And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.

DEUTERONOMY 9:17KJV
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Deuteronomy 9:17 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 9:17 mean?

Deuteronomy 9:17 describes Moses taking the two stone tablets of the covenant and throwing them down from his hands, breaking them in front of the Israelites. This act publicly showed the seriousness of Israel’s disobedience to God after He had just given them His commandments.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites, reminding them of what happened after they made the golden calf at Mount Sinai. The verse highlights the dramatic moment when Moses shattered the tablets, which symbolized the broken relationship between God and the people because of their sin. This event is central to understanding the gravity of Israel’s actions and Moses’ leadership.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 9:17

  • “Tables” (לֻחוֹת, luḥot): This word refers to the stone tablets inscribed with the commandments. The use of this specific term emphasizes the physical objects that carried God’s law.
  • “Brake” (שָׁבַר, shavar): This word means to break or shatter. Moses’ act of breaking the tablets is not just accidental; it is a deliberate and forceful action, underlining the seriousness of the people’s breach of faith.
  • “Before your eyes” (לְעֵינֵיכֶם, le‘eineikhem): This phrase stresses that the Israelites witnessed the event directly, making it a public and memorable warning.

Why Deuteronomy 9:17 matters

  • This verse clears up that Moses did not break the tablets out of private anger, but as a public act meant to confront the people with the reality of their sin.
  • The verse connects to the wider passage by showing the consequences of idolatry and the seriousness with which God’s covenant should be treated.
  • It helps readers understand the emotional weight and leadership challenges Moses faced, as well as the significance of the tablets themselves as more than just objects—they represented God’s direct covenant with Israel.

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.

“of” Hebrew H5921 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
  • Genesis 31:50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
  • 1 Chronicles 9:28 And certain of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.

“took” Hebrew H8610 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
  • 2 Kings 16:9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
  • Jeremiah 50:16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

“cast” Hebrew H7993 · used in 121 verses

  • Genesis 21:15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.
  • 2 Kings 2:21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.
  • Isaiah 19:8 The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.