Go to Related Reading
About this book

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 Genesis 6:3 and Deuteronomy 31:2 and Deuteronomy 34:7

Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Deuteronomy gives two portraits of Moses at the end of his life. One says he can no longer lead because of age and weakness. The other says he dies at 120 in full strength, which suggests his death comes from reaching the human limit set in Genesis.

Passages

Genesis 6:3

Hebrew Bible
1 When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. 3 So the Lord said, “My Spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years.”
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Genesis

Deuteronomy 31:2

Hebrew Bible
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 He said to them, “Today I am 120 years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the Lord has said to me, ‘You will not cross the Jordan.’ 3 As for the Lord your God, he is about to cross over before you; he will destroy these nations before you, and you will dispossess them. As for Joshua, he is about to cross before you just as the Lord has said.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 34:7

Hebrew Bible
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.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

References

"... the declaration in Deuteronomy 34:7 that Moses died at the age of 120 reveals evidence of implicit theology. It is accorded more detail, namely that he was in good health (“his eyes were not dim, and his vitality had not given way”). Why does Deuteronomy 34:7 emphasize Moses’ good health against the flow of the narrative (see Deuteronomy 31:1–2)? Deuteronomy 34:7 is already brought into connection with Genesis 6:3 by Josephus, which is self-evident for the biblical text because of the motif of the “120” years as a lifespan ... The emphasis on Moses’ health in Deuteronomy 34:7 should accordingly be understood as follows: Moses dies in Deuteronomy 34 for no other reason than that his lifespan had reached the limit set in Genesis 6:3 ..."
Konrad Schmid, Is There Theology in the Hebrew Bible?, CSHB 4 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), 95.

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

Tags

Your feedback

Genesis 6:3 and Deuteronomy 31:2 and Deuteronomy 34:7

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library