Exodus 34:28
New International Version
Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

New Living Translation
Moses remained there on the mountain with the LORD forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the LORD wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
So he was there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

NASB 1995
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

NASB 1977
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Legacy Standard Bible
So he was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Amplified Bible
Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Christian Standard Bible
Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat food or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Moses was there with the LORD 40 days and 40 nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.

American Standard Version
And he was there with Jehovah 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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And LORD JEHOVAH said to Moshe, “Write for yourselves these statements, because I have established these words as a covenant with you and with all Israel.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses was there before the Lord forty days, and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water; and he wrote upon the tables these words of the covenant, the ten sayings.

Contemporary English Version
Moses stayed on the mountain with the LORD for 40 days and nights, without eating or drinking. And he wrote down the Ten Commandments, the most important part of God's agreement with his people.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights: he neither ate bread nor drank water, and he wrote upon the tables the ten words of the covenant.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses was there with the LORD 40 days and 40 nights without food or water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the promise, the ten commandments.

Good News Translation
Moses stayed there with the LORD forty days and nights, eating and drinking nothing. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant--the Ten Commandments.

International Standard Version
While Moses was there with the LORD for 40 days and 40 nights, he did not eat or drink. He wrote the Ten Commandments, the words of the covenant, on the tablets.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 words.

Literal Standard Version
And he is there with YHWH forty days and forty nights; he has not eaten bread, and he has not drunk water; and he writes on the tablets the matters of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

Majority Standard Bible
So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

New American Bible
So Moses was there with the LORD for forty days and forty nights, without eating any food or drinking any water, and he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.

NET Bible
So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

New Revised Standard Version
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.

New Heart English Bible
He was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water: and he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

World English Bible
He was there with Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Young's Literal Translation
And he is there with Jehovah forty days and forty nights; bread he hath not eaten, and water he hath not drunk; and he writeth on the tables the matters of the covenant -- the ten matters.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD Renews the Covenant
27The LORD also said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28So Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant— the Ten Commandments. 29And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was unaware that his face had become radiant from speaking with the LORD.…

Cross References
Matthew 4:2
After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.

Luke 4:2
where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.

Exodus 24:18
Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain, and he remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 31:18
When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.

Exodus 34:1
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out two stone tablets like the originals, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.

Exodus 34:10
And the LORD said, "Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will perform wonders that have never been done in any nation in all the world. All the people among whom you live will see the LORD's work, for it is an awesome thing that I am doing with you.

Deuteronomy 4:13
He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow--the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.


Treasury of Scripture

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote on the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

forty days

Exodus 24:18
And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

Deuteronomy 9:9,18,25
When I was gone up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode in the mount forty days and forty nights, I neither did eat bread nor drink water: …

he wrote

Exodus 34:1
And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

Exodus 31:18
And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Exodus 32:16
And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.

commandments.

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Ate Bread Commandments Covenant Drank Drink Drinking Eat Eating Food Forty Moses Nights Stones Tables Tablets Ten Time Water Words Writing Wrote
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Ate Bread Commandments Covenant Drank Drink Drinking Eat Eating Food Forty Moses Nights Stones Tables Tablets Ten Time Water Words Writing Wrote
Exodus 34
1. The tablets are replaced
5. The name of the Lord proclaimed
8. Moses entreats God to go with them
10. God makes a covenant with them, repeating certain duties
28. Moses after forty days on the mount, comes down with the tablets
29. His face is radiant, and he covers it with a veil














(28) He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.--As on his former ascent (Exodus 24:18). The long time is, at first sight, surprising, since there were now no instructions to be given. But we learn from Deuteronomy (Exodus 9:18-19) that it was required for an earnest and prolonged intercession by Moses on behalf of his nation, which ultimately prevailed with God, and induced Him to put away His "anger and hot displeasure."

He did neither eat bread, nor drink water.--A similar fast had been kept on the previous occasion (Deuteronomy 9:9), though it is not mentioned in Exodus. Fasts of this extraordinary duration are only recorded of Moses, of Elijah (1Kings 19:8), and of our Lord (Matthew 4:2). They are absolutely miraculous, and modern attempts to rival them are viewed by scientific men as deriving such apparent success as may have attended them from imposture. . . .

Verse 28. - He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. As on the former occasion (Exodus 24:18). The patience and faith of the people was tested by this second long delay. Happily, they stood the test; and on Moses' final descent from Sinai the Israelites were found expectant and obedient (vers. 30-32). He did neither eat bread nor drink water. This was so also on the former occasion (Deuteronomy 9:9), though it is not mentioned in Exodus. The near presence of God sustained the vital powers and made food unnecessary. Moses, Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and our Lord have alone accomplished a fast of this duration. Modern parodies are not held by scientific men to belong to the category of established facts. He wrote upon the tables. It has been argued from this expression that Moses wrote the words on the second tables; and it would be natural so to understand the passage, had nothing else been said on the subject. But in ver. 1 we are told that "God said, I will write upon these tables;" and the same is repeated in Deuteronomy 10:2. Moreover in Deuteronomy 10:4, it is distinctly declared "He" (i.e. God) "wrote on the tables according to the first writing." We must therefore regard "he" in this passage as meaning "the Lord," which is quite possible according to the Hebrew idiom.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So Moses was
וַֽיְהִי־ (way·hî-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

there
שָׁ֣ם (šām)
Adverb
Strong's 8033: There, then, thither

with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the LORD
יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

forty
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים (’ar·bā·‘îm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 705: Forty

days
יוֹם֙ (yō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

and forty
וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים (wə·’ar·bā·‘îm)
Conjunctive waw | Number - common plural
Strong's 705: Forty

nights
לַ֔יְלָה (lay·lāh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3915: A twist, night, adversity

without
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

eating
אָכַ֔ל (’ā·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

bread
לֶ֚חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

or drinking
שָׁתָ֑ה (šā·ṯāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

water.
וּמַ֖יִם (ū·ma·yim)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

[He wrote] on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the tablets
הַלֻּחֹ֗ת (hal·lu·ḥōṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3871: To glisten, a tablet, of stone, wood, metal

the words
הַדְּבָרִֽים׃ (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

of the covenant—
הַבְּרִ֔ית (hab·bə·rîṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285: A covenant

the Ten
עֲשֶׂ֖רֶת (‘ă·śe·reṯ)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6235: Ten

Commandments.
דִּבְרֵ֣י (diḇ·rê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause


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OT Law: Exodus 34:28 He was there with Yahweh forty days (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 34:27
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