Deuteronomy 32:48 kjv
And the LORD spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
Deuteronomy 32:48 nkjv
Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying:
Deuteronomy 32:48 niv
On that same day the LORD told Moses,
Deuteronomy 32:48 esv
That very day the LORD spoke to Moses,
Deuteronomy 32:48 nlt
That same day the LORD said to Moses,
Deuteronomy 32 48 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 27:12 | The LORD said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of Abarim...and see the land..." | Similar command to view land before death. |
| Num 20:12 | And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe me...you shall not bring this assembly..." | Reason for Moses' exclusion from the land. |
| Deut 3:27 | "Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward...for you shall not go over this Jordan." | God previously forbade Moses from crossing. |
| Deut 34:1-5 | Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah... | Fulfillment of the command, Moses' death. |
| Josh 1:2-4 | "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan..." | Transition of leadership to Joshua, land entry. |
| Gen 12:7 | Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | First promise of the land to Abraham. |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land..." | Covenant reaffirmation, land boundaries. |
| Gen 17:8 | "And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession..." | Land as an everlasting possession. |
| Exo 3:8 | "So I have come down to deliver them...to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey..." | Description of the promised land. |
| Deut 7:8-9 | "but because the LORD loved you...he keeps the covenant..." | God's faithfulness to His covenant and love. |
| Josh 21:43-45 | Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give...Not one word of all the good promises...failed. | God's fulfillment of the land promise. |
| 1 Kgs 8:56 | "Blessed be the LORD...Not one word has failed of all His good promise..." | Affirmation of God's perfect faithfulness. |
| Psa 105:11 | "...'To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.'" | God's specific promise of Canaan. |
| Num 27:18-23 | So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun...and lay your hand on him..." | Appointment of Joshua as Moses' successor. |
| Deut 31:7-8 | Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and courageous..." | Moses charging Joshua for leadership. |
| Heb 3:18-19 | And to whom did he swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? | Unbelief prevents entering God's rest/land. |
| 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. | Spiritual implication of promised "rest." |
| Deut 32:49-52 | "Ascend this mountain...and die on the mountain which you ascend..." | Immediate context: divine instruction to die. |
| Exo 33:12-17 | Moses' unique relationship with the LORD as one who "knew him face to face." | Emphasizes Moses' unique position before God. |
| Jer 32:21-22 | "You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders...and gave them this land..." | Recalling God's act of bringing Israel to the land. |
| Acts 7:45 | "...which later generations brought with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations..." | Historical fulfillment of entry into the land. |
| Neh 9:8 | "...and You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite..." | God's covenant with Abraham reaffirmed. |
Deuteronomy 32 verses
Deuteronomy 32 48 Meaning
This verse is a direct command from Yahweh to Moses on his final day of ministry. It instructs Moses to ascend Mount Nebo, part of the Abarim range in the land of Moab, for the specific purpose of viewing the Land of Canaan. The Lord explicitly states that He is in the process of giving this land as an eternal possession to the people of Israel, fulfilling His covenant promise, even though Moses himself would not enter it. It marks a pivotal moment signifying the end of Moses' leadership and the certainty of God's faithfulness to His chosen nation.
Deuteronomy 32 48 Context
Deuteronomy 32:48 occurs immediately following "The Song of Moses" (Deut 32:1-43) and Moses' final exhortation to Israel to diligently observe all the words of the Law (Deut 32:44-47). This verse initiates the final act of Moses' life, transitioning from his role as prophet and lawgiver to his personal fate. Historically, Israel is positioned on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, after forty years of wilderness wandering. This generation, largely composed of those who were children or born in the wilderness, is on the threshold of entering the Land of Canaan. The immediate command to Moses signifies the end of an era of leadership and sets the stage for the formal transfer of leadership to Joshua, ensuring God's plan for His people would continue seamlessly.
Deuteronomy 32 48 Word analysis
- That very day: Hebrew: `בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה` (be`etsem hayyôm hazzeh). The phrase `be`etsem` emphasizes the immediacy, specific timing, and critical nature of the moment, indicating it was the culmination point. It's a significant, divinely appointed day.
- the LORD: Hebrew: `יהוה` (YHWH). This is the covenant name of God, highlighting His unchanging faithfulness and His personal, relational authority over Israel and Moses. It signifies the God who fulfills His promises.
- spoke: Hebrew: `וַיְדַבֵּר` (wayyedabbēr). This verb indicates a direct, intentional, and authoritative divine communication, underscoring the clear and decisive nature of the command given to Moses.
