Deuteronomy 3:27 kjv
Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
Deuteronomy 3:27 nkjv
Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.
Deuteronomy 3:27 niv
Go up to the top of Pisgah and look west and north and south and east. Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan.
Deuteronomy 3:27 esv
Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and look at it with your eyes, for you shall not go over this Jordan.
Deuteronomy 3:27 nlt
But go up to Pisgah Peak, and look over the land in every direction. Take a good look, but you may not cross the Jordan River.
Deuteronomy 3 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 20:12 | But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust Me...you shall not bring this assembly into the land..." | Moses' sin at Meribah leading to exclusion |
| Num 27:12-14 | The Lord said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of Abarim and see the land... you also shall be gathered to your people..." | Command to view land before death |
| Deut 3:28 | But charge Joshua, and encourage him...for he shall go over before this people and he shall cause them to inherit the land... | Succession of leadership to Joshua |
| Deut 32:49-52 | "Go up this mountain of Abarim, Mount Nebo...look at the land...you shall die on the mountain..." | Another instance of God's command to view |
| Deut 34:1-4 | Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah...And the Lord showed him all the land... | Fulfillment of the command to view |
| Ps 90:10 | The days of our life are seventy years, or perhaps eighty...and it soon passes... | Reflection on life's brevity (attributed to Moses) |
| Isa 66:1-2 | Thus says the Lord: "Heaven is My throne...Where is the house that you would build for Me?" | God's transcendent power, not bound by places |
| Josh 1:2-3 | "Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan...every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you..." | Joshua taking over the leadership role |
| Matt 17:1-3 | And after six days Jesus took Peter and James and John...and led them up a high mountain...And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them... | Moses' spiritual appearance (transfiguration) |
| Acts 7:36 | He led them out, having performed wonders and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. | Moses' leadership role emphasized by Stephen |
| Heb 3:7-11 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion..." | Disobedience prevents entering God's rest |
| Heb 4:1 | Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. | Warning against failing to enter rest |
| Heb 4:6 | Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience... | Consequences of disobedience, linked to Israel |
| Heb 4:14 | Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. | Christ's full access, contrast to Moses' limitation |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. | Lessons from Israel's history for believers |
| 2 Cor 3:7 | Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face... | Law brings death, contrast to Christ's glory |
| Rom 9:15 | For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." | God's sovereign choice and mercy |
| 1 Pet 1:10-12 | Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully... | Prophetic longing for ultimate fulfillment |
| Deut 1:37 | "And the Lord was angry with me also on your account and said, 'You shall not enter there.'" | Moses himself affirming his exclusion |
| Judg 11:26 | While Israel lived in Heshbon and its villages...for 300 years, why did you not recover them within that time? | Emphasis on the duration and stability of the Promised Land possession. |
| Neh 9:22-23 | You gave them kingdoms and peoples...they possessed cities and a fat land...and had fat animals... | God's faithful provision of the promised land |
| Mal 4:4 | "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel." | Moses as God's faithful law-giver |
Deuteronomy 3 verses
Deuteronomy 3 27 Meaning
Deuteronomy 3:27 is a divine command given to Moses, instructing him to ascend Mount Pisgah to view the promised land from afar. This command concurrently reiterates God's decree that Moses himself will not be permitted to cross the Jordan River into that land, signifying the boundary of his leadership and the consequence of his past disobedience.
Deuteronomy 3 27 Context
This verse occurs towards the end of Moses' life, as recorded in Deuteronomy, a book comprised primarily of Moses' final sermons to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. Chapters 1-3 provide a historical review of their journey from Horeb to Moab, recalling God's faithfulness and Israel's rebellions. Specifically, Deut 3:27 is part of Moses' recounting of his fervent plea to God to be allowed to cross the Jordan into the land, and God's unwavering refusal (Deut 3:23-26). It sets the stage for Moses' imminent death and the transition of leadership to Joshua, ensuring the fulfillment of God's covenant promises to Israel despite the limitation placed upon their great leader.
Deuteronomy 3 27 Word analysis
- Go up (עֲלֵה, aleh): A command, imperative verb, indicating a physical ascent to a higher place. It emphasizes a deliberate action on Moses' part, fulfilling a divine instruction. This ascent also symbolically signifies Moses' elevated position as God's chosen leader, yet paradoxically, his impending final boundary.
- to the top of Pisgah (רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה, rosh ha-pisgah): "Head of Pisgah," meaning the highest point or summit. Pisgah is part of the Abarim mountain range (Deut 32:49) and is also identified with Mount Nebo (Deut 34:1). It provides a strategic vantage point overlooking the Jordan Valley and stretching further into Canaan. The name Pisgah may suggest a "cleft" or "summit." This specific location is where Moses is granted his final glimpse of the land promised to his ancestors, yet forbidden to him.
