Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 34:10
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
10. The phraseology now becomes deuteronomic. See on Deu 18:15; Deu 18:18.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
There arose not a prophet since in Israel – Words like these can only have been written some time, but not necessarily a long time, after the death of Moses. They refer more particularly to the wonders performed by the hand of Moses at the exodus and in the desert; and do but re-echo the declaration of God Himself (Num 12:6 ff). They may naturally enough be attributed to one of Moses successors, writing perhaps soon after the settlement of the people in Canaan.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 10. There arose not a prophet, c.] Among all the succeeding prophets none was found so eminent in all respects nor so highly privileged as Moses with him God spoke face to face – admitted him to the closest familiarity and greatest friendship with himself. Now all this continued true till the advent of Jesus Christ, of whom Moses said, “A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me;” but how great was this person when compared with Moses! Moses desired to see God’s glory; this sight he could not bear; he saw his back parts, probably meaning God’s design relative to the latter days: but Jesus, the Almighty Saviour, in whom dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, who lay in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared God to man. Wondrous system of legal ordinances that pointed out and typified all these things! And more wonderful system of Gospel salvation, which is the body, soul, life, energy, and full accomplishment of all that was written in the LAW, in the PROPHETS, and in the PSALMS, concerning the sufferings and death of Jesus, and the redemption of a ruined world “by his agony and bloody sweat, by his cross and passion, by his death and burial, by his glorious resurrection and ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost!” Thus ends the PENTATEUCH, commonly called the LAW of MOSES, a work every way worthy of God its author, and only less than the NEW COVENANT, the law and Gospel of our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST.
Now to the ever blessed and glorious TRINITY, FATHER, WORD, and SPIRIT, the infinite and eternal ONE, from whom alone wisdom, truth, and goodness can proceed, be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
MASORETIC Notes on DEUTERONOMY
The number of verses in ELLAH HADDEBARIM, Deuteronomy, is 955; the symbol of which is in which word tsade stands for 900, nun for 50, and cheth for 5.
The middle verse is De 17:10. And thou shalt observe to do all that they command thee.
Its Pareshioth or larger sections are 11, the numerical symbol of which is chag; Ps 118:27: Bind the SACRIFICE with cords to the horns of the altar. In which word cheth stands for 8, and gimel for 3.
Its Sedarim or smaller sections are 27, the symbolical sign of which is yaggid; Pr 12:17: He that speaketh truth, SHOWETH FORTH righteousness. In which word the two yods stand for 20, daleth for 4, and gimel for 3.
Its Perakim or modern chapters are 34, the symbol of which is lebab; Ps 111:1. I will praise the Lord with my whole HEART. In which word the two beths stand for 4, and the lamed for 30.
The number of open sections is 34, of its close sections 124, total 158; the symbol of which is yanchilem, 148, and – cab-od, 10, 1Sa 2:8: To make them to INHERIT the throne of his GLORY. The numerical letters of the word yanchilem, 148, with od, 10, taken from cabod, make 158, the total of its open and close sections.
The number of verses in the whole Pentateuch is 5845, the memorial symbol of which is hachammah, Isa 30:26: Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of THE SUN. In which word, the letters taken in their proper order make the sum, . “5845”
The middle verse of the Law is Le 8:8: And he put the breastplate upon him, and he put in the breastplate the URIM and the THUMMIM.
The number of OPEN sections in the whole Law is 290, the symbol of which is peri; (Cant.) So 4:16: Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his precious FRUITS. The number of its CLOSE sections is 379, the symbol of which occurs in the word bishbuah; Nu 30:10: Or bound her soul with a bond BY AN OATH.
Total number of all the open and close sections, 669, the memorial symbol of which is lo techsar; De 8:9: THOU SHALT NOT LACK any thing in it.
SECTIONS of the Book of Deuteronomy, carried on from Numbers, which ends with the FORTY-THIRD.
The FORTY-FOURTH, called debarim, begins De 1:1, and ends De 3:22.
The FORTY-FIFTH, called vaethchannen, begins De 3:23, and ends De 7:11.
The FORTY-SIXTH, called ekeb, begins De 7:12, and ends De 11:25.
The FORTY-SEVENTH, called reeh, begins De 11:26, and ends De 16:17.
The FORTY-EIGHTH, called shophetim, begins De 16:18, and ends De 21:9.
The FORTY-NINTH, called tetse, begins De 21:10, and ends De 25:19.
The FIFTIETH, called tabo, begins De 26:1, and ends De 29:8.
