Forty
Forty keeps turning up in Scripture as a measure of waiting and of limits. Moses “was in the mount forty days and forty nights,” and Israel ate manna “forty years” until the borders of Canaan. Twice in Judges the story closes with “the land had rest forty years.” The law sets a limit of its own: “Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed,” so that a neighbour is not treated with contempt. Paul says he received “forty stripes save one” from the Jews. The verses don’t explain the number, so it is best read as it appears, one setting at a time. Exodus 34 is a quiet place to begin.
7 verses
Exodus
And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
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.
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.
Deuteronomy
Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
Judges
And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
2 Corinthians
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.