The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:18 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:18

KJV: 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.

YLT: and I throw myself before Jehovah, as at first, forty days and forty nights; bread I have not eaten, and water I have not drunk, because of all your sins which ye have sinned, by doing the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to make Him angry.

Darby: And I fell down before Jehovah, as at the first, forty days and forty nights, I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all your sin which ye had sinned, in doing what is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.

ASV: And I fell down before Jehovah, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink water; because of all your sin which ye sinned, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 9:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 9:15-29 - Moses' Intercession For A Rebellious People
During the remainder of this chapter Moses continues to remind the people of their rebellions. It is well, when we are tempted to self-adulation, to listen to that faithful monitor, conscience, recording our evil past. We are apt to forget our many provocations of God, especially when the smart of the rod is over. But we have all had our Horebs, Taberahs, Marahs, Kibroth-hataavahs and Kadesh-barneas, 1 Corinthians 10:11.
Again and again would the people have been destroyed, if human justice had decided their case. But Moses, the mediator, knew the holy love of God's heart; and expressed it in his prayers on their behalf. See Deuteronomy 9:18; Deuteronomy 9:20; Deuteronomy 9:25-29. We are reminded of Him who ever liveth to make intercession for us within the veil, Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:26-27; Hebrews 9:24. Let us imitate Moses in his life of intercessions; and mark well his arguments that we may use them for ourselves and others. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 9

1  Moses dissuades them from the opinion of their own righteousness
7  Moses reminds them of the golden calf

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 9:18 mean?

And I fell down before Yahweh as at the first forty days and forty nights bread neither I ate and water nor drank because of all your sin which you committed in doing wickedly in the sight of Yahweh to provoke Him to anger
וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל֩ לִפְנֵ֨י יְהוָ֜ה כָּרִאשֹׁנָ֗ה אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יוֹם֙ וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים לַ֔יְלָה לֶ֚חֶם לֹ֣א אָכַ֔לְתִּי וּמַ֖יִם לֹ֣א שָׁתִ֑יתִי עַ֤ל כָּל־ חַטַּאתְכֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חֲטָאתֶ֔ם לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ

וָֽאֶתְנַפַּל֩  And  I  fell  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
לִפְנֵ֨י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כָּרִאשֹׁנָ֗ה  as  at  the  first 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
אַרְבָּעִ֥ים  forty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
יוֹם֙  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְאַרְבָּעִ֣ים  and  forty 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, common plural
Root: אַרְבָּעִים  
Sense: forty.
לַ֔יְלָה  nights 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
לֶ֚חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
לֹ֣א  neither 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָכַ֔לְתִּי  I  ate 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וּמַ֖יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
לֹ֣א  nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
שָׁתִ֑יתִי  drank 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.
עַ֤ל  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כָּל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
חַטַּאתְכֶם֙  your  sin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
חֲטָאתֶ֔ם  you  committed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת  in  doing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הָרַ֛ע  wickedly 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
בְּעֵינֵ֥י  in  the  sight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ  to  provoke  Him  to  anger 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּעַס  
Sense: to be angry, be vexed, be indignant, be wroth, be grieved, provoke to anger and wrath.