1The people in the absence of Moses cause Aaron to make a calf. 7God is angered thereby. 11At the entreaty of Moses he is appeased. 15Moses cometh down with the tables: 19he breaketh them: 20he destroyeth the calf. 21Aaron's excuse for himself. 25Moses causeth the idolaters to be slain. 30He prayeth for the people. 33God's answer.
1AND when 1the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together 2unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, makea us 3gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wotb not what is become of him.
1 Understand this of some among the people; for, they are not here to be counted among them who later have killed the idolaters by the command of Moses, verse 26. See 1 Cor. 10:7.
2 Other, against.
a Acts 7:40.
3 That is, a visible sign or image of the invisible God, as verse 4.
b know*
2And Aaron said unto them, 4Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
4 It is probable Aaron did perceive that the Israelites would rather be without the golden calf, than to deliver up their precious jewels in this manner; but he was much deceived in his opinion.
3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned 5it with 6a graving tool, after 7he had made it a molten 8calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
5 Namely, the calf.
6 Or, pen to engrave; as Isa. 8:1. The meaning seems to be, that Aaron first projected or drew the figure and shape of a calf, by a pen, or pencil, or graver upon some other matter, to hold it forth unto the people and to ask them how they liked it.
7 Hebr. he made it a calf of founding.
8 Or, ox. The idol Apis is worshipped by the Egyptians in the shape of an ox or a calf. This it seems the Israelites here have imitated.
5And when Aaron 9saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the 10LORD.
9 Namely, that the people was ready to yield Divine worship to the calf.
10 Aaron here makes use of the Name of the true God, as intending to serve Him by this calf; and yet all was idolatry.
6And they rose up early on the morrow, and 11offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and thec people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up 12to play.
11 Namely, to the altar; that is, they offered and sacrificed to the calf.
c 1 Cor. 10:7.
12 See verse 19.
7¶And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for 13thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, 14haved corrupted themselves:
13 God disdains to call the Israelites His people anymore, having made themselves a calf for their god.
14 Other, has corrupted itself; that is, they have by their idolatry undone and brought destruction upon themselves.
d Deut. 32:5.
8They have turned aside 15quickly out of the way which I commanded them: 16they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and 17have sacrificed thereunto, and said, Theseebe thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
15 Namely, immediately after the covenant made with them; Exodus 19; 24.
16 Aaron made it, or caused it to be made, verse 4, at the instance or at the command of the people, verse 1.
17 Namely, to the calf, and not to Me, whatever they pretend to the contrary, as if they did it to the Lord, verse 5.
e 1 Kings 12:28.
9And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, itfis 18a stiffnecked people:
f Exod. 33:3; Deut. 9:6, 13; Isa. 48:4; Jer. 5:3; Hosea 4:16.
18 That is, willful, obstinate, unruly, that will not bow nor bend his neck to the laws and will of the Lord. It is a comparison taken from such beasts, as use to stretch forth or keep up their necks so stiff that they will not bend nor bow to him that would place the yoke upon them, or rule and govern them with bit or bridle. See Deut. 10:16; Prov. 29:1; Acts 7:51.
10Now therefore 19let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
19 And hinder Me not by thy intercession; for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much with God, James 5:16.
11And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, whichg thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
g Psalm 106:21.
12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For 20mischiefh did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face 21of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and 22repent of this evil against thy people.
20 That is, with a subtle and ill intent. Other, for evil, that is, to their ruin and destruction.
h Num. 14:13, etc.
21 That is, from remaining any longer upon the earth.
22 Moses prays here that God would repent, that is, that He would not let the evil, that is, the punishment which they had deserved, and He threatened to light upon them. See Gen. 6:6.
1323Rememberi Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest 24by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed 25as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have 26spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
23 That is, remember the promise which Thou hast made to Abraham, etc.
i Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 26:4; 28:13; Deut. 34:4.
24God having none greater to swear by, He sweareth by Himself; Heb. 6:13, 17.
25 See Gen. 15:5.
26 That is, have promised.
1427And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
27 That is, He did not destroy the people according as He had threatened, but contented Himself with the slaying of only three thousand.
15¶And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables 28of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; 29on the one side and on the other were they written.
28 That is, of the law of God.
29 Hebr. written from hence and from thence.
16And thej tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
j Exod. 31:18; Deut. 9:10.
17And when 30Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
30 Who remained upon the mount with Moses, Exod. 24:13.
18And 31he said, 32It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
31 Namely, Moses.
32 Hebr. it is no voice of the crying of strength, and it is no voice of the crying of weakness.
19¶And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and 33the dancing:k and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and 34brake them beneath the mount.
33 Understand such a dance, whereat there was piping and sporting, according to the manner of the heathen.
k Deut. 9:17.
