Deuteronomy 34:8

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.)

Deuteronomy 34:8 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 34:8

And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of
Moab thirty days
According both to Josephus F14 and the Samaritan Chronicle F15, they cried and wept in a very vehement manner, when he signified to them his approaching death, and took his leave of them; and when he was dead they mourned for him, in a public manner, the space of time here mentioned, the time of mourning for his brother Aaron, ( Numbers 20:29 ) ;

so the days of weeping [and] mourning for Moses were ended;
on the eighth of Nisan or March, as says the Targum of Jonathan, and on the "ninth" they prepared their vessels and their cattle for a march, and on the tenth passed over Jordan, and on the "sixteenth" the manna ceased, according to the said paraphrase.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 Ut supra. (De Bello Jud. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 49.)
F15 Apud Hottinger, p. 456.

Deuteronomy 34:8 In-Context

6 And the Lord buried him in a valley of the land of Moab, (over) against Bethpeor; and no man knew his sepulchre unto this day. (And the Lord buried him in a valley of the land of Moab, opposite the town of Bethpeor; but unto this day, no one knoweth the place of his burial.)
7 Moses was of an hundred and twenty years when he died; his eye dimmed not, neither his teeth were stirred. (Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; but his eyes had not dimmed, and his strength had not diminished.)
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,)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.