John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 34:5

"So Moses the servant of Jehovah died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of Jehovah." — Deuteronomy 34:5 (ASV)

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.