Deuteronomy 34:1-12 – The Death of Moses

SUMMARY

MosesProphet who led Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land and received the law at Sinai More, still full of life at 120 years of age, hears God’s promise to AbrahamGod promised that Abraham would become the father of a great nation, receive a land, and bring blessing to all nations. More, surveys the promised land, dies, and is buried by God.

ANALYSIS

From the hand of the Priestly writer who compiled the various Pentateuchal traditions into our five books of the law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), the book of Deuteronomy–and indeed, the PentateuchThe Pentateuch is a Christian term the first five books of the Old Testament. These books contain stories of Israel's early history, God's covenants, and many laws such as the Ten Commandments). More as a whole–comes to a close with this description of the death of Moses. Each of its four sections requires comment:

1. God shows Moses the promised land (vv. 1-4). Not only does this fulfill God’s promise to Moses (3:27, showing Moses the land of Canaan and refusing to let him enter!), Genesis 13:14-17 is also in view. Just as Abram was told to “Raise your eyes now, and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.” So now Moses is shown the whole land in a panoramic view from the north (“Gilead, as far as Dan”), then west (NaphtaliNaphtali was the name of Jacob's sixth son and one of the 12 tribes More), down the spine of the country through Ephraim and Manasseh to JudahJudah was the name of Jacob's fourth son and one of the 12 tribes. More and the Negeb in the south, to Jericho and the Dead Sea in the east. In the ancient Near East, such viewings amount to a formal act of taking possession.

2. The death of Moses (vv. 5-8). Though several are designated as “the servant of the LORD” (Abraham, JacobThe son of Isaac and Rebekah, renamed Israel, became the father of the twelve tribal families More, JoshuaThe successor of Moses, Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan More, DavidSecond king of Israel, David united the northern and southern kingdoms. More, the prophets, and especially the servant in the servant songs of IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century B.C.E. (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More), no one receives this tribute as frequently as Moses. Here Moses’ faithfulness and ceaseless striving to fulfill the mission with which he had been charged is lifted up, perhaps to offset the troubling refusal to allow him entrance to the goal of his life’s work, the reason for which is not given. The passive, “He was buried” (v. 6), is literally, “He [God?!] buried him.”

Moses’ age at the time of his death (120 years) is probably symbolic; the question is, symbolic of what? Several possibilities have been suggested:

• Ancient Mesopotamia employed a numerical system based upon the number 60, not 10, so that 120 years (2 x 60) was the only round number available.
• In Genesis 6:3, God restricts human life spans to 120 years.
• In the Deuteronomistic HistoryDeuteronomistic history refers to the narrative contained in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings. This narrative, probably written in the age of Israel's exile (mid-6th century B.C.E.), recounts Israel's history prior to the exile. More (Joshua-Kings), “forty years” is either a complete generation (Judges 3:11) or the tenure of a great leader (EliPriest at Shiloh who cared for young Samuel. More, David, SolomonThird king of Israel who was known for wisdom and building the first Temple More, or Joash).
• Stephen’s sermon breaks Moses’ life into three forty-year periods (Egypt, Midian, the wilderness, see Acts 7:23, 30, 36).

3. Joshua succeeds Moses (v. 9). The transition is important for the continuing story in Joshua; although there, Joshua succeeds Moses at the word of the Lord (Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Joshua 1:1-9), not by the “laying on of hands” as here.

4. Moses’ epitaph (vv. 10-12). The translation, “Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses” (NRSV; better, “Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses,” NJPS), eases the tension with Deuteronomy 18:18, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you” (compare 18:15). There is no contradiction. Here, Moses is praised as the first in the line of the prophets and for the intimacy of his relationship with God.