Deuteronomy 34, Thoughts on Deut. 33-34

In Deut. 33 Moses is near the time of death. He has one more hill to climb.  But he is thinking of the nation and the tribes he will leave behind.  AND he is thinking of eternity … the everlasting hills (33:15) and the eternal God with His everlasting arms (33:27).  This makes sense since Moses, as Hebrews says, did not receive the promise.  Like Abraham before, who planted the tree and named it the eternal God, so Moses realizes that he must trust God in caring for the flock over which he has shepherded. 

The usual term for “eternal” in the OT is the Hebrew owlam, and that is the term speaking of the everlasting arms.  But the other two (the everlasting hills and the eternal God is the Hebrew qudem.  This word refers to antiquity or “that which is before.”  Again, this makes sense.  Moses acknowledges God’s care in the past over Israel.  The “ancient” God was always there for Israel in the forty years of Moses’ leadership and he recognizes that.  Israel needs to know this was the case so that they will be willing to trust God in the future. 

Now here are a few other things to note in Moses’ words.

·       Jeshurun (33:5,26; also in 32:15 and Isa. 44:2) was a name for Israel.  The root meaning of the word is “upright one.”  Thus, many see it as a name identifying Israel’s ideal character. 

·       Moses blesses the nation according to the tribes.  However, he omitted Simeon.  “Why?”  I do not have an answer.  The Septuagint believed that the last part of 33:7 applied to Simeon.

·       In 33:13 the land of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) contains the deep lying beneath.  It was true that underneath the “hills of Ephraim” ran an aquifer that provided springs of water all over Israel.

·       In 33:22 Moses saw Dan as in the north, in “Bashan.” Dt. 34:1 also refers the North to “Dan.”  Moses either wrote as a prophet, or a later scribe inserted the name “Dan.”  Of course, the entire 34^th chapter was written after the death of Moses, likely by Joshua.  All the references to the tribes in 34:1-3 were penned later by a reliable man.

·       In Dt. 34:4 God reminds Moses of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Hearing this, Moses would be able to die with an assurance of God’s future faithfulness.  When Moses died, the LORD buried him (34:6) so that no one knows the place of his burial.  You may remember that Jude 9 refers to an argument between Satan and Michael the Archangel over the body of Moses.

·       Most people find Deut. 34:7 to be of interest.  At 120 years of age, Moses' eyes and natural vigor were not diminished.

·       Dt. 34:11 reminds us again that “signs and wonders” were not normal for all the prophets.  But clearly, the forty years of Moses were known for the mighty works of God through him.

Many people (including myself) would encourage the memorizing of Dt. 33:27.  What a great reminder this is of the God who cares for His people.  But I would also suggest that 33:29 is worth hiding in one’s heart.  Verse 26 reminds us there is no God like the God of Israel; verse 29 reminds us there is no nation like the nation of Israel, and especially in the day when all Israel shall be saved!