King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 9:15 Mean?

Deuteronomy 9:15 in the King James Version says “So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my ...” — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 9 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.”

Deuteronomy 9:15 · KJV

Context

13

Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

14

Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.

15

So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.

16

And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.

17

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

Read Deuteronomy 9 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands. Moses descends from divine glory into human tragedy, carrying God's perfect law to a people already in violation of it. The burning mountain represents God's consuming holiness pursuing the guilty people.

The visual contrast is striking - above, God's glory burns on the mountain; below, Israel's sin burns in their camp. Moses stands between the holy God and the guilty people, prefiguring Christ's mediatorial role. The stone tablets in his hands represent the broken covenant even before he shatters them physically.

That Moses turned from God's presence to face Israel's sin illustrates the mediator's necessary movement between parties. He cannot remain in uninterrupted communion with God while his people need representation and intervention.

The burning mountain provides dramatic backdrop to the unfolding crisis. God's holiness has not diminished; His standards remain absolute. The people's sin is magnified by proximity to divine revelation - they sin not in ignorance but in the very presence of God's manifest glory.

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Historical & Cultural Context

The burning mountain had been the site of God's covenant-making with Israel. There God descended in fire, spoke the Ten Commandments audibly, and summoned Moses to receive the written law. The continued burning testified to God's abiding presence and holiness.

Ancient Near Eastern covenant-making often involved fire and smoke symbolizing divine witness and judgment on covenant-breakers.

Reflection Questions

  1. How does Moses' position between God and the people illustrate Christ's mediatorial work?
  2. What does the burning mountain teach us about God's holiness and unapproachable glory?
  3. Why is sin more serious when committed in proximity to clear revelation of God's will?
  4. How should awareness of God's holy presence shape our behavior and worship?
  5. What does it cost faithful leaders to turn from God's presence to deal with people's sin?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 13 words
וָאֵ֗פֶן1 of 13

“So I turned”

H6437

to turn; by implication, to face, i.e., appear, look, etc

וָֽאֵרֵד֙2 of 13

“and came down”

H3381

to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau

מִן3 of 13
H4480

properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses

וְהָהָ֖ר4 of 13

“and the mount”

H2022

a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)

וְהָהָ֖ר5 of 13

“and the mount”

H2022

a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively)

בֹּעֵ֣ר6 of 13

“burned”

H1197

to be(-come) brutish

בָּאֵ֑שׁ7 of 13

“with fire”

H784

fire (literally or figuratively)

שְׁתֵּ֥י8 of 13

“and the two”

H8147

two; also (as ordinal) twofold

לוּחֹ֣ת9 of 13

“tables”

H3871

probably meaning to glisten; a tablet (as polished), of stone, wood or metal

הַבְּרִ֔ית10 of 13

“of the covenant”

H1285

a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)

עַ֖ל11 of 13
H5921

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

שְׁתֵּ֥י12 of 13

“and the two”

H8147

two; also (as ordinal) twofold

יָדָֽי׃13 of 13

“hands”

H3027

a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Deuteronomy 9:15 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Deuteronomy 9:15 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Exodus 19:18Deuteronomy 5:23Deuteronomy 4:11Exodus 9:23Exodus 32:14-35Hebrews 12:18

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