Deuteronomy 9:10 kjv
And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
Deuteronomy 9:10 nkjv
Then the LORD delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.
Deuteronomy 9:10 niv
The LORD gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the LORD proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.
Deuteronomy 9:10 esv
And the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the LORD had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.
Deuteronomy 9:10 nlt
The LORD gave me the two tablets on which God had written with his own finger all the words he had spoken to you from the heart of the fire when you were assembled at the mountain.
Deuteronomy 9 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:1 | On the third new moon after the people... came into the Wilderness... | Setting the scene at Sinai. |
| Ex 24:12 | The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain... receive...” | Call to receive tablets. |
| Ex 24:18 | Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain... forty days... | Moses entering cloud & fasting. |
| Ex 31:18 | When he finished speaking... gave to Moses two tablets of the testimony | God giving tablets of testimony. |
| Ex 34:28 | So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights... | Moses' second 40-day fast for new tablets. |
| Deut 4:13 | And he declared to you his covenant... the Ten Commandments... | God explicitly stated the covenant. |
| Deut 5:22 | “These words the Lord spoke... wrote them on two tablets of stone...” | Lord speaking and writing the commandments. |
| Deut 10:1 | “At that time the Lord said to me, ‘Cut for yourself two tablets...’” | Instruction for new tablets after the first were broken. |
| Gen 7:4 | For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days... | Biblical motif of 40 days for divine action. |
| Num 14:33 | Your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years... | 40 years of wandering as punishment. |
| 1 Kgs 19:8 | And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights... | Elijah's forty-day journey strengthened by divine food. |
| Mt 4:2 | And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. | Jesus' forty-day fast in the wilderness. |
| Lk 4:2 | for forty days, being tempted by the devil... | Jesus' 40-day testing. |
| Acts 1:3 | He presented himself alive... appearing to them during forty days... | Christ's post-resurrection appearances. |
| 2 Chr 5:10 | There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets... | The tablets as core contents of the ark. |
| Jer 31:33 | I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts... | Prophecy of the New Covenant's inner law. |
| 2 Cor 3:3 | being manifestly an letter from Christ... written not with ink but with the Spirit... | God's law written by Spirit on human hearts. |
| Heb 8:6 | a ministry much more excellent... founded on better promises. | Christ as Mediator of a better covenant. |
| Heb 9:4 | in which were a golden urn... and the tablets of the covenant; | Tablets inside the Ark of the Covenant. |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is breathed out by God... for teaching... | Divine inspiration and authority of Scripture. |
| Rom 7:12 | So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous... | The holy and righteous nature of the Law. |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Law through Moses, grace/truth through Jesus. |
Deuteronomy 9 verses
Deuteronomy 9 10 Meaning
Deuteronomy 9:10 describes a pivotal moment in the history of Israel: Moses' ascent to Mount Sinai to receive the divine law. The verse highlights the direct intervention of the Lord in delivering the "tables of stone," explicitly identified as the "tables of the covenant." It also emphasizes the supernatural nature of this encounter, noting Moses' extended forty-day and forty-night fast while in the presence of God, where he consumed neither food nor water. This event underscores God's active role in establishing His covenant with Israel and the absolute authority and divine origin of the Law given through Moses, marking the foundation of their national identity and relationship with Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 9 10 Context
Deuteronomy 9 forms a critical part of Moses' farewell address to the Israelites as they stand poised to enter the promised land. Chapters 1-11 serve as a foundational call to remember God's covenant faithfulness and to be obedient. Within this larger exhortation, Deuteronomy 9 specifically addresses the Israelite misconception that their success in conquering Canaan would be due to their own righteousness or superior numbers. Moses vehemently counters this idea, insisting that their entry is a result of God's covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to dispossess the wicked nations. Verse 10 sets the stage for Moses to remind them of their immediate history: their reception of the divine Law directly from God, a demonstration of God's special relationship with them, which ironically, they quickly desecrated by worshipping the golden calf (described immediately after this verse). Thus, verse 10 functions to establish God's awesome holiness and direct involvement in giving the Law, contrasting sharply with Israel's immediate and deep-seated disobedience.
