According to the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus spent "forty days" in the desert before beginning his public ministry (see Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2). Matthew's Gospel even specifies that it was "forty days and forty nights" (Matt 4:2).
Whether or not this period of Jesus' life was precisely forty days is theologically irrelevant, since the number "forty" is highly symbolic in all biblical literature, representing "a long time," especially as a time of trial or testing.
Consider the following examples:
Forty Days:
In the story of Noah and the Great Flood, it rains for "forty days and forty nights" (Gen 7:4, 12, 17; 8:6).
It takes a full forty days to embalm the body of Jacob, according to Egyptian practice (Gen 50:3).
Moses spends "forty days and forty nights" on Mount Sinai when receiving the Law from God (Exod 24:18; cf. Deut 9:9-25).
Moses spends another "forty days and forty nights" on the mountain, encountering God a second time (Exod 34:28; cf. Deut 10:10)
The Israelite spies scout out the Promised Land for forty days (Num 13:25, 34);
but due to their lack of faith, God requires the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years (see below).
The Philistine Goliath taunts the Israelite army for forty days before David fights him (1 Sam 17:16).
The prophet Elijah travels forty days and forty nights to Mount Horeb to encounter God (1 Kings 19:8).
The prophet Ezekiel lies on his right side for forty days to symbolize the sins of the people of Judah (Ezek 4:6).
The prophet Jonah preaches in the Assyrian capital, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4).
After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples for forty days, before ascending into heaven (Acts 1:3).
Forty Years:
In the days of Moses, the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, as mentioned in numerous biblical texts (Exod 16:35; Num 14:33-34; 32:13; Deut 2:7; 8:2-4; 29:5; Josh 5:6; Neh 9:21; Ps 95:10; Amos 2:10; 5:25; Acts 7:36, 42; 13:18; Heb 3:10, 17).
Several biblical figures are forty years old when they marry (Isaac in Gen 25:20; Esau in Gen 26:34), or when other life-changing events take place (Joshua in Josh 14:7).
After some Israelite spies scout out the Promised Land for forty days (see above), God requires the Israelites to wander in the desert for forty years, due to their lack of faith (Num 14:33-34).
Several of the "Judges" enable the land of Israel to have "rest" for forty years, including Othniel (Judg 3:11), Deborah (5:31), Gideon (8:28), and Eli (1 Sam 4:18).
When the Israelites sin, God lets their enemies dominate or harrass them for forty years (the Philistines in Judg 13:1).
Ezekiel prophesies that the Egyptians will also be punished for forty years (Ezek 29:11-13).
Several great kings reign over Israel for forty years, including David (2 Sam 5:4; 1 Kgs 2:11; 1 Chron 29:27), Solomon (1 Kgs 11:42; 2 Chron 9:30), Jehoash (2 Kgs 12:1; aka Joash, 2 Chron 24:1).
Forty years is an especially prominent time period in the Acts of the Apostles:
a man healed by Peter and John is said to be "more than forty years old" (Acts 4:22);
Moses was forty years old when he killed the Egyptian (7:23);
Moses' encounter with God in the burning bush takes place forty years later (7:30);
the Israelites spent forty years in the desert (7:36, 42; 13:18);
and King Saul supposedly ruled over Israel for forty years (13:21).
Counting the Forty Days of Lent:
Many Christians celebrate Lent as a period of preparation before Easter, with fasting, prayer, almsgiving, and penance.
Based on the above biblical foundations, it is traditionally thought to be 40 days long; yet there are actually 46 calendar days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.
So which of them is counted as the "forty days" of Lent? Several factors complicate the answer to this question.
Lent did not always begin on Ash Wednesday, but long ago began on a Sunday, six weeks before Easter.
According to contemporary liturgical understanding, Lent does not end on Holy Saturday, but already on the morning of Holy Thursday; the period from Holy Thursday evening to Holy Saturday is called the "Easter Triduum."
There actually are "forty days of penance," since Sundays are not penitential days, but Good Friday and Holy Saturday still are; thus, in popular understanding Sundays are considered "days in Lent" but not "days of Lent."
Since Lent began on March 1 in 1995 or 2006 or 2017, as it will do again in 2028 and 2090, these years were chosen in the following tables to make the various counting schemes a bit easier to follow:
Date
3/1
3/2
3/3
3/4
3/5
3/6
3/7
3/8
3/9
3/10
3/11
3/12
3/13
3/14
3/15
3/16
3/17
3/18
3/19
3/20
3/21
3/22
3/23
3/24
3/25
3/26
3/27
3/28
3/29
3/30
3/31
4/1
4/2
4/3
4/4
4/5
4/6
4/7
4/8
4/9
4/10
4/11
4/12
4/13
4/14
4/15
4/16
Week
Prep.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Holy Week
Day
Ash
Wed
Th
F
S
Sun
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Sun
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Sun
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Sun
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Sun
M
T
W
Th
F
S
Palm
Sun
M
T
W
Holy
Thurs
Good
Fri
Holy
Sat
Easter
Sunday
Opt. A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
[45]
[46]
.
Opt. B
.
.
.
.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
.
.
.
Opt. C
1
2
3
4
.
5
6
7
8
9
10
.
11
12
13
14
15
16
.
17
18
19
20
21
22
.
23
24
25
26
27
28
.
29
30
31
32
33
34
.
35
36
37
38
39
40
.
Which Is Correct?
Option C is the most common or popular understanding today, and it does accurately count forty days of "penance" (note that "fasting" is only required for Catholics on two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday);
but it does not match the current liturgical understanding that the Easter Triduum is not part of Lent;
so if you don't count the Sundays, there are technically only 38 "days of Lent" from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday.
Option B accurately reflects most of the first millennium of Christian history, when the Season of Lent only began on the First Sunday of Lent; four extra days were added some time between the 8th and 11th centuries.
Option A accurately reflects the current liturgical practice of the Roman Catholic Church, in which there are actually 44 days of Lent, followed by the Easter Triduum.
However, this should not stop us from singing Lenten hymns like "Forty Days and Forty Nights," if we remember that the symbolic value of "forty" is more important than its literal value.
Note: some other Christian churches and denominations have different practices: some beginning Lent earlier, and some later; and some consider the Triduum as part of Lent.
For a choice of online viewing options, here is the same table in Vertical Layout:
