Chapter 34

1 Moses from mount Nebo vieweth the land. 5 He dieth there. 6 His burial. 7 His age. 8 Thirty days’ mourning for him. 9 Joshua succeedeth him. 10 The praise of Moses.

1. Went up. God had so commanded him (see ch. 32:49).

Moab. The final station before entering Canaan (see Num. 33:48–50), the place from which God had issued directives (see Num. 35:1; 36:13), and from which Moses delivered to Israel the words of the book of Deuteronomy (see Deut. 1:5).

Nebo. See on ch. 32:49. There was a city of the same name (see Num. 32:38; Isa. 15:2) in the immediate vicinity.

Pisgah. The northern part of the Abarim range (see on Num. 27:12).

Shewed him. God had already promised Moses that he would be permitted to view the land of Canaan, though not to set foot on it (Num. 27:12; Deut. 3:27).

2. All Naphtali. The Lord gave Moses a view of the northern parts of the country, where Mt. Hermon and the hills of Naphtali can be seen in the distance, the central portions where Ephraim and Manasseh located, and the southern part wherein Judah settled.

The utmost sea. Some commentators refer this to the Salt Sea (see Num. 34:3), or Dead Sea, on the eastern border of Judah. It is better to understand it as the Mediterranean, hidden behind the hills of Judah.

3. South. The Negeb (see on Gen. 12:9; 13:1).

The plain. All the Jordan valley; in particular, the extremely beautiful plain of Jericho, through which the Jordan flows (see on Gen. 13:10). The word here translated “plain,” literally, “round” or “oval,” refers to the circular basin of the Jordan, particularly to that portion of it where the Jordan enters the Dead Sea. This same word is used of a round loaf of bread (see Ex. 29:23; Judges 8:5; 1 Sam. 10:3; 1 Chron. 16:3).

City of palm trees. The countryside adjacent to the city of Jericho has always been famous for its palms and its tropical climate (see Judges 1:16; 3:13; 2 Chron. 28:15). It made an ideal winter resort.

Zoar. Probably at the south end of the Dead Sea (see on Gen. 14:3, 10; 19:22, 24).

4. This is the land. See Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; Ex. 33:1. Moses saw it in all its beauty; for this he had prayed, and God heard him (see Deut. 3:23–29).

5. The servant. See Joshua 1:2, 7, where Jehovah calls Moses His servant. The apostle Paul says Moses “was faithful in all his house, as a servant” (Heb. 3:5). The word translated “servant” in the book of Hebrews is therapon. Our English words therapeutics, therapy, are derived from it. The term denotes sympathetic, faithful ministry, as of a physician at the bedside of a sick person. The untiring, loving, and tender solicitude of Moses for his people is placed on record to his credit and to the glory of God. It is interesting to note that the modern Greek word for “physician” is therapon.

According to the word of the Lord. Literally, “at the mouth of Jehovah” (see Num. 27:12–14).

6. Beth-peor. Literally, “the house of Peor.” This valley was in the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites (Deut. 4:46), but was in the possession of Israel at this time, and included in the inheritance of Reuben (Joshua 13:20). It was named after a heathen god called Peor, and his temple (Joshua 22:17).

Sepulchre. Only Jehovah knew the exact spot where death came to Moses. The devil would have been highly pleased to continue to hold Moses in the bonds of death (see Jude 9), and to that end resisted Christ. But Moses was raised up and taken to heaven (see Mark 9:2–4).

7. Natural force. Literally, “freshness,” “vigor.” Accordingly, the statement would read, “his freshness had not departed.” It can mean nothing less than that his physical powers were as fresh and vigorous at that point as they had ever been.

This is the closing scene of a truly great life. As far as physical companionship is concerned, Moses was alone in the death scene. But he died in the arms of God; that was sufficient (cf. Ps. 23:4). Death is not a pleasant prospect, but if it comes when one’s spirit is in intimate communion with the Spirit of God, there is no fear. Even though one must die in solitude, away from human help and sympathy, if he can die in the presence of God, that is a gracious end, full of hope.

8. Weeping and mourning. Upon the death of their peerless leader the people could not but feel a great void in the life of the nation. With what interest Moses must have followed the varying fortunes of Israel as he viewed them from heaven.

9. Joshua. This comparatively young leader was filled with the spirit of wisdom at the laying on of the hands of Moses. This “spirit of wisdom” included skill in both civil administration and military leadership. He had previously proved strong in faith, in courage, and in unswerving devotion to duty.

10. Face to face. A figure of speech to describe intimate association, friendship shared. Compare the experiences of Jacob (Gen. 32:30) and Gideon (Judges 6:22). No other human being ever had a closer association with Jehovah. He is justly known as the world’s greatest emancipator and lawgiver. He has influenced history throughout all succeeding time. A strong personality to begin with, Moses had a fellowship with God that greatly developed and strengthened his character.

additional note on chapter 34

Inspiration has not revealed the authorship of the closing verses of Deuteronomy. Some commentators have held that Moses wrote this portion of the book prior to his death, but others have felt that Joshua or some other unnamed writer added it later, as a postscript to the Pentateuch. Either view is fully in harmony with the way in which the Holy Spirit has operated upon other occasions. However, certain expressions in vs. 6–12 seem best understood as implying that Joshua was the author:

1.   The words “no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day” (v. 6) reflect interest on the part of those who survived Moses, regarding the place of burial. There is more reason to think that this statement was written by another person after his death, by inspiration, of course, than that it was written by Moses himself prior to that event.

2.   The words of v. 9, attesting the authority of Joshua and his ability as a leader, seem to be more a simple historical account of the transition of leadership, than a prediction concerning it. In Moses’ description of the future experiences of the twelve tribes (ch. 33), he speaks in clearly prophetic language (vs. 10, 12, 19, etc.); here, the language is that of a simple historical account.

3.   The words, “There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses” (v. 10), seem more appropriate as a eulogy by Joshua or some other person than by Moses himself.

The Pauline authorship of the book of Romans is unquestioned, yet the scribe who wrote for Paul felt free to add a greeting of his own, addressed to friends at Rome (Rom. 16:22–24). The presence of this postscript in no way alters the fact that the book is the work of Paul rather than of “Tertius, who wrote this epistle” (v. 22), nor does it in any way affect the quality of its inspiration. The Holy Spirit could guide Tertius as well as He could guide Paul. In the same way, the Holy Spirit might as easily have guided Joshua in writing the closing verses of Deuteronomy as He had Moses in writing the preceding portion of the book, or as He later guided Joshua in writing the book that bears his name.

Ellen G. White comments

1    PP 471

1-4PP 472

1-7SR 172; 1T 659

5     EW 164; 4T 156

5, 6 PP 477

6     AH 477

7     PP 463

8     PP 481

9     4T 156

10   Ed 64; MH 475

10-12PP 478