Deuteronomy 34:6: Moses' Burial in Text and Translation

Despite the simplicity from a linguistic perspective, the formula וַיִּקְבֹּר אֹתוֹ in Deut 34:6 has been at the origins of a vivid discussion among its interpreters. Most of the time, this formula, in which an explicit subject is missing, is interpreted as having YHWH, who is mentioned in the final part of the foregoing verse, as its subject. As such, it is YHWH who is considered as the one who buried Moses. This is the way most Bible translations interpret Deut 34:6. Nevertheless, other interpretations are equally possible. In Hebrew, a 3rd person singular verbal form can also be used in order to refer to an unidentified subject ('one'). A comparison of the Masoretic Text of Deut 34:6 to the Versiones makes clear that the latter apparently has been the interpretation of the Septuagint translator, even if one cannot be sure whether its plural verbal form ἔθαψαν is due to the interpretation of the Greek translator or to a different Hebrew Vorlage – as it can be found in e.g. 4QDeutl, MasDeut(?) and several manuscripts of the Samaritan Pentateuch. Moreover, the comparison of the different textual witnesses of Deut 34:6, at least when not being influenced by any theological and/or historico-critical prejudices, makes clear that a conclusive answer to the question whether the singular (וַיִּקְבֹּר) or the plural form (וַיּקְבְּרוּ) is the 'more original' seems to be impossible.