XXXIV. DEATH OF MOSES. (1) PISGAH. — See Numbers 21:20. The word seems to mean a height. (1, 2) THE LORD SHEWED HIM ALL THE LAND OF GILEAD, UNTO DAN, AND ALL NAPHTALI... UNTO THE UTMOST SEA — that is, He showed him all the land which was to be given to these several tribes. Whether He then showed i... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SOUTH — _i.e._, the _Negeb._ AND THE PLAIN — _i.e._, the plain of Jordan. THE VALLEY OF JERICHO. — The city of palm trees may or may not be identical with that place.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE LAND WHICH I SWARE UNTO ABRAHAM, UNTO ISAAC, AND UNTO JACOB, SAYING, I WILL GIVE IT UNTO THY SEED: I HAVE CAUSED THEE TO SEE IT. — “That thou mayest go and say to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, The oath which He sware to you, the Holy One, blessed be He! hath performed it,” is Raehi’s commen... [ Continue Reading ]
SO (better, _and_) MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD DIED THERE IN THE LAND OF MOAB, ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF THE LORD. — Literally, _upon the mouth of the Lord,_ and hence the Jewish interpretation that he died by a kiss! But the language of the sacred narrative is too simple to need even this interpre... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BURIED HIM. — Moses is alone in this honour. The Son of God was buried by sinful men. Moses was buried by Jehovah. BUT NO MAN KNOWETH OF HIS SEPULCHRE. — I have always believed that the contention between Michael and the devil about the body of Moses (Jude 1:9) was in fact, _a struggle for h... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WEPT FOR MOSES... THIRTY DAYS... — As they did for Aaron, his brother (Numbers 20:29). It is remarkable that the burial and the tomb of Aaron are only alluded to in Deuteronomy 10:6. (See Note and Excursus on that passage.) Miriam was buried in Kadesh (Numbers 20:1).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN WAS FULL OF THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM. — Probably we should connect this with the preceding verse, “The days of mourning for Moses were ended,” and ended more naturally because Joshua proved so well able to meet the wants of the people. MOSES HAD LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM. — See... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE AROSE NOT A PROPHET SINCE IN ISRAEL LIKE UNTO MOSES, WHOM THE LORD KNEW FACE TO FACE. — Probably these words are later than the time of Joshua, when longer experience gave men the power to see how far inferior the prophets were to their great predecessor in this respect. The difference is... [ Continue Reading ]