Tafsiran Ulangan 9:19: Chizkuni, Ibn Ezra, Ramban & Rashbam

גם בפעם ההיא, “also on that occasion.” He had already prayed for them at the sea of reeds, (Exodus 14,15) at Marah (15,25) and at Massah.(Exodus 17,4)

that time as well Moshe had previously prayed for them 1) At the Reed Sea (this is evident from “Why are you crying out to me?” [Exodus 14: 15]) 2) “He prayed to God and God showed him a tree” [Exodus 15: 25]

FOR I WAS IN DREAD OF THE ANGER. He is stating that because of the anger and the fury wherewith the Eternal was angry with you at first [that He wanted] to destroy you, I stood in awe even now, for there was still [enough] of that great anger upon you to destroy you, even though G-d had already repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.¹³⁴Ibid., Verse 14. The word “repented” here is an anthropomorphism (Ibn Ezra). Therefore I returned and threw myself down [in prayer] in your behalf for forty days and forty nights until He hearkened unto me that time also¹⁴¹In Verse 19 before us. just as He hearkened the first time before I descended [from the mountain]. For Aaron, also, I prayed at that time when I returned there [to the mountain] because, until he had cleansed [the camp of] the calf, [Moses’ main] concern was but to turn back His wrath, lest He should destroy¹⁴²Psalms 106:23. the [whole] people in a moment, [and hence he did not pray especially for Aaron until he returned to the mountain].