Deuteronomy 9:10
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What's easily missed here is the powerful double emphasis on the Law's divine origin. God didn't just speak the words from the fire; He personally engraved them with His own "finger," a metaphor highlighting both the miraculous nature and the supreme authority of His commands. This direct divine inscription signifies that this Law is uniquely God's work, intended to be enduring and sacred.
And the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the LORD had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is reminding the Israelites of their long history of rebellion, specifically recalling the golden calf incident that occurred shortly after God first gave them the Ten Commandments. He emphasizes that God miraculously inscribed these laws onto stone tablets with His own finger, underscoring their divine origin and authority, immediately after speaking them audibly from fire to the assembled nation at Mount Sinai. This sets the stage for Moses to express his astonishment that God hasn't utterly destroyed them, given their continuous disobedience even after receiving such clear divine revelation.
Ever wondered why God didn't just let Moses write down the Ten Commandments? There's a profound reason behind the 'finger of God.'
Deuteronomy 9:10 emphasizes that the Ten Commandments weren't just words spoken by God; they were inscribed by His very own 'finger.' This wasn't a casual act. It was a powerful declaration of the law's divine origin and absolute authority. Unlike human writing, which can be altered or lost, this inscription was meant to be permanent and undeniable. It points to the unshakeable truth and eternal nature of God's commands.
The scene of the Ten Commandments being given was dramatic – fire, smoke, and a massive crowd. What does this intense setting reveal about the covenant?
Deuteronomy 9:10 places the writing of the law within a specific, powerful context: 'out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.' This wasn't a quiet moment in a secluded room.
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Understand the original words
esh · Hebrew Noun
The manifestation of God's presence, judgment, and holiness. Fire often symbolizes the purifying and consuming nature of God’s glory and His presence among His people.
This passage directly parallels Deuteronomy 9:10 by stating that the Lord gave Moses the two tablets of stone, engraved with His own finger, describing the Ten Commandments.
Exodus 24:12This verse establishes the divine origin of the law, stating God's intention to give Moses stone tablets with His commands, which is the event being recalled in Deuteronomy 9:10.
Jeremiah 31:33This prophecy looks forward to a new covenant where God's law will be written on the hearts of His people, contrasting with the stone tablets of the old covenant mentioned in Deuteronomy 9:10.
2 Corinthians 3:3The Apostle Paul explicitly contrasts the old covenant, written on stone with the finger of God, with the new covenant written by the Spirit on the hearts of believers, directly referencing the event in Deuteronomy 9:10.
gillDeuteronomy 9:10: "And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly."
And the Lord delivered unto me two tables of stone, written with the finger of God,.... The letters were of his devising and forming, the writing was his, the engraving them on the stones was his own doing; and which was done to show its origin…
clarkeDeuteronomy 9:10: "And the LORD delivered unto me two tables of stone written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words, which the LORD spake with you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly."
Tables of stone - See the notes on Exodus 31:18 , Exodus 32:15 (note), and Exodus 32:16 .
What's easily missed here is the powerful double emphasis on the Law's divine origin. God didn't just speak the words from the fire; He personally engraved them with His own "finger," a metaphor highlighting both the miraculous nature and the supreme authority of His commands. This direct divine inscription signifies that this Law is uniquely God's work, intended to be enduring and sacred.
Moses is reminding the Israelites of their long history of rebellion, specifically recalling the golden calf incident that occurred shortly after God first gave them the Ten Commandments. He emphasizes that God miraculously inscribed these laws onto stone tablets with His own finger, underscoring their divine origin and authority, immediately after speaking them audibly from fire to the assembled nation at Mount Sinai. This sets the stage for Moses to express his astonishment that God hasn't utterly destroyed them, given their continuous disobedience even after receiving such clear divine revelation.
Moses is reminding the Israelites of their long history of rebellion, specifically recalling the golden calf incident that occurred shortly after God first gave them the Ten Commandments. He emphasizes that God miraculously inscribed these laws onto stone tablets with His own finger, underscoring their divine origin and authority, immediately after speaking them audibly from fire to the assembled nation at Mount Sinai. This sets the stage for Moses to express his astonishment that God hasn't utterly destroyed them, given their continuous disobedience even after receiving such clear divine revelation.
"And the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words that the LORD had spoken with you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly." — What's easily missed here is the powerful double emphasis on the Law's divine origin. God didn't just speak the words from the fire; He personally engraved them with His own "finger," a metaphor high…
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Last reviewed October 2026