- and look out (וּשְׂאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, uśē’u ‘eyneḵā): Literally, "and lift up your eyes." It conveys a sweeping, comprehensive gaze. The verb śa’ah implies a focused and intentional act of surveying, suggesting not just a casual glance, but a deep contemplation of the vista. Moses is to take it all in, reinforcing the profound significance of the land he is seeing but cannot enter.
- to the west, north, south, and east (יָמָּה וְצָפֹנָה וָתֵימָנָה וּמִזְרָחָה, yamāh v’ṣāp̄ōnāh vāyəmānāh umizrāḥāh): Specifies the full cardinal directions, ensuring a comprehensive view of the land's expanse. This detailed instruction highlights the magnitude of the inheritance promised to Israel. Moses is to behold the land in its entirety, reinforcing the reality of what Israel is about to possess and what he, the very agent of their deliverance, is denied.
- For (כִּי, ki): A conjunction introducing the reason or explanation for the preceding command. Here, it functions adversatively, indicating a strong contrast between the permission to see and the prohibition to enter.
- you shall not go over (לֹא תַעֲבֹר, lo’ ta’avor): A direct and absolute prohibition. Lo’ is a strong negative particle. Ta’avor means "you shall cross over," or "you shall pass over." This specific verb is key as it directly relates to crossing the Jordan River and entering the land. This declaration confirms God's unchanging decree against Moses.
- this Jordan (אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה, ’et hayyardēn hazzeh): Refers specifically to the Jordan River, which serves as a natural barrier to the Promised Land. "This Jordan" implies a direct, present, and imminent boundary. The river here functions as a physical marker of God's covenantal promise to bring His people into the land, and tragically, a marker of Moses' exclusion due to his sin at Meribah. The Hebrew name for Jordan (Yardēn) means "descender," fitting for a river that flows downward.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "Go up...and look out...to the west, north, south, and east": This phrase details the extent of the sight granted to Moses. It underscores God's sovereignty even in judgment; while He bars entry, He graciously allows Moses to behold the fulfillment of the promise from a panoramic perspective. It contrasts Moses' physical limitation with the breadth of his understanding of God's plan.
- "For you shall not go over this Jordan": This states the definitive divine judgment and the central sorrow of Moses' final days. The "for" ties the seeing to the not-entering, establishing that the vision is granted despite or because of the barrier. This emphasizes divine justice: while God is faithful to His people by leading them in, He is also just to His servant's disobedience.
Deuteronomy 3 27 Bonus section
The scene at Pisgah/Nebo, where Moses views the land but does not enter, is rich with theological significance. It has been interpreted as a picture of:
- The limitation of the Law: Moses represents the Old Covenant (Law), which can bring God's people to the edge of the promise but cannot bring them into full possession of spiritual rest. Entry requires a different leadership, fulfilled in Joshua (whose name is Hebrew for Jesus).
- God's unchanging decree: The consistency of God's judgment for disobedience, even on His most revered servant, underscores His holiness and justice, challenging any notion that position or service exempts one from accountability.
- Divine grace amidst judgment: Allowing Moses to see the land before his death is a merciful act, granting him personal solace and confirmation of God's fidelity to His promise, even if he cannot partake directly. It affirms his vital role in bringing Israel to this point.
- A prophetic glimpse: Moses' vision from the mountain could also be seen as a prophetic type for seeing things from a heavenly perspective that are yet to come or that others will fully inherit.
Deuteronomy 3 27 Commentary
Deuteronomy 3:27 captures a deeply poignant moment in Moses' life and in salvation history. It highlights God's justice, sovereignty, and faithfulness to His word, both in judgment and in promise. While Moses, the quintessential law-giver and deliverer, is forbidden from physically entering the land of promise due to his sin at Meribah (Num 20:12), God's covenant faithfulness is simultaneously upheld through the impending entry of the Israelites under Joshua's leadership. Moses' viewing of the land from Pisgah signifies a gracious, albeit limited, blessing, allowing him to witness the culmination of God's plans. It foreshadows the temporary nature of the Law-based covenant (represented by Moses) and points to a future where greater access to God's ultimate "rest" would be achieved not through perfect adherence to the Law, but through faith in a new leader (Joshua, a type of Christ). The lesson here is profound: even the most righteous of humanity falls short and is accountable to God's perfect standard, yet God's plans for His people persist beyond individual failures. It also underscores that a servant of God may participate in bringing about God's purposes without fully experiencing their final earthly consummation.