King James Version
What Does Deuteronomy 9:17 Mean?
“And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.”
Context
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.
18
And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
19
For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(17) **I . . . brake them before your eyes.**—This shows that the act was deliberate on Moses’ part. He did not simply drop the tables in his passion before they reached the camp; he deliberately broke the material covenant in the face of the people, who had broken the covenant itself. When we remember the effect of hastily touching *not the tables of the Law themselves, but the mere chest that contained them, *in after-times, we may well believe that the breaking of these two tables was an act necessary for the safety of Israel. In Exodus 33:7, we read that Moses placed the temporary tabernacle outside the camp at the same time. The two actions seem to have had the same significance, and to have been done for the same reason.
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
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 9:17 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.