Deuteronomy 3:21-29

10. MOSES DENIED ENTRANCE INTO CANAAN (Deuteronomy 3:21-29)

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Thine eyes have seen all that Jehovah your God hath done unto these two kings: so shall Jehovah do unto all the kingdoms whither thou goest over. 22 Ye shall not fear them; for Jehovah your God, he it is that fighteth for you.

23 And I besought Jehovah at that time, saying, 24 O Lord Jehovah, thou hast begun to show thy servant thy greatness, and thy strong hand: for what god is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to thy works, and according to thy mighty ?Acts 25 Let me go over, I pray thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. 26 But Jehovah was wroth with me for your sakes, and hearkened not unto me: and Jehovah said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. 27 Get thee up unto the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. 28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see. 29 So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 3:21-29

62.

Read Numbers 27:15-23 for a better understanding of Moses words to Joshua.

63.

Since God has specifically told Moses he could not go into the promised land, why did Moses make the request he did in these verses?

64.

Is Moses saying in Deuteronomy 3:26 that it was not his fault that Jehovah was angry with him?

65.

Our Lord requires unselfishness on the part of His leaders. Note the implications of Deuteronomy 3:28.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 3:21-29

21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Your own eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings [Sihon and Og]; so shall the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are going over [the Jordan].
22 You shall not fear them, for the Lord your God shall fight for you.
23 And I besought the Lord at that time, saying,
24 O Lord God, You have only begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand; for what god is there in Heaven or on earth, that can do according to Your works, and according to Your might?
25 I pray You, [will you not just] let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain country [with Hermon], and Lebanon?
26 But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, That is enough; say no more to Me about it.
27 Get up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan.
28 But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to possess the land which you shall see.
29 So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor.

COMMENT 3:21-29

Deuteronomy 3:21-22 refer to Moses-' commission to Joshua, discussed more fully in Ch. Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Deuteronomy 31:14-23 and Numbers 27:15-23.

JEHOVAH. FIGHTETH FOR YOU (Deuteronomy 3:22)See ch. Deuteronomy 1:29-33; Deuteronomy 1:42 and notes.

LET ME GO OVER (Deuteronomy 3:25)See also Deuteronomy 1:37 and notes on the refusal of Moses-' request.

THAT GOODLY MOUNTAIN (Deuteronomy 3:25)The marginal reading, hill country is preferred by modern translators.

GET THEE UP UNTO THE TOP OF PISGAH (Deuteronomy 3:27)See Deuteronomy 32:49 where this same mountain is also called Nebo and this mountain of Abarim (cf. Numbers 27:12). Numbers 33:47-48 speaks of Israel encamping in the mountains of Abarim, before Nebo. The term Abarim seems to refer to the whole range of mountains east of the Dead Sea and the Jordan. Nebo was a smaller range within this one, or more specifically, jutting out to the west from it. Deuteronomy 34:1 tells us Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against [i.e. east of] Jericho.

On this entire passage, the moral lesson drawn by Mackintosh is excellent. Now, it is most edifying to hear all this confession from the lips of Moses himself. It teaches us a fine lesson, if only we are willing to learn it. Some of us find it very hard indeed to confess that we have done or said anything wrongvery hard to own before our brethren that we have entirely missed the Lord's mind in any particular case. We are careful of our reputation; we are touchy and tenacious. And yet, with strange inconsistency, we admit, or seem to admit, in general terms, that we are poor, feeble, erring creatures; and that, if left to ourselves, there is nothing too bad for us to say or do. But it is one thing to make a most humiliating general [confession,] and another thing altogether to own that, in some given case, we have made a gross mistake. The latter is a confession which very few have grace to make.[27]

[27] Notes on Deuteronomy, Vol. I, p. 156.