Moses stands before the Israelites moments before his passing, recalling the tragic decree that prevents him from entering the Promised Land. This recollection is far more than an expression of personal sorrow; it serves as a powerful rhetorical tool and a severe warning as the nation prepares to cross the border.
God's anger toward Moses was intimately connected to the people's behavior. Some explain that this anger stemmed from two distinct aspects of the incident at the rock: Moses striking the rock in response to the people's complaints, and his offending the honor of the Israelites by calling them rebels [משכיל לדוד]. Others view this anger not as the result of a single isolated event, but as the climax of a long, cumulative process of bitter struggles and provocations from the nation throughout his years of leadership [רש״ר הירש].
The severity of the decree is emphasized by a dual prohibition: Moses is forbidden from both crossing the river and entering the land. The primary approach among commentators is that Moses was barred from entering the land alongside the people, and even forbidden from entering separately through a different border [מלבי״ם]. A unique perspective suggests that this duality hints at two separate decrees. Not only was he prevented from crossing while alive, but even after his death, his bones would not be brought to the land of Israel for burial, unlike the bones of Joseph and the other tribal ancestors. Moses was destined to remain in the desert so that he could eventually raise and lead the entire desert generation to the World to Come [אור החיים].
Moses brings up his punishment specifically during his warnings against idolatry to convey an urgent educational message. Since he is about to die and will not accompany them, he will no longer be able to offer daily guidance and reproof. Therefore, the people must embrace the Torah now and guard it carefully, ensuring they do not forget it amidst the abundance and prosperity they will find in their new home [רמב״ן, טור, רלב״ג, ביאור יש״ר]. Moses draws a sharp contrast between his fate and theirs: he suffered the punishment for their actions, yet they are the ones who will inherit the land while he remains outside. Because he will no longer be present to bear the burden of their sins, they must be exceptionally careful [אלשיך, אבן עזרא]. Furthermore, had Moses entered the land, he would have had the power to completely eliminate the human urge for idolatry. Since he is held back, that spiritual danger remains waiting at their doorstep [מלבי״ם].
On a deeper level, Moses harbors a heavy fear regarding his own legacy. He worries that after his death, the people will remember his greatness and the miracles he performed, and mistakenly create statues or images of him, turning their leader into an object of worship. To prevent this, he deliberately highlights the fact that God was angry with him and punished him. By doing so, he makes it perfectly clear that he is merely flesh and blood—a mortal man who sinned and faced severe consequences—ensuring they never treat him as a deity [רמב״ן, ברכת אשר]. Remarkably, even though Moses suffered his punishment because of the people, he holds no grudge against them. Instead, he continues to warn and guide them out of deep love for their future [חזקוני].