Deuteronomy 34:1-4

The Death of Moses

34:1 Then Moses ascended from the deserts of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. The Lord showed him the whole land – Gilead to Dan, 34:2 and all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the distant sea, 34:3 the Negev, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of the date palm trees, as far as Zoar. 34:4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it, but you will not cross over there.”

Numbers 27:12

Leadership Change

27:12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land I have given to the Israelites.


sn For the geography involved, see note on the term “Pisgah” in Deut 3:17.

tn Or “western” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); Heb “latter,” a reference to the Mediterranean Sea (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).

tn Heb “seed” (so KJV, ASV).

tn The Hebrew text includes “with your eyes,” but this is redundant in English and is left untranslated.

sn See further J. Lindblom, “Lot Casting in the Old Testament,” VT 12 (1962): 164-78; E. Lipinski, “Urim and Thummim,” VT 20 (1970): 495-96; and S. E. Loewenstamm, “The Death of Moses,” Tarbiz 27 (1957/58): 142-57.

tc The Greek version adds “which is Mount Nebo.” This is a typical scribal change to harmonize two passages.

tn The imperative could be subordinated to the first to provide a purpose clause, although a second instruction fits well enough.

tn This perfect tense would best be classified as a perfect of resolve: “which I have decided to give.” God had not yet given the land to them, but it was certain he would.