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Deuteronomy

About this book
Chapter 34

1 Then Moses ascended from the rift valley plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. The Lord showed him the whole land—Gilead⁠ to Dan, 2 and all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the distant sea, 3 the Negev, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of date palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’⁠ I have let you see it, but you will not cross over there.” 5 So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab⁠ as the Lord had said.⁠ 6 He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab⁠ near Beth Peor, but no one knows his exact burial place to this very day.⁠ 7 Moses was 120 years old when he died, but his eye was not dull⁠ nor had his vitality departed.⁠ 8 The Israelites mourned for Moses in the rift valley plains of Moab for thirty days; then the days of mourning for Moses ended.⁠ 9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had placed his hands on him; and the Israelites listened to him and did just what the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses,⁠ who knew the Lord face to face.⁠ 11 He did all the signs and wonders the Lord had sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, all his servants, and the whole land,⁠ 12 and he displayed great power and awesome might in view of all Israel.

Texts in conversation

Compare Deuteronomy 34:11 and Jeremiah 32:21

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Deuteronomy applies language normally used for God to Moses, including signs, wonders, and acts of power. Jeremiah uses the same language only for God, suggesting Deuteronomy highlights Moses as exceptionally distinct from other prophets.

Passages

Deuteronomy 34:11

Hebrew Bible
9 Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had placed his hands on him; and the Israelites listened to him and did just what the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 No prophet ever again arose in Israel like Moses, who knew the Lord face to face. 11 He did all the signs and wonders the Lord had sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, all his servants, and the whole land, 12 and he displayed great power and awesome might in view of all Israel.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

Jeremiah 32:21

Hebrew Bible
20 You did miracles and amazing deeds in the land of Egypt that have had lasting effect. By this means you gained both in Israel and among humankind a renown that lasts to this day. 21 You used your mighty power and your great strength to perform miracles and amazing deeds and to bring great terror on the Egyptians. By this means you brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt. 22 You kept the promise that you swore on oath to their ancestors. You gave them a land flowing with milk and honey.
500–401 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Jeremiah

References

"... Deuteronomy 34 has the impression of the Pentateuch redaction on the basis of verse 4, but also of verse 10: Moses is here categorically separate from the prophets and presented as arch-prophet, whom no later prophet can match. Deuteronomy 34:10 intends to separate Moses from the subsequent prophets. This separation between “Moses” and the “prophets” is a type of argument that can most simply be explained in terms of the formation of the canon. Moses must be set off from the “Prophets” if the Torah is to be qualitatively superior to the “Prophets” (that is, the prophetic books of Joshua–Malachi, namely the canon section of the “Prophets”). The content of this perspective is also inserted into the subsequent statement in verses 10–12 (see also Deuteronomy 4:34; 26:8; Jeremiah 32:21) ... Striking in this passage is the audacious manner in which the acts of God are transferred to Moses. The “signs and wonders,” and “the mighty deeds” and “terrifying displays of power” are attributed to Moses. The tradition usually attributes these to God, and only to God. Through Deuteronomy 34:11–12 Moses moves as close as possible to God—evidently in order to support his classification as the “arch-prophet” ..."
Konrad Schmid, Is There Theology in the Hebrew Bible?, CSHB 4 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), 94–95.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Deuteronomy 34:11 and Jeremiah 32:21

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