Deuteronomy 34:4 kjv
And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.
Deuteronomy 34:4 nkjv
Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."
Deuteronomy 34:4 niv
Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."
Deuteronomy 34:4 esv
And the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, 'I will give it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there."
Deuteronomy 34:4 nlt
Then the LORD said to Moses, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have now allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter the land."
Deuteronomy 34 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:7 | Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." | Initial land promise to Abraham |
| Gen 13:15 | for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. | Reiterated land promise, seeing and giving |
| Gen 15:18 | On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your offspring I give this land..." | Covenant ratification with land promise |
| Gen 17:8 | And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings...an everlasting possession... | Everlasting land possession, eternal covenant |
| Gen 26:3 | Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you...for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. | Promise to Isaac, echoing Abrahamic oath |
| Gen 28:13 | The Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord...The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring." | Promise to Jacob, God's personal reaffirmation |
| Num 20:12 | And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them." | Moses' punishment for disobedience at Meribah |
| Num 27:12 | The Lord said to Moses, "Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel." | Command to view the land before death |
| Deut 3:27 | Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward...for you shall not go over this Jordan. | Previous command to see the land, denied entry |
| Deut 32:51 | because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel...therefore you shall not go in among the people of Israel into the land... | Reason for Moses' exclusion: unfaithfulness |
| Josh 1:2-3 | "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise...Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses." | Joshua commissioned, land entry secured |
| Josh 21:43-45 | Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers...Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made...failed... | God's complete faithfulness in fulfilling promises |
| Ps 105:8-11 | He remembers his covenant forever...which he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, confirmed to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion of inheritance." | God's everlasting covenant to the patriarchs |
| Rom 9:8 | This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. | Spiritual offspring, not merely physical |
| Gal 3:16 | Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. | Christ as the ultimate 'offspring' of promise |
| Gal 3:29 | And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. | Believers in Christ are heirs to promises |
| Heb 3:19 | So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. | Parallels unbelief as hindrance to "rest" |
| Heb 4:1-11 | Let us therefore strive to enter that rest...for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. | The spiritual "rest" (promised land) for believers |
| Heb 11:13 | These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar... | Faith's perspective: seeing promises from afar |
| Heb 11:16 | But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God... | Heavenly promised land, better inheritance |
| Heb 12:22-23 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... | New Covenant "promised land" and inheritance |
| Rev 21:1-4 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away...And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down... | Final inheritance and dwelling with God |
Deuteronomy 34 verses
Deuteronomy 34 4 Meaning
Deuteronomy 34:4 captures a pivotal moment in the biblical narrative, as God, the Lord (Yahweh), reiterates His steadfast covenant promise of the land of Canaan to Moses. This promise was sworn by divine oath to the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—ensuring the land's inheritance for their descendants. The verse highlights both God's faithfulness in bringing His people to the verge of fulfilling that ancient promise and His holy justice, as He permits Moses to behold the promised land with his own eyes but prohibits his physical entry due to prior disobedience. It underscores that while God's covenant promises are unbreakable, individual actions have consequences, even for His most favored servants.
Deuteronomy 34 4 Context
Deuteronomy 34 marks the very end of Moses' life and ministry, and indeed the end of the Pentateuch, his divinely inspired writings. Following extensive addresses, laws, blessings, and curses delivered to the second generation of Israelites gathered on the plains of Moab, Moses ascends Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah. This ascent is by divine command (Deut 32:48-52), specifically so he might see the Promised Land. The preceding verses (Deut 34:1-3) describe God showing Moses the entire breadth of the land, from Gilead to Dan, all Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah, the Negeb, and the Jordan valley, to Zoar. Verse 4 then immediately follows this panoramic revelation, serving as God's personal statement to Moses regarding this viewing, reinforcing the historical promises and clarifying Moses' own inability to enter. It stands as a powerful capstone to Moses' life, balancing the immense privilege of seeing God's faithfulness with the personal consequence of his failure at Meribah.
Deuteronomy 34 4 Word analysis
- And the LORD said: This signifies a direct, personal divine communication (וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙). "The LORD" (YHWH - יהוה) identifies God by His covenant name, emphasizing His personal involvement, faithfulness to His promises, and authority in this final instruction to Moses.
- to him: Refers directly and exclusively to Moses, highlighting the individual nature of this communication and consequence.
- This is the land: Identifies the geographical territory spread before Moses as the fulfillment object of the covenant (זֹ֤את הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ - "this the land").
