Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
Deuteronomy 32:48-52
Yahweh's Final Words to Moses (Deuteronomy 32:48).
a And Yahweh spoke to Moses that selfsame day, saying, “Get you up into this mountain of Abarim, to mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho, and behold the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession” (deu 48-49).
b “And die in the mount to which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered to his people” (deu 50).
b “Because you trespassed against me in the midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not sanctify me in the midst of the children of Israel” (deu 51).
a “For you will see the land before you, but you will not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel” (deu 52).
Note that in ‘a' he is to see the land of Canaan which Yahweh is giving to the children of Israel for a possession. and in the parallel he will see the land before him, but he will not enter it. In ‘b' he will die there and be gathered to his people, and in the parallel it is because of his trespass at the waters of Meribah when he failed to set apart Yahweh as holy in the eyes of His people.
‘ And Yahweh spoke to Moses that selfsame day, saying,'
Moses having given his final exhortation to the people, on that very same day Yahweh calls him up to a mountain to have one last look at the land to which he has safely brought his people before he dies, explaining that he will then die on that mountain. Although his punishment must be carried out he is given special treatment as the favoured servant of Yahweh.
‘ Get you up into this mountain of Abarim, to mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho, and behold the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession,'
He is to climb Mount Nebo, in the mountains at Abarim, in the land of Moab, which is over against Jericho, and there behold the land of Canaan which Yahweh is giving to the children of Israel for a possession. Thus His final assurance to His servant is as to the success of his venture. They will go over and possess it.
This would be one of the mountain peaks to the north end of the Dead Sea. It may or may not be the peak called Mount Nebo today, but if it was it provides a wonderful view of the Jordan Valley. Jericho was regularly used as an indicator of the area in the final chapter of Numbers. It was probably the one walled city in the area, and would already have attracted attention, on its mound. It was the first obstacle to entry into the land, for it guarded the pass through the hills.
‘ And die in the mount to which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered to his people, because you (ye) trespassed against me in the midst of the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah of Kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you (ye) did not sanctify me in the midst of the children of Israel.'
Once he has had this one last look Moses will die in the mountain to which he has climbed. Just as Aaron died on Mount Hor (Numbers 20:22; Numbers 33:37) and was gathered to his people, so will Moses die on Mount Nebo and be gathered to his people. And he too was dying because of the trespass at Meribah when both of them were involved in defaming Yahweh in the eyes of the people. They had failed to ‘sanctify Him', set Him apart in His uniqueness and compassion and power, among the people (see Deuteronomy 1:37; Deuteronomy 3:26; Deuteronomy 4:21; Numbers 20:10; Numbers 27:14) because of their own perverseness.
Dying in a mountain to which he was called by God appears to indicate a glorious death, a death near to heaven. He had to be punished but God still cherished His faithful servant, as He had Aaron.
‘ For you will see the land before you, but you will not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel.'
Yahweh's concession was for him to see the land, but he was not to have any false hopes of entering it. This embargo was not only to be seen as a lesson for him, but as a lesson for the whole of Israel. That is why it was publicised by the one to whom Moses communicated what he had been told before he went up into the mountain. It could have been Eliezar, as High Priest, but Joshua seems the likely contender.