Barrick, The Authorship of Deuteronomy 34
ETS Annual Meeting, November 14-16, 2001
9
Diagram 2: Deuteronomy 34:5-6
hÖfwhºy-deb×e(
hÓe$om {ðf$ tfmífYáw 34.5
bÙf)Om jerÛe):B
;h×fwhºy yÛiP-la(
OÜto) ríoB:qéYáw 34.6
ü:yaGab
bêf)Om jerØe):B
rOÕ(:P tyØ"B lUÙm
OêtfrØub:q-te) ü$yi) (Ûadæy-)×olºw
;h×eZah {OÛYah dÙa(
[5]
So Moses Yahweh's servant died there in the land of Moab in accord with
Yahweh's word.
[6]
Then He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-
Peor. No one knows his gravesite unto this day.
hÓe$om
bÙf)Om jerÛe):B
;h×fwhºy yÛiP-la(
bêf)Om jerØe):B
rOÕ(:P tyØ"B lUÙm
42
hwhy-deb×e( he$om is phraseology utilized only here in the Pentateuch but 14 times in the Book of
Joshua (1:1, 13, 15; 8:31, 33; 11:12; 12:6 [2x]; 13:8; 14:7; 18:7; 22:2, 4, 5). The concept, however, is not
foreign to the Pentateuch--cf. Num 12:7 (
;)U×h }ÛfmE)ån yÙity"B-lfk:B hÕe$om yØiD:ba( }Ù"k-)ol) and 12:8
(
he$om:b yiD:ba(:B). Such a self-reference is not unprecedented. Frevel (222) points to both Abraham (Gen
18:5) and Jacob (32:11).
43
The same phraseology is employed in recording Aaron's death on Mt. Hor (Num 33:38) as well as
Miriam's death at Kadesh (Num 20:1)
44
Cf.
{Õf$ tfmØfYáw hÙfwhºy yÛiP-la( rÖfhfh rÛoh-le) }ð"hoKah }íorAha) ûla(áYáw (Num 33:38).
45
Cf. the accounts of the deaths of Miriam (
{f$ r"bfQiTáw {fy:rim {f$ tfmÜfTáw, Num 20:1)and Aaron
(
{f$ r"bfQéYáw }orAha) t"m {f$, Deut 10:6). "The expression he buried him might be translated `one buried
him', i.e. he was buried. The context suggests that it was Yahweh who buried Moses, although, no doubt,
He had agents" (Thompson, Deuteronomy, 319).
46
The description of the valley where Moses was buried matches very closely the mention of the same
valley in Num 21:20 (
hÕfG:siPah $)Ùor bêf)Om hØ"d:&iB üre$A) ü)ºyaGah, "the valley that is in the country of
Moab at Pisgah Peak"). That might be the same location mentioned in Deut 3:29 and 4:46.
47
rO(:P ty"B lUm is the same phrase found in Deut 3:29 and 4:46. See fn 46, above.