The FIFTY-FIRST, called nitstsabim, begins De 29:9, and ends De 30:20.
The FIFTY-SECOND, called vaiyelech, begins De 31:1, and ends De 31:30.
The FIFTY-THIRD, called haazinu, begins De 32:1, and ends De 32:51.
The FIFTY-FOURTH, called vezoth habberachah, begins De 33:1, and ends De 34:12.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Like unto Moses, in the privileges here following.
Whom the Lord knew face to face, i.e. whom God did so freely, and familiarly, and frequently converse with. See Poole “Exo 33:11“. See Poole “Num 12:8“. See Poole “Deu 5:4“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10-12. there arose not a prophetsinceIn whatever light we view this extraordinary man, theeulogy pronounced in these inspired words will appear just. No Hebrewprophet or ruler equalled him in character or official dignity, or inknowledge of God’s will and opportunities of announcing it.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,…. Not in the times of Joshua, who wrote this chapter, at least the last eight verses, De 34:5, as say the Jews p; nor to the times of Samuel, whom others take to be the writer: of them; nor to the times of Ezra, as others; nor even throughout the whole Old Testament dispensation to the times of Christ, the great Prophet, like to Moses, that was to arise; and the Messiah is by the Jews owned, as by Maimonides q, to be equal to him, and by others to be above him: it is a well known saying of theirs r, that
“the Messiah shall be exalted above Abraham, and extolled above Moses, and made higher than the ministering: angels;”
but as to all other prophets he excels them, and therefore they call him the prince, master, and Father of the prophets, and say, that all prophesied from the fountain of his prophecy s: the difference between him and them is observed, by Maimonides t to lie in many things; as that they prophesied by a dream or vision, but he awake and seeing; they prophesied by the means of an angel, and saw what they did in parables and dark sayings; but Moses not by means of an angel, but the Lord spake to him face to face; they trembled and astonished, but not so Moses; they could not prophesy when they would, but he at any time, nor did he need to dispose and prepare his mind for it; some of which will not hold good, especially the last; the instances in which he really exceeded them follow:
whom the Lord knew face to face; owned, took notice of, and familiarly conversed with face to face, as a man with his friend; none were permitted to such familiarity with God as he; see Nu 12:6; the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,
“whom the Word of the Lord knew.”
p T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1. q Hilchot Teshuvah, c. 9. sect. 2. r Tanchuma in Yalkut in Isa. lii. 13. s Maimon. Yesode Hatorah, c. 7. sect. 6. & Vorst. in ib. t lb. sect. 6, 7, 8, 9.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 10-12:
“The Lord knew,” not as the knowledge God has of all men, but in a special way by which men are made known to Him, through the Spirit-filled relationship of love, see 1Co 8:3.
Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant, and as such was the greatest of Old Testament prophets. He was “faithful in all his house,” in the charge committed to him as the servant of Jehovah. But the One who is the Mediator of the New Covenant is greater than Moses: He is the Apostle and High Priest of the Christian’s profession, and is placed as a Son over all the house of God, in which Moses was faithful as a servant, see Heb 3:1-6.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
10 And there arose not a prophet. This eulogy seems to have been added, that the children of Abraham might place dependence on Moses until the manifestation of Christ; for although prophets were from time to time raised up, still it was fitting that the superiority should remain with Moses, lest they should decline in the smallest degree from the rule of the Law. It must be concluded, therefore, that Moses was here placed in a position of supremacy, so as to be superior to all the prophets; as also Malachi (Mal 4:4) exhorts the ancient people, in order that they may continue obedient to the law of Moses. Two signs of his excellency are here recorded, namely, his familiar acquaintance with God, and the glory of his miracles. We have elsewhere seen that, by this prerogative, Moses was distinguished from the other prophets, that God spake to him face to face. For, although Jacob makes the same declaration respecting himself, still we know that God was more intimately revealed afterwards to Moses; not indeed that He beheld His glory in its perfection, but because, in comparison with others, he went beyond them all. As regards miracles, though they were wrought by others, still none of them came near to Moses in their performance.
