect. The difference is most clearly set forth in Numbers 12:7-8. (See Notes on that passage.)
Ellicott's Comment...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**50. A nation of fierce countenance--**a just description of the Romans, who were not only bold and unyielding, but ruthless and implacable.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD 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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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land</strong>—Moses's obituary emphasizes his role as mediator of the ten plagues and Red Sea deliverance. The Hebrew <em>otot u-moftim</em> (אֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים, 'signs and wonders') became standard terminology for supernatural divine intervention, authen...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**51. he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, &c.--**According to the Jewish historian, every district of the country through which they passed was strewn with the wrecks of their devastation.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel</strong>—concluding Moses's epitaph, emphasizing the comprehensive power displayed through his ministry. The Hebrew <em>yad chazaqah</em> (יָד חֲזָקָה, 'mighty hand') and <em>mora gadol</em> (מוֹרָא גָדוֹל, 'great terror/awesome deeds') summarize both the Exodus deliverance and Sinai theo...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**52. he shall besiege thee ... until thy high and fenced walls come down--**All the fortified places to which the people betook themselves for safety were burnt or demolished, and the walls of Jerusalem itself razed to the ground.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 34
Chapter Outline
The bounds of the promised land.(1-15)
Those appointed to divide the land.(16-29)
**Verses 1-15**
Canaan was of small extent; as it is here bounded, it is but about 160 miles in length, and about 50 in breadth; yet this was the country promised to the father of the faithful, and the possession of the seed of Israel. This was that little spot of ground, ...
Read full commentary →