And the Lord spake unto Moses the selfsame day ,.... On which he finished the reading of the law, and the above song, which was the seventh of Adar or February; according to the Targum of Jonathan, the day he died on; according to the Egyptian Calendar F1 Apud Ludolf. Lex. Ethiop. p. 537. , it was the sixteenth of that month, see Deuteronomy 34:5 , saying ; as follows. read more
Get thee up into this mountain Abarim ,.... Which was near in sight, and pointed at; it was a range of mountains, of which see Numbers 21:11 , unto Mount Nebo ; which was one of the mountains of Abarim, and had its name either from its height, or a city of this name, to which it was near, see Numbers 32:38 ; Jerom says F2 De loc. Heb. fol. 93. N. , in his lays it was shown six miles from Heshbon to the east; it should be read, to the west: which is in the land of Moab ;... read more
And die in the mount whither thou goest up ,.... Immediately after having taken a view of the land, expect to die, prepare for it, and willingly and cheerfully submit to it: and be gathered unto thy people ; to the spirits of just men made perfect in heaven, his more immediate and more remote ancestors, the souls of good men; for otherwise there were none that died, and were buried here, before him, and therefore can have no respect to the buryingplace of his people: as Aaron thy... read more
Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel ,.... By their unbelief, doubting whether God would give water or no to such a rebellious people, and by giving way to passion and wrathful expressions: and this was done at the waters of Meribahkadesh ; so called, to distinguish it from another Meribah, where also there was a contention on account of water, Numbers 20:13 , in the wilderness of Zin ; where Kadesh was, and further describes and distinguishes this place;... read more
Get thee up into this mountain Abarim - The mount of the passages, i. e., of the Israelites when they entered into the promised land. See the notes on Numbers 27:12 . read more
And die in the mount - as Aaron - Some have supposed that Moses was translated; but if so, then Aaron was translated, for what is said of the death of the one is said of the death of the other. read more
Ye trespassed against me - at the waters of Meribah - See the note on Numbers 20:12 . read more
Verse 48 48.And the Lord spake unto Moses. We infer that this is not recorded in its regular order, because it is certain that Moses was warned of his approaching death before the Song was composed; and this the second passage, which I have here appended, expressly confirms; for he says that, before he substituted Joshua for himself, the place was pointed out to him in which he was to die. It is, however, by no means unusual for the order of narration to be inverted. We may here perceive a... read more
Verse 51 51.Because ye trespassed against me. We perceive from his punishment how necessary to Moses was such a token of favor. (302) For death in itself would not have been so bitter, but the cause, which is again alleged, grievously wounded the mind of the holy man, in that he saw himself to be excluded in God’s just vengeance from the common inheritance on account of his own guilt, which is more afflictive to the pious than a hundred, nay, innumerable deaths. Hence those mournful complaints... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 32:44-52
Here is, I. The solemn delivery of this song to the children of Israel, Deut. 32:44, 45. Moses spoke it to as many as could hear him, while Joshua, in another assembly, at the same time, delivered it to as many as his voice would reach. Thus coming to them from the mouth of both their governors, Moses who was laying down the government, and Joshua who was taking it up, they would see they were both in the same mind, and that, though they changed their commander, there was no change in the... read more