Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 3:25
I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that [is] beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
25. the good land ] Deu 1:35.
that goodly mountain ] To this day in Syria a whole range is called in the sing. mountain; and in fact from Nebo and the Ghr below it all W. Palestine appears one compact mountain-mass.
and Lebanon ] In clear weather ermon, the summit of what is now particularised as Anti-Lebanon, is distinct from above Jericho and the opposite hills, as one looks up the Ghr.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That goodly mountain – i. e., that mountainous district. The fiat districts of the East are generally scorched, destitute of water, and therefore sterile: the hilly ones, on the contrary, are of more tempered climate, and fertilized by the streams from the high grounds. Compare Deu 11:11.
The whole of this prayer of Moses is very characteristic. The longing to witness further manifestations of Gods goodness and glory, and the reluctance to leave unfinished an undertaking which he had been permitted to commence, are striking traits in his character: compare Exo 32:32 ff; Exo 33:12, Exo 33:18 ff; Num 14:12 ff.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
For he supposed Gods threatening might be conditional and reversible, as many others were.
That goodly mountain, or, that blessed mountain, which the Jews not improbably understand of that mountain on which the temple was to be built. For as Moses desired and determined to prepare an habitation for God, Exo 15:2, and knew very well that God would choose a certain place for his habitation, and to put his name there, Deu 12:5; so he also knew that it was the manner both of the true worshippers of God and of idolaters to worship their God in high places, and particularly that Abraham did worship God in the mount of Moriah, Gen 22:2, and therefore did either reasonably conjecture that God would choose some certain mountain for the place of his habitation, or possibly understood by revelation that in that very mount of Moriah, where Abraham performed that eminent and glorious act of worship, there also the children of Abraham should have their place of constant and settled worship. This he seems to call that mountain, emphatically and eminently, that which was much in Mosess thoughts, though not in his eye, and the blessed (as the Hebrew tob oft signifies) or the goodly mountain. Or, the mountain may be here put for the mountainous countries, as that word is oft used, as Gen 36:9; Num 13:29; 23:7; Deu 1:7; Jos 10:6; 11:16,21, &c. And it is known that a great part of the glory and beauty and profit of this country lay in its hills or mountains. See Deu 11:11; 33:15. And
that goodly mountain may by an enallage of the number be put for those goodly mountains in Canaan, which were many. Thus also he proceeds gradually in this desire and description, and prays that he may see in general the good land that is beyond Jordan, and then particularly the goodly mountains of it, and especially that famous mount of Lebanon, which was so celebrated for its tall and large cedars, and other trees and excellent plants. See Psa 29:5; 104:16; Isa 2:13; 14:8.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
25. I pray thee, let me go over, andsee the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, andLebanonThe natural and very earnest wish of Moses to beallowed to cross the Jordan was founded on the idea that the divinethreatening might be conditional and revertible. “That goodlymountain” is supposed by Jewish writers to have pointed to thehill on which the temple was to be built (Deu 12:5;Exo 15:2). But biblical scholarsnow, generally, render the words”that goodly mountain, evenLebanon,” and consider it to be mentioned as typifying thebeauty of Palestine, of which hills and mountains were so prominent afeature.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I pray thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond Jordan,…. The land of Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey; a land which he describes as a most excellent one, De 8:7. To see this land, he was very desirous of going over the river Jordan, beyond which it lay with respect to the place where he now was:
that goodly mountain, and Lebanon; or, “that goodly mountain, even Lebanon”; which lay to the north of the land of Canaan, and was famous for cedar and odoriferous trees. But if two distinct mountains are meant, the goodly mountain may design Mount Moriah, on which the temple was afterwards built, and of which Moses might have a foresight; and some by Lebanon think that is meant, which was built of the cedars of Lebanon, and therefore goes by that name, Zec 11:1 and a foreview of this made the mountain so precious to Moses, and desirable to be seen by him. So the Targum of Jonathan;
“that goodly mountain in which is built the city of Jerusalem, and Mount Lebanon, in which the Shechinah shall dwell”
to which agrees the note of Aben Ezra, who interprets the goodly mountain of Jerusalem, and Lebanon of the house of the sanctuary. In the Septuagint it is called Antilibanus. Mount Libanus had its name not from frankincense growing upon it, as some have thought; for it does not appear that any did grow upon it, for that came from Seba in Arabia Felix; but from the whiteness of it, through the continual snows that were on it, just as the Alps have their name for the same reason; and so Jerom says b of Lebanon, that the snow never leaves from the tops of it, or is ever so overcome by the heat of the sun as wholly to melt; to the same purpose also Tacitus c says, and Mr. Maundrell d, who was there in May, speaks of deep snow on it, and represents the cedars as standing in snow.
b In Hieremiam, c. 18. 14. c Hist. l. 5. c. 6. d Journey from Aleppo, p. 139, 140.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
THE APPOINTMENT OF JOSHUA AS THE SUCCESSOR OF MOSES, Deu 3:21-29. In Num 27:12-23, the death of Moses is foretold, and the appointment and consecration of Joshua related. Moses here reminds the people of this, and tells them that, notwithstanding his prayer that he might go over and see the goodly land, his request is not granted. This prayer of Moses is not mentioned in Numbers. It undoubtedly preceded the request for the appointment of a leader for the congregation.
