V. 1. And Moses went from the plains of Moab unto mount Nebo 2c.
Moses did not write this chapter, but Joshua or Eleazar, unless you want to say that he described his death in this way, since he knew it beforehand. But that no man was able to find his grave [v. 6], it is rightly said that it was done for this reason, so that the Jews would not make an idol out of it. But it means more that, since the light of the gospel has come, the office of the law is so taken away that the Jews can neither find it nor ever restore it.
But that it is written that Moses, when he died in the hundred and twenty years of his age, was so vigorous that [v. 7.] his eyes did not darken and his appearance (forma faciei) did not decay, this is told as a great miracle, since of the other fathers, as Isaac, Jacob, Eli and others it is written that they had dark eyes because of their old age, and still today those who are somewhat advanced in age decrease in eyes and appearance. Therefore i) it is a wonder that the form of his face was so flourishing that he lacked neither color nor beauty (species), since nature brings it with itself,
1) Instead of ictsM in the outputs, we have adopted iUeo.
that old men become shapeless through wrinkles and pale appearance. But this is even more of a miracle in Moses, since he was overwhelmed with so many hardships, dangers and business in his whole life, that it is to be wondered at that he was not exhausted and out of shape before others, or rather died. Our translation [the Vulgate] has: "and his teeth were not moved," namely, deceived by the similarity of the expression, since freshness (vigor [XX]) and jaws (maxilla [XXX]) are written in Hebrew almost with the same letters.
The perseverance (perseverantia) of the vision and power of Moses, according to the secret interpretation, means that the power of the law does not diminish by any length of time, by any amount of works, but always presses the guilty conscience and keeps it in turmoil until it dies, that is, until it is taken away by Christ, through the institution of the new office of grace. But when Christ arrived, the old law was also near its end, according to the words in the Epistle to the Hebrews [Cap. 8, 13.]: "But that which is old and past age is near its end."
Finally, Moses [vv. 10 ff.] is praised for his greatness, that after him there arose no prophet like him in such great signs, which by him were in
Egypt and in the wilderness, but especially that the Lord knew him face to face, that is, who was so familiar with God and talked. This is not said for all times, but as long as the ministry of Moses lasted. For all who came after him taught Mosi's doctrine (Moses), as lesser ones who were under him and taught by him. But at the same time it is certain, what is said in Cap. 18, that after Moses another one should be raised up, the Mosiah.
Christ, to whom this great Moses should give way, since he is far greater in dignity and power, as we have seen there. This also means that nothing greater can be taught and presented, as far as laws are concerned, than the law of Moses. For everything is supreme in it, except that the great law should give way to the greater gospel.
End.