The Meaning of Deuteronomy 9:21 Explained

Deuteronomy 9:21

KJV: And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

YLT: and your sin, which ye have made -- the calf -- I have taken, and I burn it with fire, and beat it, grinding well till that it is small as dust, and I cast its dust unto the brook which is going down out of the mount.

Darby: And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burned it with fire, and crushed it, and ground it very small, until it became fine dust; and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that flowed down from the mountain.

ASV: And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I took  your sin,  the calf  which ye had made,  and burnt  it with fire,  and stamped  it, [and] ground  [it] very small,  [even] until it was as small  as dust:  and I cast  the dust  thereof into the brook  that descended out  of the mount. 

What does Deuteronomy 9:21 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 9:21 mean?

And your sin which you had made - the calf I took and burned it with fire and crushed it [and] ground [it] very small until that it was as fine as dust and I threw its dust into the brook that descended from the mountain
וְֽאֶת־ חַטַּאתְכֶ֞ם אֲשֶׁר־ עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם אֶת־ הָעֵ֗גֶל לָקַחְתִּי֮ וָאֶשְׂרֹ֣ף אֹת֣וֹ ׀ בָּאֵשׁ֒ וָאֶכֹּ֨ת אֹת֤וֹ טָחוֹן֙ הֵיטֵ֔ב עַ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־ דַּ֖ק לְעָפָ֑ר וָֽאַשְׁלִךְ֙ עֲפָר֔וֹ אֶל־ הַנַּ֖חַל הַיֹּרֵ֥ד מִן־ הָהָֽר

חַטַּאתְכֶ֞ם  your  sin 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
עֲשִׂיתֶ֣ם  you  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעֵ֗גֶל  the  calf 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
לָקַחְתִּי֮  I  took 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
וָאֶשְׂרֹ֣ף  and  burned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
בָּאֵשׁ֒  with  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וָאֶכֹּ֨ת  and  crushed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּתַת  
Sense: to beat, crush by beating, crush to pieces, crush fine.
טָחוֹן֙  [and]  ground  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: טָחַן 
Sense: (Qal) to grind, crush.
הֵיטֵ֔ב  very  small 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
עַ֥ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דַּ֖ק  it  was  as  fine 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דַּק  
Sense: thin, small, fine, gaunt.
לְעָפָ֑ר  as  dust 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
וָֽאַשְׁלִךְ֙  and  I  threw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַךְ  
Sense: to throw, cast, hurl, fling.
עֲפָר֔וֹ  its  dust 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַנַּ֖חַל  the  brook 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
הַיֹּרֵ֥ד  that  descended 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הָהָֽר  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.

What are the major concepts related to Deuteronomy 9:21?

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