John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 34

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 to a voluntary going forth to death. He was not ignorant of what was to happen; called by God to die, he went to meet death of his own accord.

Such willing submission proceeded from no other source than faith in God’s grace, by which alone all terror is mitigated, set at rest, and the bitterness of death is sweetened.

Doubtless to Moses, as to everyone else, it must have been naturally an awful thing to die. But since the testimony of God’s grace was interposed, he did not hesitate to offer himself without alarm. And because he was firmly persuaded that the inheritance of the people would be set before his eyes, he cheerfully ascended to the place from which he was to behold it.

Already, indeed, by faith had he beheld the land, and the promise of God had been, as it were, a vivid representation of it. But, since some remaining infirmities of the flesh still surround even the most holy persons, seeing it directly was no slight consolation to mitigate the bitterness of his punishment, when he knew that he was prevented from actually entering it by God's just sentence.

When it is said that God showed him all the land, it could not have been the case without a miracle. For, although history records that some have been endowed with incredible powers of vision, allowing them to see further than the whole length of Canaan, there is still a notable peculiarity in this case: Moses distinctly examined every portion of it, as if he had truly been on the spot.

I allow, indeed, that Naphtali, Ephraim, and Manasseh are mentioned by anticipation; but, nevertheless, the Holy Spirit would express that every part was shown to Moses, as if they were close beneath his feet. Otherwise, the vision would have been merely unsatisfactory and useless if he had not been allowed to behold the future dwelling place of the people.

And what is added later also serves the same purpose: that it was the land which God swore to give to His servants. For otherwise, Moses’s desire would not have been satisfied unless he had seen what a pleasant, fertile, and wealthy region the sons of Abraham were about to inhabit.

So Moses the servant of the Lord died. Since it was a mark of disgrace to die outside the borders of the Holy Land, Moses is honored with high praise, so that the Israelites might learn all the more to tremble at the judgment of God, who did not spare even His most eminent servant. And it is expressly added, “according to the word (or mouth) of the Lord,” to prevent them from despising the threats which were fulfilled in such a significant way. For, if God did not spare His own eminent Prophet, but finally carried out against him what He had threatened, how could the common people escape?

Regarding what follows, “he buried him,” some interpret this in a passive sense, as “he was buried,” and others in a transitive sense, as “he buried himself.” However, both interpretations are incorrect. For, while they are hesitant to attribute this act to God, they struggle to avoid an inconsistency that is not actually present. Indeed, it can be inferred from the end of the verse that Moses was buried by divine means, for it is said that his tomb is unknown.

It is likely that the people made every effort to discover his tomb, since it would have been uncivilized for them not to perform the final rites of respect for such a great man. Therefore, since no signs of his burial, nor his body itself, were found anywhere, it could be inferred that he was hidden by God’s deliberate plan. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to discuss how God buried him, since all the elements are under His control. It was enough, therefore, for Him to indicate (annuere) to the earth that it was to receive the holy man’s body into its embrace. Nor was there any need to enlist the help of angels, as some think, since the earth would have immediately obeyed its Creator’s command.

From the Letter of Jude (Jude 9), we learn that it was a matter of no small importance that Moses’s tomb should be hidden from human eyes. For Jude informs us that a dispute arose about it between Michael the archangel and Satan. And, although the reason for its concealment is not stated, it nevertheless seems to have been God’s intention to prevent superstition. For it was common for the Jews—and it is a custom for which Christ rebukes them (Luke 11:47)—to kill the prophets and then to venerate their tombs.

It would, therefore, have been probable that, to erase the memory of their ingratitude, they would have paid superstitious reverence to the holy prophet. They might then have carried his body into the land from which God’s decree had excluded him. A timely measure was therefore taken, so that in their thoughtless enthusiasm the people would not attempt to overturn God’s decree.

³³⁰ See on Leviticus 21:1, , vol. 2 p. 228..

And Joshua the son of Nun. It is again shown how persistently God provided for the welfare of the people. We have already seen how, at the request of Moses, Joshua was chosen to succeed him. Now, when he was about to assume his office, “the spirit of wisdom” was imparted to him, so that it might be effectively demonstrated that he was appointed by God.

Indeed, he had previously been endowed with excellent gifts, but he was now much more splendidly adorned with the symbols of dignity, so that his calling by God might be more certainly proved. For in this way God is accustomed to equip those whom He calls with the ability for action. The imposition of hands was also added, which was no empty symbol of God’s grace. But since I have already spoken fully of these things, I now only touch upon them lightly.

And there arose not a prophet. This eulogy seems to have been added so that the children of Abraham might rely on Moses until the manifestation of Christ. For although prophets were raised up from time to time, it was still fitting that superiority should remain with Moses, lest they deviate in the slightest from the rule of the Law. It must be concluded, therefore, that Moses was placed here in a position of supremacy, so as to be superior to all the prophets; as Malachi also exhorts the ancient people (Malachi 4:4), so that they might continue obedient to the law of Moses.

Two signs of his excellence are recorded here: namely, his familiar acquaintance with God and the glory of his miracles. We have seen elsewhere that by this prerogative Moses was distinguished from the other prophets: God spoke to him face to face. For although Jacob makes the same declaration about himself, we still know that God was revealed more intimately to Moses afterwards—not indeed that he beheld His glory in its perfection, but because, in comparison with others, he went beyond them all. As for miracles, though they were performed by others, still none of them came near to Moses in their performance.

END OF COMMENTARIES ON THE FOUR LAST BOOKS OF MOSES, IN THE FORM OF A HARMONY.