"Forty Days" ... literal?

[Jen Blackburn]

i'm not a huge Bible scholar. i read, and learn, but don't STUDY like i know a lot of you all do. i've just begun to notice a trend with the term "40 days" and sometimes "and 40 nights" attached.

in Genesis:

*chapters 7 & 8: the flood - rain for 40 days & 40 nights.
*chapter 50: 40 days was the required time for embalming when Joseph's father died.

in Exodus:

*chapters 24 & 34: two different times, Moses went to the mountain and fasted for 40 days & 40 nights.

in Numbers:

*chapter 13: men from the different tribes of Israel were sent to explore Canaan - they were gone for 40 days.

in Deuteronomy:

*chapters 9 & 10: talk again about Moses going to the mountain for 40 days & 40 nights.

in 1 Samuel:

*chapter 17: Goliath came and took his stand every morning and every evening for 40 days before David killed him.

in 1 Kings:

*chapter 19: Elijah traveled 40 days & 40 nights to reach Horeb.

in Jonah:

*chapter 3: Jonah declared that Ninevah had 40 days before destruction.

in the gospels, we know about Christ fasting in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights.

and then in Acts, we are told that Jesus appeared to his disciples over a period of 40 days.

so... is 40 days *literal* in all these circumstances? or is it a translation thing to represent a "long period of time"?

just a curious question from someone wanting to learn.


jen

[Scott Daniels]

It could be literal. But like you, my suspicion is that 40 becomes symbolic for a number that means "a long time - but not forever." If you've ever fasted anything for 40 days you know that 40 days seems like it will never end while you are in the midst of it, but eventually it is over.

Most scholars I have read would agree with this idea of 40.

[Jen Blackburn]

Thanks, Scott. I was hoping for an answer from a scholar like you :) I appreciate you taking the time to answer me.


Jen

[Billy Cox]

All this time, I thought that Rick Warren invented '40 days'. :)