END OF COMMENTARIES ON THE FOUR LAST BOOKS OF MOSES, IN THE FORM OF A HARMONY.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.Probably these words are later than the time of Joshua, when longer experience gave men the power to see how far inferior the prophets were to their great predecessor in this respect. The difference is most clearly set forth in Num. 12:7-8. (See Notes on that passage.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses When the writer of this supplementary chapter wrote, no such prophet had arisen, no one like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face; no one who wrought such mighty miracles. Prophet after prophet did appear in the nation’s history in great emergencies, and through them Jehovah spake to the people; and in the fulness of time Jesus of Nazareth came, who, like Moses, was “mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”
Luk 24:19. Yet not like Moses, faithful in the house of God as a servant, but as a son, (Heb 3:5-6,) and in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and all the fulness of the Godhead, (Col 2:3-4😉 who is “worthy to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Rev 5:12.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
An Appreciation of Moses
v. 7. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim, v. 8. And the children of Israel wept for Moses, v. 9. And Joshua, the son of Nun, v. 10. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, v. 11. in all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, v. 12. and in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Ver. 10. And there arose not a prophet since in Israel It is here said, that none other prophet had ever resembled Moses: and which, indeed, of the prophets ever conversed so frequently and familiarly with God, face to face? Which of them ever wrought so many or so great miracles? Nobody was ever equal or comparable to Moses in these respects, but JESUS THE MESSIAH. Bishop Newton.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Very honourable testimony is given to Moses, as a servant of JEHOVAH; and the HOLY GHOST confirms it in another part of the sacred writings; when pointing out the superiority of the LORD JESUS in his divine office and character. Heb 3:5-6 . And here, Reader, we drop Moses. He hath served his generation, and by the will of GOD, is fallen asleep, and hath seen corruption; but he to whom Moses ministered saw no corruption: but when he had finished redemption work on earth, returned to glory there to complete the whole, by appearing in the presence of GOD for us. Hail, holy, blessed, dearest JESUS! may our eyes unceasingly gaze on thee, now thou art returned to thy kingdom above, angels, principalities, and powers, being made subject unto thee.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Deu 34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
Ver. 10. And there arose not. ] This testimony, and indeed this whole chapter, is thought to have been added by Joshua or Eleazar, being divinely inspired, for the completing of the history, famous throughout the world; approved and expounded by all the holy prophets and apostles, who out of this fountain, or rather ocean of divinity, a as Theodoret calleth Moses, have watered their various gardens; yea, in pressing moral duties, what do they else but explain the Pentateuch? What do they but unfold and draw out that arras a rich tapestry fabric which was folded together before? Surely the Pentateuch may well claim the title, De Originibus, above all other writings. And of Moses, the penman thereof, it may far better be said, than it was once of heathen Homer, that neither before him was there any whom he might imitate, nor after him any that could imitate him. b But what a notoriously arrogant fool was Henry Nicholas, the founder of the Familists (if that were true of him, which is reported by a writer of good note) c viz., that he boasted among his followers in Holland, that himself ought to be preferred before both Moses and Christ; because Moses taught hope, Christ faith, but he taught love, which was the greatest of those three graces. He said, moreover, that Moses stood in the outer court, Christ entered into the holy place, but that himself was entered into the holy of holies; yea, he blasphemously gave out that he did partake with God of his deity, and God with him of his humanity.
a Theodoretus Mosem appellat,
b Patercul.
c Ich. Laet. Compend. Hist, Univers., p. 583.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a prophet. Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus). App-6. A common name put for a proper name, Moses being the prophet. App-6.
face to face. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6. Compare Deu 6:4, Deu 6:5.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
there arose: Deu 18:15-18, Act 3:22, Act 3:23, Act 7:37, Heb 3:5, Heb 3:6
the Lord: Deu 5:4, Deu 5:5, Exo 33:11, Num 12:6-8
Reciprocal: Gen 32:30 – I have Exo 8:13 – General Num 12:8 – mouth Num 14:14 – art seen Jos 14:6 – the man Psa 103:7 – He made Mat 17:3 – Moses Joh 9:29 – know
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 34:10. There arose not a prophet since like unto Moses And yet it is said (Deu 18:15) that God would raise up a prophet, from the midst of Israel, like unto Moses. Whence it follows, that this promise was not fulfilled either in Joshua or Samuel, and the best of the Jews confess, that it should not be fulfilled till the Messiah came. From these words it plainly appears that this chapter, at least this verse, could not have been written till long after Mosess death, when a great number of prophets had been known in Israel. Whom the Lord knew face to face Whom God did so freely and familiarly converse with. This was the pre-eminence of Moses above all the prophets, that he enjoyed a nearer and more familiar intercourse with God than any of them did. See on Num 12:8.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
34:10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew {f} face to face,
(f) To whom the Lord revealed himself so plainly as in Exo 33:11.