Albert Barnes Commentary Deuteronomy 34
Albert Barnes Commentary
Deuteronomy 34
Albert Barnes Commentary
Deuteronomy 34
"And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And Jehovah showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan," — Deuteronomy 34:1 (ASV)
Dan - This can hardly be the Dan (Dan-Laish) of Judges 18:27 and following, which was not in Gilead. It is probably a town of this name which stood in the north of Peraea; perhaps the same as Dan-jaan (2 Samuel 24:6); and the Dan of Genesis 14:14.
"and the South, and the Plain of the valley of Jericho the city of palm-trees, unto Zoar." — Deuteronomy 34:3 (ASV)
To Zoar - Compare Genesis 19:22.
"And Jehovah 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." — Deuteronomy 34:4 (ASV)
I have caused you to see it - The sight thus granted to Moses, like that of all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time (Luke 4:5), was no doubt supernatural.
"So Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Jehovah." — Deuteronomy 34:5 (ASV)
According to the word of the Lord - It denotes that Moses died, not because his vital powers were exhausted, but by the sentence of God, and as a punishment for his sin. Compare (Deuteronomy 32:51).
"And he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day." — Deuteronomy 34:6 (ASV)
No man knows of his sepulchre - It was hardly to prevent the grave of Moses from becoming an object of superstitious honor, because the Jews were not prone to this particular form of error. Bearing in mind the appearance of Moses at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–10), and what is said by Jude (Jude 1:9), we may conjecture that Moses after death passed into the same state with Enoch and Elijah; and that his grave could not be found because he was shortly translated (transported) from it.
Jump to: