Deuteronomy 9:25

So I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said He would destroy you.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites in the plains of Moab, recounting his response after witnessing their creation of the molten calf and hearing Yahweh declare imminent destruction. He describes positioning himself directly before God following the divine warning.

The words — The Hebrew verb אֶתְנַפַּל ('et.na.Pal, H5307) denotes a full prostration or falling down, combined with לִפְנֵי (li.f.Nei, H6440) to specify the physical act of standing before Yahweh.

The thread — This forty-day posture repeats the earlier intercession recorded in Deuteronomy 9:18, while the stated threat of destruction against the redeemed people directly precedes Moses’ plea in Deuteronomy 9:26.

Why it lands — The text establishes that sustained intercession operates within the boundary of a declared threat, requiring the reader to examine their own posture and endurance when facing divine warning.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וָֽאֶתְנַפַּ֞לva./'et.na.Paland/ I prostrated myself לִפְנֵ֣יli/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֗הYah.wehYahweh אֵ֣ת'et<obj.>אַרְבָּעִ֥ים'ar.ba.'Im[the] forty הַיּ֛וֹםhai./Yomthe/ day[s]וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>אַרְבָּעִ֥ים'ar.ba.'Im[the] forty הַלַּ֖יְלָהha./Lay.lahthe/ night[s]אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherwhich הִתְנַפָּ֑לְתִּיhit.na.Pal.tiI prostrated myself כִּֽי־ki-for אָמַ֥ר'a.Marhe had said יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahweh לְהַשְׁמִ֥ידle./hash.Midto/ destroy אֶתְכֶֽם׃'et./Khem<obj.>/ you

King James Version

Thus I fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the Lord had said he would destroy you.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 9:18 Then I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, as I had done the first time. I did not eat bread or drink water because of all the sin you had committed in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD and provoking Him to anger.
Deuteronomy 9:16 And I saw how you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you.