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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:9-12

We have here a very honourable encomium passed both on Moses and Joshua; each has his praise, and should have. It is ungrateful so to magnify our living friends as to forget the merits of those that are gone, to whose memories there is a debt of honour due: all the respect must not be paid to the rising sun; and, on the other hand, it is unjust so to cry up the merits of those that are gone as to despise the benefit we have in those that survive and succeed them. Let God be glorified in both,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:10

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 F16 T. 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 34:10

There arose not a prophet, etc. - Among all the succeeding prophets none was found so eminent in all respects nor so highly privileged as Moses; with him God spoke face to face - admitted him to the closest familiarity and greatest friendship with himself. Now all this continued true till the advent of Jesus Christ, of whom Moses said, "A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me;" but how great was this person when compared with Moses! Moses... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 34:10

Verse 10 10And there arose not a prophet. This eulogy seems to have been added, that the children of Abraham might place dependence on Moses until the manifestation of Christ; for although prophets were from time to time raised up, still it was fitting that the superiority should remain with Moses, lest they should decline in the smallest degree from the rule of the Law. It must be concluded, therefore, that Moses was here placed in a position of supremacy, so as to be superior to all the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:1-12

The death and burial of Moses. We have in this concluding chapter the remarkable account of the death and burial of Moses. He had, as we have seen, blessed the tribes; he had laid his hands on Joshua (verse 9), and thus ordained him, so to speak, to the leadership; he had given his manuscripts to the priests to be deposited in the ark; and now all that remains for him to do is to take the course God indicated to the mountain-top, see the Promised Land, and die. It has suggested some noble... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:10

(Cf. Exodus 33:11 .) Whom the Lord knew. "For the Lord was revealed to him face to face" (Onkelos). The knowledge here referred to was not merely that cognizance which God as the Omniscient has of all men, but that special knowledge by which men, being known of God, are made to know him (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:3 ). The statement in this verse could only have been inserted some time after the death of Moses, and after the people had had manifestations of God's presence with them, both by... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:10

Face to face; or, the secret of power. "Whom the Lord knew face to face." Such is the remarkable expression used with regard to Moses. This certainly implies that there was in his case unwonted closeness of fellowship with God. There are expressions not dissimilar in Numbers 12:7 , Numbers 12:8 , but yet we must make allowance for the prevalence of the vividness of Eastern imagery, and not press the literalness of the words too closely. In fact, we are guarded against that by the words... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:10-12

The distinctive greatness of Moses. These closing verses do not touch upon the character of Moses, but upon his unique position as a prophet. "There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses," etc. ( Deuteronomy 34:10 ). This does not exactly ascribe inferiority, but rather dissimilarity to all who had followed, up to the date of this editorial postscript. "Nothing can have two beginnings;" and in this lies the one and sufficient reason why Moses could not be followed in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:10-12

Communion with God the secret of real power. Leaving out of view our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no man who has left so deeply the impress of his character upon the world as the Jewish legislator. By no man have so many and such mighty works been achieved. By no man has such wise legislation been devised for the government of human society. By no man has a great national emancipation been so skillfully and successfully executed. At the time of our Lord, Moses still wielded a mighty scepter... read more

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