Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Jude 1:9

"But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee." — Jude 1:9 (ASV)

The false teachers should have learned from the example of the powerful archangel Michael (cf. Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). Jewish literature tells of a struggle over Moses’ body. One writing in particular, the apocryphal Assumption of Moses, refers to the devil claiming the right to Moses’ body because of his sin of murder (Exodus 2:12) or because he (the devil) considered himself the lord of the earth. Yet in spite of Michael’s power and dignity, he dared not bring a “slanderous accusation” against the devil but referred the dispute to the sovereignty of God. So if he, a mighty archangel, had respect for celestial powers, Jude says, how much more should the mere human false teachers do so!