MPV Commentary

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to the mountain of Nebo, specifically to the top of Pisgah. This chapter appears to have been written after Moses' death and may have originally served as an introduction to the Book of Joshua.

The Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, which was visible at the northern end of the mountain range where he stood. He could see the distant hills of Naphtali to the west, with the lands of Ephraim and Manasseh coming into view closer by. Directly opposite him lay the entire region of Judah, bounded on one side by the Mediterranean Sea and the Desert of the South on the other.

Below him was the plain of Jericho, surrounded by palm trees, while to his left lay the last inhabited area before the vast desert of Zoar. Moses' view was limited to what anyone could see from a high vantage point in this climate, where the atmosphere is clear and free from vapor. However, between him and the "good land" he longed for stood the deep valley of the Jordan, which he would not be allowed to cross.

Moses died after governing the Israelites for forty years. He was buried in a ravine or gorge on the Pisgah mountain, with some speculating that he may have entered a cave before passing away. According to tradition, angels were involved in his burial (Jude 9; Numbers 21:20).

To this day, no one knows where Moses' tomb is located, and it seems that Providence deliberately concealed its location to prevent it from becoming a site of idolatrous veneration.

The Israelites mourned Moses for thirty days, which was an extended period of mourning typically reserved for those in high positions or official roles (Genesis 50:3-10; Numbers 20:29).

Joshua was appointed to a unique and extraordinary office, serving as the leader who would guide the people through the war of invasion and the subsequent allocation of the tribes. He was not Moses' successor but rather a distinct individual with his own role.

There has not been another prophet like Joshua since his time, and this assessment is consistent across various perspectives. No Hebrew prophet or ruler equaled him in character, official dignity, knowledge of God's will, or opportunities to announce it.