or just maybe because 40 days seems about right
And the Jews who refused to follow Moses into the Promised Land were force by God to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
Actually in Hebrew scripture 40 represents “a long time” with no specific time period.
Bump
Forty days were required for embalming, as noted in Gen. 50:3 concerning Joseph’s father.
40 lashes was the maximum number, beyond which a person might not be able to endure. 39 were often given in Jesus’ time, ostensibly to be sure not to kill the one being punished. Paul received 39 lashes five times from the Jews (2 Cor 11:24).
“I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights; and I will blot out from the face of the land every living thing that I have made.” (Gen 7:4)
Moses had been on the mountain forty days and forty nights, not drinking water or eating bread, as he brought down God’s Commandments (Gen. 24:18).
The spies returned after forty days to spy out the land of Canaan, according to the Lord’s and Moses’ order (Num. 13:25).
If it went to 40, all those who had escaped Egypt had died, as with the years in the wilderness, it established a new foundation, as all the previous generation had been destroyed. (Gen. 32:13) Testing their hearts (Deut. 8:2)
Noah opened the ark after forty days (Gen. 8:6)
David reigned for forty years (2 Sam. 5:4). 2 Chron. 9:30 relates that his son Solomon also reigned 40 years.
Jesus was in the wilderness 40 day and nights, being tempted by the devil.
Jesus was dead for not yet 40 hours when he had arisen from the tomb by sunrise. (3pm - midnight = +9 hours; Saturday = +24 hours; sunrise ~6 am = +6 more hours = 39) Death could not hold Him. (Acts 2:24)