So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that the "writing" of the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets wasn't Moses' work, but God's direct action. The forty days and nights without food or drink weren't just about Moses being absent, but a miraculous period of divine sustenance and intimate communion, preparing him for this sacred task.
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Moses shattered the first set of tablets due to the people's idolatry, he ascends the mountain a second time to intercede for them and receive a new set of commandments. This period of intense communion and divine sustenance lasts forty days and nights, during which God Himself inscribes the words of the covenant onto the stone tablets. Moses’s descent with these renewed divine laws marks a crucial moment of reconciliation and a fresh start for Israel's relationship with God.
Moses spent an astonishing forty days and nights on Mount Sinai, fasting completely. What sustained him through this intense period?
The Bible describes Moses being "with the LORD" for forty days and nights, a period of intense divine encounter. During this time, he neither ate nor drank, a feat made possible by God's miraculous power. This isn't just a physical fast; it's a testament to how deeply God's presence can sustain us.
Beyond Physical Needs
When we are fully immersed in God's will and His presence, our physical needs can become secondary. This wasn't about Moses' willpower, but about God's power actively sustaining him. It's a reminder that spiritual realities can transcend our natural limitations.
The Ten Commandments were etched onto stone tablets. Who was the true author, and what does this reveal about the covenant's weight?
While the text says Moses "wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant," the context strongly indicates that it was God Himself who did the writing. This is a crucial detail for understanding the authority of the Ten Commandments and the covenant they represent.
God's Own Hand
Scholarly consensus, based on cross-references within Exodus and Deuteronomy, points to God as the author. He said, "I will write..." (Exodus 34:1) and later, it's stated, "He wrote on the tables... according to the first writing" (Deuteronomy 10:2, 4). This means the very words of God's law were inscribed by His divine power, not merely transcribed by Moses.
Ask a follow-up
The covenant wasn't just a human agreement; it was a divine decree, established and authenticated by God Himself. The act of God writing underscores its eternal significance and His direct involvement in His people's lives.
Understand the original words
dabar (lit. "ten words") · Hebrew Noun
The moral and ceremonial laws given by God to Israel at Sinai. They serve as the foundation of the covenant, setting forth the requirements for holiness and the standards of life in relationship with God.
This passage directly parallels Moses' forty days and nights on the mountain without food or water, specifically linking this extended time to his intercession for Israel after the golden calf incident, mirroring the event in Exodus 34.
1 Kings 19:8Like Moses, Elijah also experienced a miraculous forty-day journey sustained by God's power without food or water, highlighting how God can empower His servants for extraordinary feats when in His presence.
Matthew 4:2Jesus fasted for forty days and nights, demonstrating a pattern seen in both Moses and Elijah where prolonged periods of intense spiritual focus and divine encounter are marked by abstaining from physical sustenance.
Exodus 24:18This verse establishes the precedent for Moses spending forty days and nights with the Lord on Mount Sinai, showing that the subsequent event in Exodus 34 was a repetition of a profound, divinely sustained encounter.
Deuteronomy 10:2This passage clarifies that it was God, not Moses, who wrote the Ten Commandments on the second set of stone tablets, providing crucial context to the action described in Exodus 34:28.
jfbExodus 34:28: "And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."
- he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights—as long as formerly [Ex 24:18], being sustained for the execution of his special duties by the miraculous power of God. A special cause is assigned for his protracted fast on this second occasion (De 9:18).
gillExodus 34:28: "And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights,.... These were other forty days and nights, besides those he had been with the Lord, when he came down and broke the two tables in his hand, on sight of the idolatry of the people; yea, not only the Jewish writers think that he was on the mou…
This verse highlights that the "writing" of the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets wasn't Moses' work, but God's direct action. The forty days and nights without food or drink weren't just about Moses being absent, but a miraculous period of divine sustenance and intimate communion, preparing him for this sacred task.
After Moses shattered the first set of tablets due to the people's idolatry, he ascends the mountain a second time to intercede for them and receive a new set of commandments. This period of intense communion and divine sustenance lasts forty days and nights, during which God Himself inscribes the words of the covenant onto the stone tablets. Moses’s descent with these renewed divine laws marks a crucial moment of reconciliation and a fresh start for Israel's relationship with God.
After Moses shattered the first set of tablets due to the people's idolatry, he ascends the mountain a second time to intercede for them and receive a new set of commandments. This period of intense communion and divine sustenance lasts forty days and nights, during which God Himself inscribes the words of the covenant onto the stone tablets. Moses’s descent with these renewed divine laws marks a crucial moment of reconciliation and a fresh start for Israel's relationship with God.
"So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments." — This verse highlights that the "writing" of the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets wasn't Moses' work, but God's direct action. The forty days and nights without food or drink weren't just about M…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026