34 Namely, before the people’s eyes, Deut. 9:17.
20And hel took the calf which they had made, and 35burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawedmit upon the water, and 36made the children of Israel drink of it.
l Deut. 9:21.
35 That is, he melted the calf, and reduced it into a lump again.
m strewed, scattered*
36 That thereby they might learn to understand the vanity of such gods that could be swallowed up thus, as also to bring the Israelites to mind that they had deserved to drink up the curse and wrath of God. See Num. 5:18.
21And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
22And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, thatn they are set on mischief.
n 1 John 5:19.
23For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
24And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they 37gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, 38and there came out this calf.
37 Other, and they gave it me.
38 Aaron confesses not his own sin so uprightly and plainly as he had done the people’s transgression; he speaks of the calf here as if it had been made and produced rather by accident, than by his design and will; but verse 4 the matter is described far otherwise. See Deut. 9:20. Aaron’s excuse here is much like to Adam’s, Genesis 3.
25¶And when Moses saw that the people were 39naked; (for 40Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)
39 Not so much of their ornaments, as of God’s protection, being now as so many naked and disarmed men, who might easily in that case be surprised and destroyed by their enemies. Compare this with Gen. 3:10; Rev. 3:18, and 16:15.
40 This making and exposing the people bare is thus ascribed unto Aaron, for he not only gave his consent to the wicked desire of the people, but likewise furthered and advanced it.
26Then Moses stood 41in the gate of the camp, and said, 42Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And 43all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
41 The camp was surrounded with a trench, or palisade, or some such way, and had its gates here and there. The gates were also the places of judicature, as Gen. 34:20; Deut. 17:5; Ruth 4:1, 11.
42 Or, who is the Lord’s, unto me. Moses, speaking in zeal and haste, has left out words of circumstance. See similar in Gen. 13:9; 23:13, etc.
43 That is, almost all, for some had likewise defiled themselves with this idolatry, even Aaron himself. See verse 29, and Deut. 9:20; 33:9. Other: and they which gathered themselves unto him were all children of Levi, who, having stayed at home and remained in their tents, committed no idolatry in worshipping the calf.
27And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD 44God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man 45his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
44 Namely, the true God of Israel, not the calf, whereof they said, verse 4: These be thy gods, O Israel.
45 That is, the first who ill-treats him; spare no one, though he was your brother.
28And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and 46there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
46 Namely, by the edge of the sword.
2947For Moses had said, 48Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that 49he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
47 Here is shown what it was that made the Levites so stout and so undaunted that they spared not their next and very friends; namely, because they had understood by Moses that they would do God an acceptable service, and that thereby they would acquire and receive a special blessing at God’s hands.
48 That is, hallow or consecrate today unto the Lord; that is to say, perform this holy service unto Him. See Lev. 7:37. God witnesses here that the executing of justice and punishment upon evil doers, is as acceptable to Him as sacrifice. See 1 Sam. 15:18, 22. This action of the Levites Moses repeats, Deut. 33:9.
49 Namely, God the Lord.
30¶And it came to pass 50on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
50 Namely, after the slaying of these three thousand men.
3151And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them 52gods of gold.
51 Moses stayed again forty days upon the mount, without food, praying for the people to the Lord, Deut. 9:18.
52 Other, a god of gold, that is, the golden calf.
32Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—;53 and if not, 54blot me, I pray thee, out of 55thy book which thou hast written.
53 Understand, then it is well. Compare this abrupt manner of speaking with Luke 13:9.
54 Being once chosen by God unto eternal life, there is no casting out again. But Moses shows by these words his inward zeal for the glory of God, and his great love to the people of Israel. Compare herewith the zeal of Paul, Rom. 9:3.
55 This is otherwise called the Book of Life, being that therein is recorded all those whom God has ordained for eternal life, Psalm 69:28; Philip. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 20:12; 21:27; and, yet this is spoken of God after the manner of men, for, by this Book there is nothing else to be understood, but His eternal counsel, and unalterable decree of election.
33And the LORD said unto Moses, 56Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
56 Understand hereby: if so be that any one might be blotted out thence. Other, him I shall, or, will blot out.
34Therefore now go, lead the people 57unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, 58mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will 59visit 60their sin upon them.
57 Namely, towards the land of Canaan.
58 Thus God threatens in His wrath to give this people over to Moses, and to an angel; whereof see further Exod. 33 on verse 2.
59 See Gen. 21:1.
60 Especially this sin of idolatry committed with the golden calf.
35And the LORD 61plagued the people, 62because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
61 Other, smote; namely, by the sword of the Levites, verse 28.
62 That is, for that they had solicited and pressed Aaron thus to make them this calf. That which one does by another, is all one as if he did it himself; though in the mean time, he be not guiltless that suffers himself to be made by an instrument.