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Deuteronomy 9:18

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Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger.

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Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 18

The design of Moses in this chapter is to convince the people of Israel of their utter unworthiness to receive from God those great favours that were now to be conferred upon them, writing this, as it were, in capital letters at the head of their charter, "Not for your sake, be it known unto you," Eze 36:32. I. He assures them of victory over their enemies (Deu 9:1-3). II. He cautions them not to attribute their successes to their own merit, but to God's justice, which was engaged against their enemies, and his faithfulness, which was engaged to their fathers (Deu 9:4-6). III. To make it evident that they had no reason to boast of their own righteousness, he mentions their faults, shows Israel their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. In general, they had been all along a provoking people (v. 7-24). In particular, 1. In the matter of the golden calf, the story of which he largely relates (Deu 9:8-21). 2. He mentions some other instances of their rebellion (Deu 9:22, Deu 9:23). And, 3. Returns, at Deu 9:25, to speak of the intercession he had made for them at Horeb, to prevent their being ruined for the golden calf.

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Original language

The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).

Strong's Concordancev. 18

נָפַל (nâphal, H5307) — to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or… פָּנִים (pânîym, H6440) — the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and… יְהֹוָה (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068) — Jehovah, Jewish national name of God רִאשׁוֹן (riʼshôwn, H7223) — first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun) אַרְבָּעִים (ʼarbâʻîym, H705) — forty יוֹם (yôwm, H3117) — a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to… לַיִל (layil, H3915) — properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; figuratively, adversity אָכַל (ʼâkal, H398) — to eat (literally or figuratively) לֶחֶם (lechem, H3899) — food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it) שָׁתָה (shâthâh, H8354) — to imbibe (literally or figuratively) מַיִם (mayim, H4325) — water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen חַטָּאָה (chaṭṭâʼâh, H2403) — an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or… חָטָא (châṭâʼ, H2398) — properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit,… עָשָׂה (ʻâsâh, H6213) — to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Exodus 34:28rank 9

So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 9:9rank 5

When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I ate no bread and drank no water.

Psalms 106:23rank 4

So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them.

II Samuel 12:16rank 3

David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.

Deuteronomy 10:10rank 3

I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, like the first time, and that time the LORD again listened to me and agreed not to destroy you.

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