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.

DEUTERONOMY 9:11KJV
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Deuteronomy 9:11 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 9:11 mean?

Deuteronomy 9:11 says that after forty days and forty nights, the LORD gave Moses two stone tablets, which were the tablets of the covenant. This verse marks the moment when Moses received the written terms of God’s agreement with Israel on Mount Sinai.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites, reminding them of the time he spent on the mountain with God. The “two tables of stone” refer to the physical tablets inscribed with the covenant laws, often called the Ten Commandments. This event is a key part of the story where God formally gives His law to His people through Moses.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 9:11

  • “LORD” (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God used throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing that it was Israel’s covenant God who gave the law, not a distant or unknown deity.
  • “tables” (לוּחַ, luach): This word means “tablet” or “slab,” and it highlights that the covenant was given in a permanent, written form, not just spoken.
  • “covenant” (בְּרִית, berit): This word means a binding agreement or treaty. Here, it refers to the special relationship and obligations between God and Israel, set down in writing.

Why Deuteronomy 9:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the covenant was not just an idea or spoken promise but was physically written down by God and given to Moses, making it official and enduring.
  • The mention of “forty days and forty nights” connects this event to other significant periods of testing or preparation in the Bible, showing the seriousness and weight of the moment.
  • By recalling this event, Moses sets up the context for what follows: Israel’s failure with the golden calf and the breaking of the first tablets, highlighting both God’s holiness and the people’s need for mercy.

Where else these words appear

“tables” Hebrew H3871 · used in 33 verses

  • Exodus 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
  • Exodus 38:7 And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.
  • Deuteronomy 10:5 And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me.

“end” Hebrew H7093 · used in 62 verses

  • Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
  • Job 6:11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
  • Ezekiel 7:3 Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.

“forty” Hebrew H705 · used in 124 verses

  • Genesis 5:13 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters:
  • Deuteronomy 8:2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:36 And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.