The Meaning of Deuteronomy 34:4 Explained

Deuteronomy 34:4

KJV: And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto him, 'This is the land which I have sworn to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, To thy seed I give it; I have caused thee to see with thine eyes, and thither thou dost not pass over.'

Darby: And Jehovah said unto him, This is the land that I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  said  unto him, This [is] the land  which I sware  unto Abraham,  unto Isaac,  and unto Jacob,  saying,  I will give  it unto thy seed:  I have caused thee to see  [it] with thine eyes,  but thou shalt not go over  thither. 

What does Deuteronomy 34:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 34:1-12 - The Great Leader's Exodus
What inimitable beauty in this closing scene! The majestic withdrawal of the illustrious Lawgiver in view of the assembled nation! The panorama that greeted his undimmed gaze! The Lord's showing of it to him! The kiss, according to the ancient tradition, in which his spirit passed rapturously to its reward! The burial of his body with proper honor, Judges 1:9! Well might the people weep!
There is dispensational truth here also. Moses represented God's Law, which never shows signs of age; but it cannot lead the soul into the rest of God, nor give victory over our spiritual foes. For the world and each soul Moses must give place to Joshua-that is, Jesus.
Be ours that face to face fellowship, that doing of His will, those divine credentials of the mighty hand, of deeds wrought in God! Psalms 90:16-17 [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 34

1  Moses from mount Nebo views the land
5  He dies there
6  His burial
7  His age
8  Thirty days mourning for him
9  Joshua succeeds him
10  The praise of Moses

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 34:4 mean?

And said Yahweh to him this [is] the land of which I swore to give Abraham Isaac and Jacob saying to your descendants I will give it I have caused you to see [it] with your eyes but there not you shall cross over
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו זֹ֤את הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֠שְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָ֨ם לְיִצְחָ֤ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה הֶרְאִיתִ֣יךָ בְעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְשָׁ֖מָּה לֹ֥א תַעֲבֹֽר

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵלָ֗יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
זֹ֤את  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הָאָ֙רֶץ֙  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִ֠שְׁבַּעְתִּי  I  swore  to  give 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לְאַבְרָהָ֨ם  Abraham 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
לְיִצְחָ֤ק  Isaac 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
וּֽלְיַעֲקֹב֙  and  Jacob 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְזַרְעֲךָ֖  to  your  descendants 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
אֶתְּנֶ֑נָּה  I  will  give  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הֶרְאִיתִ֣יךָ  I  have  caused  you  to  see  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְעֵינֶ֔יךָ  with  your  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וְשָׁ֖מָּה  but  there 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
תַעֲבֹֽר  you  shall  cross  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.