The enraged king vainly endeavoured to destroy the emigrants. Moses, firmly relying upon miracu lous help from the Lord, led his people through the Red Sea into Arabia, while the host of Pharaoh perished in its waves (Exod. xii.-xv.) After this began the most important functions of Moses as the lawgiver of the Israelites, who were destined to enter into Canaan as the people of pro mise, upon whom rested the ancient blessings of the patriarchs. By the instrumentality of Moses they were appointed to enter into intimate com munion with God through a sacred covenant, and to be firmly bound to him by a new legislation. Moses, having victoriously repulsed the attack of the Amalekites, marched to Mount Sinai, where he signally punished the defection of his people, and gave them the law as a testimony of divine justice and mercy. From Mount Sinai they pro ceeded northward to the desert of Paran, and sent spies to explore the land of Canaan (Num.
-xiii.) On this occasion broke out a violent rebellion against the lawgiver, which he, however, by divine assistance, energetically repressed (Num. xiv.-xvi.) The Israelites frequently murmured, and were disobedient, during about forty years. In a part of the desert of Kadesh, which was called Zin, near the boundaries of the Edomites, after the sister of Moses had died, and after even the new generation had, like their fathers, proved to be obstinate and desponding, Moses fell into sin, and was on that account deprived of the privilege of introducing the people into Canaan. He was appointed to lead them only to the boundary of their country, to prepare all that was requisite for their entry into the land of promise, to ad monish them impressively, and to bless them.
It was according to God's appointment that the new generation also, to whom the occupation of the country had been promised, should arrive at their goal only after having vanquished many obstacles. Even before they had reached the real boundaries of Canaan they were to be subjected to a heavy and purifying trial. It was important that a man like Moses was at the head of Israel during all these providential dispensations. His authority was a powerful preservative against despondency under heavy trials.
Having in vain attempted to pass through the territory of the Edomites, the people marched round its boundaries by a circuitous and tedious route. Two powerful kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, were vanquished. Moses led the people into the fields of Moab over against Jericho, to the very threshold of Canaan (Num. xx. xxi.) The oracles of Balaam became, by the instrumen tality of Moses, blessings to his people, because by them they were rendered conscious of the great im portance of having the Lord on their side.
Moses happily averted the danger which threat ened the Israelites on the part of Midian (Num. xxv.-xxxi.) Hence he was enabled to grant to some of the tribes permanent dwellings in a con siderable tract of country situated to the east of the river Jordan (Num. xxxii.), and to give to his
people a foretaste of that well-being which was in store for them.
Moses made excellent preparations for the con quest and distribution of the whole country, and took leave of his people with powerful admonitions and impressive benedictions, transferring his go vernment to the hands of Joshua, who was not unworthy to become the successor of so great a man. With a longing but gratified look, he sur veyed, from the elevated ground on the border of the Dead Sea, the beautiful country destined for his people.
Moses died in a retired spot at the age of one hundred and twenty years. He remained vigorous in mind and body to the last. His body was not buried in the promised land, and his grave re mained unknown, lest it should become an object of superstitious and idolatrous worship. This honour was due, not to him, but to the Lord, who had manifested himself through the whole life of Moses. Not the body, but the word, of Moses was permanently to abide in Israel. The people of God produced no prophet greater than Moses, because by none was the Lord more glorified. Among all the men of God recorded in the O. T., Moses presents the most wonderful and imposing aspect.
The Pentateuch is the greatest monument of Moses as an author. The ninetieth psalm also seems to be correctly ascribed to him. Of the poetical pieces in the Pentateuch, some are cer tainly, others probably, of his composition. To the former belong the ' songs' in Exod. xv. r-ro, and Deut. xxxii. 1-43, and the blessing on the tribes in Deut. xxxii. 1-15 ; to the latter the pieces in Exod. xvii. 16 ; Num. xxi. 14, 15, 16, 27-30. Some learned men have endeavoured to prove that he was the author of the book of Job, but their arguments are inconclusive [Jon].
Numerous traditions, as might have been ex pected, have been current respecting so celebrated a personage. Some of these were known to the ancient Jews, but most of them occur in later rab binical writers (comp. Philo, De Pita Mosis, c.iii.; Joseph. Antiq. ii. 9, seq. ; Bartolocci, Bibliotheca Rabbinica, iv. '15, seq.) The name of Moses is celebrated among the Arabs also, and is the nucleus of a mass of legends (comp. Hottinger, Historia Orientalis, p. 8o, seq.; D'Herbelot, Bib. Or., art. Moses). The Greek and Roman classics repeatedly mention Moses, but their accounts contain the authentic Biblical history in a greatly distorted form (vide the collection of Meier, yudaica, sets veterum Scriptorum profanorum de Rebus Yudalcis Fragmenta, Jenm 1832).
Concerning the life of Moses, compare also Warburton, On the Divine Legation of Moses ; Hess, Geschichte Moth, Zurich 1778, 2 vols. ; Niemeyer, Charakteristik der Bibel, 3d vol.