Deuteronomy 9:15
So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
Original Language Analysis
וָאֵ֗פֶן
So I turned
H6437
וָאֵ֗פֶן
So I turned
Strong's:
H6437
Word #:
1 of 13
to turn; by implication, to face, i.e., appear, look, etc
וָֽאֵרֵד֙
and came down
H3381
וָֽאֵרֵד֙
and came down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
2 of 13
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
מִן
H4480
מִן
Strong's:
H4480
Word #:
3 of 13
properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
וְהָהָ֖ר
and the mount
H2022
וְהָהָ֖ר
and the mount
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
4 of 13
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
וְהָהָ֖ר
and the mount
H2022
וְהָהָ֖ר
and the mount
Strong's:
H2022
Word #:
5 of 13
a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)
לוּחֹ֣ת
tables
H3871
לוּחֹ֣ת
tables
Strong's:
H3871
Word #:
9 of 13
probably meaning to glisten; a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood or metal
הַבְּרִ֔ית
of the covenant
H1285
הַבְּרִ֔ית
of the covenant
Strong's:
H1285
Word #:
10 of 13
a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)
עַ֖ל
H5921
עַ֖ל
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
11 of 13
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
Cross References
Exodus 19:18And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.Deuteronomy 5:23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;Deuteronomy 4:11And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.
Historical Context
The burning mountain had been the site of God's covenant-making with Israel. There God descended in fire, spoke the Ten Commandments audibly, and summoned Moses to receive the written law. The continued burning testified to God's abiding presence and holiness.
Ancient Near Eastern covenant-making often involved fire and smoke symbolizing divine witness and judgment on covenant-breakers.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Moses' position between God and the people illustrate Christ's mediatorial work?
- What does the burning mountain teach us about God's holiness and unapproachable glory?
- Why is sin more serious when committed in proximity to clear revelation of God's will?
- How should awareness of God's holy presence shape our behavior and worship?
- What does it cost faithful leaders to turn from God's presence to deal with people's sin?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. Moses descends from divine glory into human tragedy, carrying God's perfect law to a people already in violation of it. The burning mountain represents God's consuming holiness pursuing the guilty people.
The visual contrast is striking - above, God's glory burns on the mountain; below, Israel's sin burns in their camp. Moses stands between the holy God and the guilty people, prefiguring Christ's mediatorial role. The stone tablets in his hands represent the broken covenant even before he shatters them physically.
That Moses turned from God's presence to face Israel's sin illustrates the mediator's necessary movement between parties. He cannot remain in uninterrupted communion with God while his people need representation and intervention.
The burning mountain provides dramatic backdrop to the unfolding crisis. God's holiness has not diminished; His standards remain absolute. The people's sin is magnified by proximity to divine revelation - they sin not in ignorance but in the very presence of God's manifest glory.