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Joel Kell

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Deuteronomy 34

Introduction

This chapter informs us of Moses going up to the top of Pisgah, where he was shown the whole land of Canaan, Deut. 34:1–4; of his death, burial, and age, Deut. 34:5–7; of Israel’s mourning for him, and the time of it, Deut. 34:8; of his successor Joshua, Deut.

Verse 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 ; and had blessed the several tribes, as in the preceding…

Verse 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 ; and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh: which lay in the midland part of the country: and all the land of…

Verse 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 ; the city of palm trees; so Jericho was called, because of the multitude of palm trees…

Verse 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, ; to Isaac, ; to Jacob, ; I have caused thee to see it with…

Verse 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…

Verse 6

And he buried him Aben Ezra says he buried himself, going into a cave on the top of the mount, where he expired, and so where he died his grave was; but though he died on the mount, he was buried in a valley: Jarchi and so other Jewish writers [[3]] say, the Lord buried him; it may be by the…

Verse 7

And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died, &c.] Which age of his may be divided into three equal periods, forty years in Pharaoh’s court, forty years in Midian, and forty in the care and government of Israel, in Egypt and in the wilderness; so long he lived, though the common age…

Verse 8

And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days According both to Josephus [[12]] and the Samaritan Chronicle [[13]], they cried and wept in a very vehement manner, when he signified to them his approaching death, and took his leave of them; and when he was dead they…

Verse 9

And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, &c.] The successor of Moses, and who, by the spirit of wisdom on him, was abundantly qualified for the government of the people of Israel; in which he was a type of Christ, on whom the spirit of wisdom and understanding is said to rest, ;…

Verse 10

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses Not in the times of Joshua, who wrote this chapter, at least the last eight verses, , as say the Jews [[14]]; nor to the times of Samuel, whom others take to be the writer: of them; nor to the times of Ezra, as others; nor even…

Verse 11

In all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do The same Targums also paraphrase here, “which the Word of the Lord sent him to do;” for he it was that appeared to him in the bush, and sent him to Egypt to work miracles, which he did by him: in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to…

Verse 12

And in all that mighty hand In all done by his hand, which he stretched out over the sea and divided, to make a passage through it for the Israelites, and with his rod in it smote the rocks, and waters gushed out for them: and in all that great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel;…