The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:9 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:9

KJV: When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water:

YLT: 'In my going up into the mount to receive the tables of stone (tables of the covenant which Jehovah hath made with you), and I abide in the mount forty days and forty nights; bread I have not eaten, and water I have not drunk;

Darby: when I went up the mountain to receive the tables of stone, the tables of the covenant which Jehovah made with you, and I abode in the mountain forty days and forty nights, I ate no bread and drank no water, --

ASV: When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which Jehovah made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink water.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When I was gone up  into the mount  to receive  the tables  of stone,  [even] the tables  of the covenant  which the LORD  made  with you, then I abode  in the mount  forty  days  and forty  nights,  I neither did eat  bread  nor drink  water: 

What does Deuteronomy 9:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 9:1-14 - Offending The Righteous God
Who can read this chapter without emotion and admiration for its sublime eloquence! It is one of the most striking and moving chapters in this book!
Moses sets himself to convince the people that they must not suppose that their easy entrance to Canaan was due to conspicuous virtue, but rather to God's covenant with their fathers, and also to the sinful practices of the Canaanites. Compare Deuteronomy 9:5 with Genesis 15:16. The contagion of these sins might have infected and poisoned humanity; therefore they had to be extirpated. Whatever we enjoy is due, not to our merit, but to the infinite grace of God in Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:10.
Ah, my soul, ponder this, for this is true of thee also! All thy past has been filled with failure and rebellion. If thou art still used for God's service, and art credited with a good name among His people, remember the reason is in the sovereign grace of Jehovah!
"A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing." [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 9

1  Moses dissuades them from the opinion of their own righteousness
7  Moses reminds them of the golden calf

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 9:9 mean?

When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone of the covenant which made Yahweh with you then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights bread neither I ate and water nor drank
בַּעֲלֹתִ֣י הָהָ֗רָה לָקַ֜חַת לוּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲבָנִים֙ הַבְּרִ֔ית אֲשֶׁר־ כָּרַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה עִמָּכֶ֑ם וָאֵשֵׁ֣ב בָּהָ֗ר אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֥א שָׁתִֽיתִי

בַּעֲלֹתִ֣י  When  I  went  up 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, first person common singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
הָהָ֗רָה  into  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
לָקַ֜חַת  to  receive 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לוּחֹ֤ת  the  tablets 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לוּחַ  
Sense: board, slab, tablet, plank.
הָֽאֲבָנִים֙  of  stone 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
הַבְּרִ֔ית  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
כָּרַ֥ת  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עִמָּכֶ֑ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וָאֵשֵׁ֣ב  then  I  stayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָּהָ֗ר  on  the  mountain 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
יוֹם֙  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים  and  forty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
לַ֔יְלָה  nights 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
לֶ֚חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לֹ֣א  neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָכַ֔לְתִּי  I  ate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וּמַ֖יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
לֹ֥א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁתִֽיתִי  drank 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.