Deuteronomy 9 10 Word analysis
- When I went up into the mount: Moses, speaking in the first person, recalls his ascent. This "mount" (הָהָר, ha'har) is Mount Sinai, also known as Horeb (Ex 24:12-18). It signifies a place of profound divine encounter and revelation, a sacred space chosen by God.
- to receive the tables of stone: This states the divine purpose of Moses' ascent. "Tables of stone" (לוּחֹת הָאֲבָנִים, luchot ha'avanim) indicates permanence, durability, and a tangible record. Stone signifies something immutable and enduring, fitting for divine commandments.
- even the tables of the covenant: This further defines the nature and purpose of the tables. "Covenant" (בְּרִית, b'rit) emphasizes the binding, relational agreement God initiated with Israel. These tables were not just laws but the foundational legal and ethical stipulations of their sacred bond with Yahweh, reflecting His character and expectations for His people.
- which the Lord made with you: Highlights the divine initiative and the corporate nature of the covenant. God (יהוה, YHWH – the covenant name of God) initiated this relationship and agreement with the entire nation of Israel, not just with Moses. This underscores God's sovereignty and His desire for a relationship with His chosen people.
- then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights: "Abode" indicates a sustained period of residence and deep communion. The period of "forty days and forty nights" (אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה, arba'im yom v'arba'im laylah) is a recurring biblical motif signifying a time of divine testing, preparation, or intensive revelation (e.g., Noah's flood, Elijah's journey, Jesus' temptation). It highlights the unique, extraordinary duration and nature of Moses' time in God's presence.
- I neither did eat bread nor drink water: This emphasizes the miraculous and supernatural sustenance of Moses. Fasting for this duration, especially without water, is humanly impossible and underscores the divine power that sustained him in God's glory. It demonstrates that God provided for him entirely, distinct from natural means, further signifying the holy and unique nature of the encounter. This state of miraculous sustenance points to the intense presence of God overriding human physical needs.
Deuteronomy 9 10 Bonus section
The motif of "forty days and forty nights" in this verse holds deep theological significance across the biblical narrative. Beyond the flood and Moses' other fast, it resonates powerfully with Elijah's miraculous journey to Horeb (1 Kgs 19:8), sustained by divine provision, mirroring Moses' experience. Most significantly, it foreshadows Jesus' own forty-day fast in the wilderness (Mt 4:2; Lk 4:2), where He faced temptation and inaugurated His ministry in dependence on God, ultimately fulfilling the true spirit of the Law given at Sinai. This pattern suggests a common thread of intense spiritual preparation, divine empowerment, or testing by God for key figures who bring about pivotal moments in salvation history. The direct writing by God on stone also implicitly contrasts with later prophecies of God writing His law on the hearts of His people in the new covenant (Jer 31:33), signifying an internal transformation not merely an external legal code.
Deuteronomy 9 10 Commentary
Deuteronomy 9:10 serves as a crucial reminder of the absolute divine origin and authority of the Mosaic Law. Moses recounts his direct, sustained encounter with God on Sinai, where he personally received the tables bearing the Ten Commandments. The "tables of stone" symbolize the eternal and unbreakable nature of God's revealed will, while calling them "tables of the covenant" underscores their foundational role in defining the relationship between Yahweh and Israel. Moses' miraculous 40-day fast highlights the unique, supernatural privilege of his mediatorial role and the immense glory of God that surrounded him, transcending human physical limitations. This account is given precisely to establish God's profound commitment to His covenant with Israel and to starkly contrast it with Israel's subsequent, swift rebellion immediately after this extraordinary divine revelation. It serves to underscore that Israel's future success would be based purely on God's fidelity and not on any perceived merit or righteousness of their own.