- to Moses: Hebrew: `אֶל-מֹשֶׁה` (`el-Mōšeh). Emphasizes Moses' unique position as God's chosen mediator and servant, receiving direct commands.
- Go up: Hebrew: `עֲלֵה` (`alēh). An imperative command. It denotes a physical ascent, but also symbolically suggests the end of Moses' earthly journey and a kind of elevation before his departure from life.
- this mountain of Abarim: Hebrew: `הַר הָעֲבָרִים הַזֶּה` (har hā`Ăbārîm hazzeh). Abarim, meaning "those on the other side" or "crossings," could signify a range of mountains from which one would cross into or overlook the land. It poetically alludes to the transition Moses is making.
- Mount Nebo: Hebrew: `הַר נְבֹו` (har Nəbō). A specific peak within the Abarim range. Historically, Nebo was the name of a Mesopotamian deity; God's choosing of this peak for a holy purpose asserts His sovereignty over all alleged gods and territories.
- which is in the land of Moab: Hebrew: `אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב` (`ăšer be'ereṣ Mô'āv). This precise geographical detail situates Moses just outside the promised land, reiterating that he would not enter, but would die outside of it as a consequence of his disobedience at Meribah.
- and look: Hebrew: `וּרְאֵה` (ûrə'ēh). An imperative. Moses is commanded to observe and witness the fulfillment of God's promise from afar, a privilege of sight but not possession.
- at the land of Canaan: Hebrew: `אֶת-אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן` (`et-'ereṣ Kena`an). The long-promised land to Abraham and his descendants, the focal point of God's covenant with Israel.
- which I am giving: Hebrew: `אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן` (`ăšer `anî nōṯēn). The present participle (`nōṯēn`) highlights God's active, continuous, and certain process of giving. It is not a future possibility, but a present reality that is unfolding and irrevocably guaranteed by God Himself.
- to the people of Israel: Hebrew: `לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל` (liḇnê Yiśrā'ēl). Refers to the collective nation, the chosen covenant people, beneficiaries of God's promise.
- for a possession: Hebrew: `לַאֲחֻזָּה` (la`ăḥuzzâ). `Ahuzzah` denotes a permanent, inherited, legally owned property. It signifies God's complete and irrevocable grant of the land to Israel.
- "That very day the LORD spoke to Moses": This phrase sets the scene as a unique, definitive divine decree, underscoring the immediate transition and the significance of God's direct interaction with His servant concerning a momentous event.
- "Go up this mountain of Abarim, Mount Nebo, ... and look at the land of Canaan": This grouping defines Moses' specific, final pilgrimage. He is commanded to ascend a peak that offers a panoramic view, emphasizing a privileged perspective denied physical entry, marking both God's grace in granting the vision and His justice in limiting Moses' access.
- "which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession": This concluding phrase powerfully reiterates God's unwavering covenant faithfulness. The continuous action "am giving" confirms the divine promise is being realized and assured to the nation as an enduring, hereditary ownership, solidifying the hope for the new generation despite their former leader's exclusion.
Deuteronomy 32 48 Bonus section
This verse carries significant theological depth. It portrays the interplay of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant (giving the land to Israel) and His just consequence for disobedience (Moses' exclusion). Though Moses experienced a severe limitation, God's grace allowed him to witness the fulfillment of His promises, a "sight" of the blessed hope he had diligently led Israel towards. This foreshadows a deeper spiritual truth: true entry into God's ultimate rest and eternal inheritance is not achieved through human perfect adherence to the law, as represented by Moses, but through faith, as provided in Christ. Moses, in this final act, points to the future leader who would successfully bring Israel into the land, mirroring Christ, who brings His people into heavenly realities. The meticulously named geographical features—Abarim, Nebo, Moab, Canaan—underscore the historical reality and precision of God's unfolding plan.
Deuteronomy 32 48 Commentary
Deuteronomy 32:48 serves as God's poignant, final personal instruction to Moses, drawing a decisive close to his forty-year leadership. It confirms God's covenant fidelity in bestowing the Promised Land upon Israel, despite Moses' own transgression at Meribah (Num 20:12) preventing his entry. By commanding Moses to "look" upon the land, God grants a final act of grace, allowing His faithful servant to witness from afar the tangible culmination of His ancient promises to Abraham. This command emphasizes divine sovereignty over human leadership, demonstrating that God's plans transcend any individual. Moses’ ascent of Nebo thus symbolizes both the end of his earthly pilgrimage and the steadfast progression of God’s redemptive purpose for Israel.