“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,”
My Notes
What Does Deuteronomy 34:10 Mean?
"There arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face." The final assessment of Moses, written by someone who outlived him: no prophet has matched him. The evaluation isn't about Moses' speaking ability (he said he couldn't speak — 4:10) or his personal qualities (he was the meekest man — Numbers 12:3). It's about his relationship with God: the LORD knew him face to face.
The phrase "whom the LORD knew face to face" is different from Moses knowing God face to face (33:11): here, God knows Moses. The relationship is mutual: Moses knew God and God knew Moses. The intimacy ran in both directions. The face-to-face wasn't one-sided revelation — it was mutual recognition.
The uniqueness of Moses — no prophet like him — stands until Deuteronomy 18:15-18, where Moses himself prophesied that a prophet LIKE HIM would arise. The church identifies that future prophet as Christ. Moses' uniqueness endures within the Old Testament. The New Testament provides the one who exceeds him.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does 'face to face' knowledge with God look like — and do you have it?
- 2.Why is Moses' uniqueness measured by relationship rather than accomplishment?
- 3.How does Jesus fulfill the 'prophet like Moses' promise?
- 4.What would your epitaph say about your relationship with God?
Devotional
No prophet like Moses. Not before. Not since. Not in all of Israel's history. The evaluation is absolute: in the entire prophetic tradition — from Samuel to Malachi, from Elijah to Jeremiah — nobody matched what Moses had. And what Moses had wasn't talent. It was face-to-face knowledge with God.
The 'whom the LORD knew face to face' is the heart of the evaluation: Moses' greatness isn't measured by his accomplishments (though they were extraordinary) or his leadership (though it was historic). It's measured by his relationship. God knew Moses the way you know a face — intimately, personally, in the closest possible proximity. And Moses knew God the same way.
The mutual knowledge is the rarest thing: prophets hear God's word. Moses saw God's face. Prophets receive messages. Moses had conversations. The difference between Moses and every subsequent prophet is the difference between receiving a letter and sitting across the table. Both communicate. One is intimate.
The evaluation also functions as a loss statement: the writer is grieving. Moses is dead. And nobody has risen to replace him. The face-to-face prophet is gone, and the community must carry on with lesser prophets who receive words without seeing the face. The intimacy Moses had is mourned because it's unrepeatable — within the Old Testament.
The New Testament provides the answer: Jesus is the prophet like Moses (Acts 3:22-23). What Moses had — face-to-face knowledge with God — Jesus IS. The unrepeatable becomes the incarnate. The face Moses saw becomes the face you can see in Christ.
Do you know God face to face? Not through a prophet. Not through a book alone. Face to face?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,.... Not in the times of Joshua, who wrote this chapter,…
There arose not a prophet since in Israel - Words like these can only have been written some time, but not necessarily a…
We have here a very honourable encomium passed both on Moses and Joshua; each has his praise, and should have. It is…
The phraseology now becomes deuteronomic. See on Deu 18:15; Deu 18:18.
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture