Numbers 27:12
And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Get thee vp into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I haue giuen vnto the children of Israel. Numbers 27:12 (KJV)
This verse belongs to a pivotal moment in Numbers when the daughters of Zelophehad approached Moses and the leaders of Israel with a concern about their inheritance in the Promised Land. Zelophehad had died without sons, raising the question of whether his daughters should receive a portion of the land as an inheritance. The leaders were uncertain how to proceed, so they brought the matter before the Lord.
In response the Lord commanded Moses to ascend Mount Abarim, from which he could view the land destined for the Israelites. This was a unique privilege granted to Moses, who had led the people out of Egypt and faithfully carried out God’s instructions throughout their wilderness journey.
By instructing Moses to see the Promised Land, God reaffirmed His commitment to fulfill the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give Canaan as an inheritance to the children of Israel. The command served as a reassurance to Moses, the leaders, and the people that despite current challenges and uncertainties, God would indeed bring them into the land He had promised.
Beyond the immediate context the passage carries symbolic significance. Mount Abarim is understood as the collective name for a range of mountains that includes Mount Nebo, where Moses later died and was buried. From that lofty spot Moses could see the land, yet he himself would not enter it, a result of the consequence of his disobedience at the waters of Meribah (Numbers 20:12‑13).
The same event is recounted in Deuteronomy 34:1‑3: “Now this is the thing that the LORD spoke to Moses concerning the land of Canaan in Moab, beyond the Jordan, that was prepared for the inheritance of the children of Israel. And the LORD said to him, ‘Get thee up into this mountain, that thou mayest see the land.’” This later citation underscores the lasting theological import of Moses’ final glimpse of the promised inheritance.
