Deuteronomy 9:11
And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant.
Original Language Analysis
וַיְהִ֗י
H1961
וַיְהִ֗י
Strong's:
H1961
Word #:
1 of 15
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
מִקֵּץ֙
And it came to pass at the end
H7093
מִקֵּץ֙
And it came to pass at the end
Strong's:
H7093
Word #:
2 of 15
an extremity; adverbially (with prepositional prefix) after
י֔וֹם
days
H3117
י֔וֹם
days
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
4 of 15
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
לָ֑יְלָה
nights
H3915
לָ֑יְלָה
nights
Strong's:
H3915
Word #:
6 of 15
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity
נָתַ֨ן
gave
H5414
נָתַ֨ן
gave
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
7 of 15
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
יְהוָ֜ה
that the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֜ה
that the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
8 of 15
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
אֶת
H853
אֶת
Strong's:
H853
Word #:
10 of 15
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
לֻח֥וֹת
even the tables
H3871
לֻח֥וֹת
even the tables
Strong's:
H3871
Word #:
12 of 15
probably meaning to glisten; a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood or metal
Historical Context
This occurred at Mount Sinai (also called Horeb in Deuteronomy) after Israel's exodus from Egypt. While Moses communed with God on the mountain, Israel sinned by creating the golden calf, breaking the covenant even as it was being established.
The stone tablets written by God's finger demonstrated divine origin and authority - these were not human laws but revelation from heaven.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean that God wrote the law with His own finger rather than dictating it to Moses?
- How do the stone tablets symbolize the permanent nature of God's moral law?
- Why did God choose to reveal His covenant in written form rather than oral tradition alone?
- How does Moses' forty-day fast prefigure Christ's ministry and temptation?
- In what sense do Christians remain obligated to the moral law written on these tablets?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. The stone tablets represent God's permanent, authoritative revelation of His moral law inscribed by His own finger.
The number forty signifies testing, preparation, and divine completion throughout Scripture. Moses' forty-day fast on Sinai parallels Christ's forty-day temptation, both involving confrontation with God's word in contexts of testing.
These tablets contain the Ten Commandments - the fundamental moral law reflecting God's character and governing all human relationships. Written in stone, they represent the unchanging, permanent nature of God's moral requirements. Reformed theology affirms the perpetual validity of the moral law summarized in the Decalogue.
The designation tables of the covenant identifies these commandments as the constitutional core of God's covenant with Israel, defining the relationship between the holy God and His chosen people.