25. That goodly mountain Not one particular portion of the Promised Land is referred to, but the whole as a hilly region. As Moses stood on the plains of Moab the land across the Jordan would be to his vision mountainous throughout.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Ver. 25. That goodly mountain, and Lebanon The French renders this, that goodly mountain, that is to say, Lebanon; c’est a savoir, le Liban. Some commentators suppose mount Moriah, on which the temple was built, to be meant. But there seems no ground for this supposition. A similar mode of expression is found ver. 17 where the plain also, and Jordan, signifies only the plain of Jordan.
See commentary on Deu 3:29
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 3:25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that [is] beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
Ver. 25. The good land. ] The “glory of all lands.” Eze 20:6
Goodly mountain.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the good land. Compare Psa 106:24. Num 13:27.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the good land: Deu 4:21, Deu 4:22, Deu 11:11, Deu 11:12, Exo 3:8, Num 32:5, Eze 20:6
Lebanon: Lebanon is a long chain of limestone mountains, extending from near the coast of the Mediterranean on the west to the plains of Damascus on the east, and forming the extreme northern boundary of the Holy Land. It is divided into two principal ridges, running parallel to each other in a north-north-east direction; the most westerly of which was properly called Libanus, and the easterly Anti-Libanus: the Hebrews did not make this distinction. It is computed to be fifteen or sixteen hundred fathoms in height. They are by no means barren, but are almost all well cultivated and well peopled; their summits being in many parts level, and forming extensive plains, in which are sown corn and all kinds of pulse. Vineyards, and plantations of olive, mulberry, and fig trees, are also cultivated in terraces formed by walls; and the soil of the declivities and hollows is most excellent, and produces abundance of corn, oil, and wine.
Reciprocal: Gen 50:11 – beyond Jordan Deu 11:29 – General Jos 1:4 – From the wilderness Jos 9:1 – Lebanon Jos 13:5 – Lebanon 1Ki 5:9 – Lebanon Son 4:8 – from Lebanon Jer 22:6 – unto
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
AN UNANSWERED PRAYER
I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
Deu 3:25
I. It was a land, a good land, which Moses looked upon; it was a land of promise which God had prepared.Canaan was, in a sense, the heaven of Israels hope: the more heaven-like, perhaps, because it was so fair a feature of our world, because it was a land on which a foot could be firmly and joyfully planteda home in which a man and family, a nation, could nobly dwell. St. Peter speaks of a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. St. Peter and St. John looked for a scene which should be familiar, however transfigured, a scene which should keep its home-like character, however transformed.
II. The images which are employed by the sacred writers as most expressive, when they are treating of heaven, are all borrowed from the higher forms of the development of mans social and national life.This means that the human interests and associations prolong themselves in their integrity through death, and constitute the highest sphere of interest and activity in the eternal world. A home, a city, a country, a kingdomthese are the images; on the working out of these ideas the writers of the Scriptures spend all their force.
III. That good land beyond Jordan had some heaven-like feature herein: it was to be the theatre of the highest and holiest human association, under conditions most favourable to the most perfect development, and in an atmosphere of life which Gods benediction should make an atmosphere of bliss.
Illustration
(1) Let it suffice thee; speak no more;
This Jordan thou shalt not pass oer.
And yet, upon the Mount, these three,
Moses, Elias, Christ, I see!
Two roads to Canaan Thou hast given,
One over Jordan, one from heaven.
(2) It looks so fair, across the Jordan! For so long a time I have been journeying to it, and now to be shut out! Ah, but who shuts me out? It is not God; it is my sin. Let me not blame God, but rather praise Him, that He is a God of justice, and not of weak yielding.
(3) There are limits beyond which the most favoured servants may not go. They may seek by prayer to reverse or change the Divine plan, but it may not be. We plead for others, and we win untold blessing. We plead for ourselves, and the Lord will not hear. There comes a time when He even bids us ask no more. The Apostle entreated that the thorn might be taken out, but it was left in. Moses prayed that he might enter Canaan, but he died on the outskirts. But if either of them had stood where they stand now, they would not have pressed their suit, because they would have known it was better not. Ah, my soul, thou hast many unanswered prayers treasured in thy thought, and concerning some thou feelest unable to pray longer; take that as probably indicating Gods gentle negative; but concerning such as thou feelest still able to offer, pray on, thy power to ask is the harbinger of the answer.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Deu 3:25. Let me go over For he supposed Gods threatening might be conditional and reversible, as many others were. That goodly mountain Which the Jews not improbably understood of that mountain on which the temple was to be built. This he seems to call that mountain, emphatically and eminently, that which was much in Mosess thoughts, though not in his eye.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3:25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that [is] beyond Jordan, that goodly {k} mountain, and Lebanon.
(k) He means Zion, where the Temple should be built, and God honoured.