Deuteronomy 34:10

10 And a prophet rose no more in Israel (such) as Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, (And never again did a prophet ever arise in Israel such as Moses, yea, whom the Lord knew face to face,)

Deuteronomy 34:10 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 34:10

And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto
Moses
Not in the times of Joshua, who wrote this chapter, at least the last eight verses, ( Deuteronomy 34:5-12 ) , as say the Jews ^F16; nor to the times of Samuel, whom others take to be the writer: of them; nor to the times of Ezra, as others; nor even throughout the whole Old Testament dispensation to the times of Christ, the great Prophet, like to Moses, that was to arise; and the Messiah is by the Jews owned, as by Maimonides ^F17, to be equal to him, and by others to be above him: it is a well known saying of theirs ^F18, that

``the Messiah shall be exalted above Abraham, and extolled above Moses, and made higher than the ministering: angels;''

but as to all other prophets he excels them, and therefore they call him the prince, master, and Father of the prophets, and say, that all prophesied from the fountain of his prophecy ^F19: the difference between him and them is observed, by Maimonides ^F20 to lie in many things; as that they prophesied by a dream or vision, but he awake and seeing; they prophesied by the means of an angel, and saw what they did in parables and dark sayings; but Moses not by means of an angel, but the Lord spake to him face to face; they trembled and astonished, but not so Moses; they could not prophesy when they would, but he at any time, nor did he need to dispose and prepare his mind for it; some of which will not hold good, especially the last; the instances in which he really exceeded them follow:

whom the Lord knew face to face;
owned, took notice of, and familiarly conversed with face to face, as a man with his friend; none were permitted to such familiarity with God as he; see ( Numbers 12:6-8 ) ( Exodus 33:11 ) ; the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,

``whom the Word of the Lord knew.''

---

FOOTNOTES:

F16 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 15. 1.
F17 Hilchot Teshuvah, c. 9. sect. 2.
F18 Tanchuma in Yalkut in Isa. lii. 13.
F19 Maimon. Yesode Hatorah, c. 7. sect. 6. & Vorst. in ib.
F20 lb. sect. 6, 7, 8, 9.

Deuteronomy 34:10 In-Context

8 And the sons of Israel bewept him thirty days in the field places of Moab; and the days of wailing of men bemourning Moses were fulfilled. (And the Israelites wept for him on the plains of Moab for thirty days; and then the days of the wailing of the people mourning for Moses were finished.)

9 Soothly Joshua, the son of Nun, was full-filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had put his hands upon him; and the sons of Israel obeyed to Joshua, and did as the Lord commanded to Moses. (And Joshua, the son of Nun, was filled full with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had put his hands upon him; and the Israelites obeyed Joshua, and did what the Lord commanded to Moses.)

10 And a prophet rose no more in Israel (such) as Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, (And never again did a prophet ever arise in Israel such as Moses, yea, whom the Lord knew face to face,)

11 in all the miracles, and great wonders, which the Lord sent, or did, by him, that he should do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, (and so thou should always remember all the miracles, and the great wonders, which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,)

12 and all the strong hand, or power, and the great marvels, which Moses did before all Israel. (yea, to remember the strong hand of Moses, and the great marvels which he did before all Israel.)