For you shall see the land from a distance; but you shall not go there into the land which I give the children of Israel.”
Parallel translations
- KJV Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel.
- BSB Although you shall see from a distance the land that I am giving the Israelites, you shall not enter it.”
- NKJV Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”
- NASB For you will see the land at a distance but you will not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.”
- NLT So you will see the land from a distance, but you may not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses will see the land from a distance but not enter it. The promise is shown to him, yet entry is withheld as the consequence of his sin.
Overview
God tempers discipline with grace, granting Moses sight of Canaan though not possession. There is real loss here, yet also mercy in letting him glimpse the fulfillment of God's covenant promise. The tension between seeing and not entering anticipates the New Testament hope: where Moses could not lead Israel in, Joshua (a name sharing the root of "Jesus") would, and Christ leads His people into the true rest (Heb. 4:8-9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Deut 34:1–4Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. Yahweh showed him all the land of Gilead, to Dan,
- Deut 32:49“Go up into this mountain of Abarim, to Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is across from Jericho; and see the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel for a possession.
- Heb 11:13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
- Deut 1:37Also Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, saying, “You also shall not go in there.
- Num 27:12Yahweh said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel.
- Deut 3:27Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift up your eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes; for you shall not go over this Jordan.
- Heb 11:39These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 32:52 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.