- of which I swore: "Swore" (נִשְׁבַּ֙עְתִּי֙ - nishba‘ti, 'I swore by myself') points to a solemn, unchangeable divine oath, guaranteeing the promise's certainty and inviolability. God's oath signifies the highest form of divine commitment.
- to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob: Names the three patriarchs who were the original recipients and beneficiaries of God's covenantal land promise, stressing the continuity and multi-generational nature of God's plan (אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֤ם לְיִצְחָק֙ וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֖ב).
- "I will give it to your offspring.": The direct quote of God's original promise (לְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶֽנָּה) to the patriarchs, indicating its primary beneficiaries as their physical and ultimately spiritual descendants (seed, זֶרַע - zera), including the nation of Israel and, through Christ, believers.
- I have let you see it with your eyes,: (הֶרְאִיתִ֣יךָ בְעֵינֶ֔יךָ - her'ītīḵā ḇə‘ênêḵā) Emphasizes God's grace in allowing Moses a privileged view, a partial fulfillment or glimpse, a bittersweet moment of divine revelation.
- but you shall not go over there.: (וְשָׁ֖מָּה לֹ֥א תַֽעֲבֹֽר׃ - wəšāmmāh lō’ ta‘ăḇōr) A definitive, solemn declaration of restriction, enforcing the consequence of Moses' earlier disobedience. This "but" clause presents the personal tragedy for Moses despite the communal triumph. It sets boundaries based on divine holiness.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And the LORD said to him, 'This is the land...'": Establishes divine communication and immediate identification of the subject, linking God's words directly to the land shown to Moses. This is God, the sovereign covenant keeper, confirming reality.
- "of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, 'I will give it to your offspring.'": This clause forms the historical and theological foundation of the promise. It highlights the divine faithfulness rooted in unbreakable oaths made across generations. It's a statement of ultimate authority and unwavering purpose, demonstrating that the land is an inheritance, not an achievement.
- "I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.": This final segment conveys the blend of divine privilege and judicial consequence. It marks the poignant conclusion of Moses' physical journey, indicating a divine distinction between observation and actual participation due to a specific transgression. It is a moment of both prophetic sight and personal limitation.
Deuteronomy 34 4 Bonus section
- Typological Significance: Moses, leading Israel to the edge of the Promised Land but not entering, is often seen as a type of the Old Covenant's inability to bring ultimate rest and salvation. He represents the Law, which can reveal God's promises and command but cannot usher one into God's full grace and rest. This role is fulfilled by Joshua (whose name is linguistically linked to Jesus), who leads Israel across the Jordan, and ultimately by Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfils the Law and leads His people into the true, spiritual Promised Land—God's kingdom and eternal rest.
- God's Sovereignty and Mercy: The passage highlights God's absolute sovereignty: He sets the boundaries for His greatest prophet. Yet, it also reflects His mercy in allowing Moses this final, privileged glimpse of the land, a comforting act that assures Moses of the fulfillment of God's promises even after his departure.
- Prophetic Fulfillment: This final vision provided by God directly assures Moses and, through him, Israel, of the certain fulfillment of the ancient Abrahamic covenant, bolstering their faith on the cusp of conquering Canaan. It confirmed that the land they were about to enter was truly the one God had promised for generations.
Deuteronomy 34 4 Commentary
Deuteronomy 34:4 is a succinct yet profoundly significant verse encapsulating core biblical themes: divine faithfulness, covenant continuity, and God's unyielding justice. It reveals God's absolute commitment to His sworn promises to the patriarchs regarding the land, showcasing His unwavering purpose even after centuries. For Moses, it marks a poignant climax and conclusion. He is granted the extraordinary privilege of seeing the entire land—a vision of the fulfilled promise—but simultaneously barred from entering it due to his previous act of striking the rock at Meribah instead of speaking to it, thereby not honoring God as holy before the people (Num 20:12).
This prohibition is not arbitrary but underscores that even God's most devoted servant is accountable to His perfect standards of holiness. While human disobedience had consequences, it did not nullify God's greater promise to Israel. Moses leads the people to the threshold, symbolizing humanity's limitations and need for a new leadership to cross into the full spiritual inheritance, prefiguring Christ who alone leads His people into the true promised land—the rest of God (Hebrews 4). The verse teaches that seeing God's promises from afar, in faith, is distinct from receiving their full embodiment, which often requires further steps of obedience and leadership, and ultimately finds its perfection in God's Messiah.