Misinterpretations often portray Moses' 'mighty hand' and 'great terror' as innate superhuman abilities or tyrannical fear-mongering rather than divine miracles demonstrating God's deliverance and holiness; others erroneously claim it forever diminishes later prophets like Jesus, ignoring the verse's historical context before Christ's superior revelation as the prophet like Moses whom God would raise up, or apply it to endorse modern leaders' unchecked authority apart from God's calling.
Deuteronomy 34:12
King James Version (1769)
12 And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.
Deuteronomy 34:12 concludes Moses' biography by emphasizing his unparalleled prophetic stature, manifested through God's mighty power working via his hand and the awe-inspiring terrors he displayed before Israel, such as the plagues, Red Sea parting, and Sinai theophany, affirming his intimate knowledge of God and role as faithful mediator of the law, unmatched among prophets up to that time.