Deuteronomy 34:1-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:1-4

Here is, I. Moses climbing upwards towards heaven, as high as the top of Pisgah, there to die; for that was the place appointed, Deut. 32:49, 50. Israel lay encamped upon the flat grounds in the plains of Moab, and thence he went up, according to order, to the mountain of Nebo, to the highest point or ridge of that mountain, which was called Pisgah, Deut. 34:1. Pisgah is an appellative name for all such eminences. It should seem, Moses went up alone to the top of Pisgah, alone without help?a... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:5-8

Here is, I. The death of Moses (Deut. 34:5): Moses the servant of the Lord died. God told him he must not go over Jordan, and, though at first he prayed earnestly for the reversing of the sentence yet God's answer to his prayer sufficed him, and now he spoke no more of that matter, Deut. 3:26. Thus our blessed Saviour prayed that the cup might pass from him, yet, since it might not, he acquiesced with, Father, thy will be done. Moses had reason to desire to live a while longer in the world. He... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:1

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, as in the preceding chapter: at the command of God he went up from hence: unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho ; Nebo was one of the mountains of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:2

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 the land of Judah ; which lay to the south: unto the utmost sea ; the Mediterranean sea, which was the western boundary of the land, called the "hinder sea", Zechariah 14:8 ; and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:3

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 multitude of palm trees which grew there, and which Josephus not only testifies F18 De Bello Jud. l. 1. c. 18. sect. 5. & l. 4. c. 8. sect. 2. , who speaks of it as a plain planted... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:4

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, Genesis 28:13 , I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes ; not only had indulged him with a general view of it, but had strengthened his eyesight, that he had a full, clear, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 34:5

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 Jewish writers affirm F23 T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 13. 2. Yalkut & R. Abraham Seba in Tzeror Hammor in loc. that be died not, but was translated to heaven, where he ministers; yea, that he was... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 34:1

And Moses went up - This chapter could not have been written by Moses. A man certainly cannot give an account of his own death and burial. We may therefore consider Moses's words as ending with the conclusion of the preceding chapter, as what follows could not possibly have been written by himself. To suppose that he anticipated these circumstances, or that they were shown to him by an especial revelation, is departing far from propriety and necessity, and involving the subject in absurdity;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 34:5

So Moses - died - according to the word of the Lord - יהוה פי על al pi Yehovah , at the mouth of Jehovah; i. e., by the especial command and authority of the Lord; but it is possible that what is here said refers only to the sentence of his exclusion from the promised land, when he offended at the waters of Meribah. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 34:1

Verse 1 1.And Moses went. up from the plains of Moab. It is not certain who wrote this chapter; unless we admit the probable conjecture of the ancients, that Joshua was its author. But since Eleazar the priest might have performed this office, it will be better to leave a matter of no very great importance undecided. We have elsewhere said, that one part of mount Abarim was called Nebo, as another was called Pisgah, because they were distinct summits. Now, the ascent of Moses was equivalent... read more

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