Deuteronomy 9:8-18

8 Even at Mount Horeb you made the LORD so angry that he wanted to destroy you.

9 When I went up on the mountain to get the stone tablets, the tablets of the promise that the LORD made to you, I stayed on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights without food or water.

10 Then the LORD gave me the two stone tablets inscribed by God himself. On them were written all the words that the LORD spoke to you from the fire on the mountain on the day of the assembly.

11 At the end of the 40 days and 40 nights, the LORD gave me the two stone tablets with his promise on them.

12 He told me, "Leave right away. Your people whom you brought out of Egypt have ruined [everything]. They've quickly turned from the way I commanded them to live. They've made an idol for themselves."

13 The LORD also said to me, "I've seen these people, and they are impossible to deal with.

14 Leave me alone! I'll destroy them and wipe their name off the earth. Then I'll make you into a nation larger and stronger than they are."

15 So I turned and went down the mountain while it was still burning with fire. I was carrying the two tablets with the promise on them.

16 Then I saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made a statue of a calf for yourselves. You had quickly turned from the way the LORD commanded you to live.

17 I took the two tablets, threw them down, and smashed them in front of you.

18 Once again I threw myself down in front of the LORD. I went without food and water for 40 days and 40 nights because of the sin you committed. You did what the LORD considered evil and made him furious.

Deuteronomy 9:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 9

In this chapter the Israelites are assured of the ejection of the Canaanites, though so great and mighty, to make room for them, De 9:1-3, and they are cautioned not to attribute this to their own righteousness, but to the wickedness of the nations which deserved to be so treated, and to the faithfulness of God in performing his promise made to their fathers, De 9:4-6, and that it might appear that it could not be owing to their righteousness, it is affirmed and proved that they had been a rebellious and provoking people from their coming out of Egypt to that time, as was evident from their idolatry at Horeb; a particular account of which is given, and of the displeasure of the Lord at it, De 9:7-21, and of their murmurings, with which they provoked the Lord at other places, De 9:22-24, and the chapter is closed with an account of the prayer of Moses for them at Horeb, to avert the wrath of God from them for their making and worshipping the golden calf, De 9:25-29.