Deuteronomy 9:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is believed that the fetus within the mother's womb does not take on a human likeness and assume the form of our body until the completion of forty days. This understanding illuminates why the esteemed figure of Moses, upon rejuvenating and transforming Israel from the bondage of Egypt into a life aligned with divine law, engaged in a fast from food and drink. For it is recorded that "Forty days and forty nights he did not eat bread or drink water” (Deuteronomy 9:18). Likewise, we ought to consider that Christ underwent a similar experience. Through His fasting, our nature was restored for holiness, which initially became tainted with sin and iniquity due to unchecked desire in the original human. This interpretation carries a degree of plausibility.