_A.M. 2513. B.C. 1491._ Here is, (1,) _ The sin of Israel and Aaron, particularly in making the golden calf, Exodus 32:1, and worshipping it, Exodus 32:5; Exodus 32:6._ (2,) _ The notice which God gave of this to Moses, who was now in the mount with him, Exodus 32:7; Exodus 32:8, and the sentence... [ Continue Reading ]
_The people_ That is, some of them, as it is explained 1 Corinthians 10:7. The defection, however, appears to have been very general, though we find several, particularly the sons of Levi, exempt from it, Exodus 32:26. _Saw that Moses delayed_ He had now been absent from them near forty days. For th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Break off the golden ear-rings_ These were probably some of the jewels which they had of the Egyptians. _From the ears of your sons_ Men wore these ornaments in the eastern countries as well as the women, Judges 8:24. Some suppose that when Aaron gave this direction he did it with a design to crush... [ Continue Reading ]
_The people brake off their ear-rings_ Whereby they showed both their madness upon their idols, and their base ingratitude to God, who had transferred these jewels from the Egyptians to them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_He made it a molten calf_ He melted it down, and, having a mould prepared, poured the melted gold into it, and then produced it in the shape of an _ox_ or _calf_ giving it some finishing strokes with a graving tool. “They made a calf,” says David, “in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image: they ch... [ Continue Reading ]
_Aaron built an altar_ Being borne down with the stream; _and proclaimed a feast_ Namely, of dedication; yet he calls it _a feast to Jehovah_ By which it is still more evident that the people did not intend to terminate their adoration in the image, but designed to worship the true God in and by thi... [ Continue Reading ]
_They rose up early_ To show their zeal they began betimes in the morning, and seem not to have stayed for Aaron; and _offered burnt- offerings_, &c. To this new-made image of Deity. _And the people sat down to eat and drink_ Of the remainder of what was sacrificed; and then _rose up to play_ To pla... [ Continue Reading ]
_They have turned aside quickly_ Quickly after the law was given them, and they had promised to obey it; quickly after God had done such great things for them, and declared his kind intentions to do greater.... [ Continue Reading ]
_A stiff-necked people_ Untractable, wilful, and stubborn; unapt to come under the yoke of the divine law, averse from all good, and prone to all evil, incorrigible by judgments, and obstinate to all the methods of cure.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let me alone_ What did Moses, or what could he do, to hinder God from consuming them? When God resolves to abandon a people, and the decree is gone forth, no intercession can prevent it. But God would thus express the greatness of his displeasure, after the manner of men, who would have none to int... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Moses besought the Lord his God_ If God would not be called the God of Israel, yet he hoped he might address him as his own God. Now Moses is standing in the gap to turn away the wrath of God, Psalms 106:23. He took the hint which God gave him when he said, _Let me alone_, which, though it seem... [ Continue Reading ]
_Turn from thy fierce wrath_ Not as if he thought God were not justly angry, but he begs that he would not be so greatly angry as to consume them. Let mercy rejoice against judgment; _repent of this evil_ Change the sentence of destruction into that of correction; _against thy people_ Which thou bro... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord repented of the evil_ Changed his sentence at the entreaty of Moses, who in this represented the Lord Christ, the great Mediator and Intercessor for all the sinful race. He was pleased not to inflict upon them that punishment which he threatened, (Exodus 32:10,) and so acted as men do when... [ Continue Reading ]
_On both their sides_ Thus it was effectually provided against a possibility of any one either taking from or adding to this law, to do either of which God expressly forbade his people, Deuteronomy 4:2. _The tables were the work of God_ Herein they differed from the second tables, which were the wor... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joshua said, There is a noise of war in the camp_ Joshua had waited upon the middle of the hill for Moses, and so neither knew what the people had done, nor heard what God had said to Moses.... [ Continue Reading ]
_He saw the calf and the dancing, and his anger waxed hot_ It is no breach of the law of meekness to show our displeasure at wickedness. Those are angry and sin not, that are angry at sin only. Moses showed himself angry, both by breaking the tables, and burning the calf, that he might, by these exp... [ Continue Reading ]
_He took the calf which they had made_ The people were evidently overawed by the presence of Moses, and therefore attempted no resistance while he took away their idol to destroy it. Here we see how much Moses excelled Aaron in courage and zeal for the glory of God, as also in authority among the pe... [ Continue Reading ]
_What did this people unto thee?_ He takes it for granted that it must needs be something more than ordinary that prevailed with Aaron to do such a thing. Did they overcome thee by importunity, and hadst thou so little resolution as to yield to popular clamour? Did they threaten to stone thee, and c... [ Continue Reading ]
_They said, Make us gods_ It is natural to us to endeavour thus to transfer our guilt. He likewise extenuates his own share in the sin, as if he had only bid them break off their gold, intending but to make a hasty essay for the present, and _childishly_ insinuates that when he cast the gold into th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Moses saw that the people were naked_ This is the most common and obvious meaning of the word פרע, _paruang_, here used, as many examples in the Old Testament show, and it is the sense which seems best to suit this place. They were stripped of their ornament and armour, not only of their jewels, bu... [ Continue Reading ]
_Moses stood in the gate of the camp_ The place of judgment; and said, _Who is on the Lord's side?_ Who abhors this idolatry, and adheres to the true worship of God? The Chaldee interprets it, _Who feareth the Lord; let him come to me_ Let him take God's part, and plead his cause against idolatry an... [ Continue Reading ]
_Thus saith the Lord God of Israel_ What Moses now did was not done merely in the heat of a pious zeal, but by a divine influence and direction; and therefore can be no warrant to others to imitate his example, who cannot pretend to the same authority, and who are placed in circumstances entirely di... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men_ Probably these were but few in comparison with the many that were guilty; but these were the men that headed the rebellion, and were therefore picked out to be made examples of, for terror to others.... [ Continue Reading ]
_O, this people have sinned a great sin_ God had first told him of it, (Exodus 32:7,) and now he tells God of it, by way of lamentation. He doth not call them God's people, he knew they were unworthy to be called so, but, _this people._ This treacherous, ungrateful people, they _have made them gods... [ Continue Reading ]
_If thou wilt forgive their sin if not_ If the decree be gone forth, and there is no remedy but they must be ruined; _blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written_ Termed _the book of the living, Psalms 69:28_; and alluded to Isaiah 4:3, where the prophet speaks of being _written am... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whosoever hath sinned, him will I blot out of my book_ The soul that sins shall die, and not the innocent for the guilty.... [ Continue Reading ]
_My angel shall go before thee_ Some created angel that was employed in the common services of his kingdom, which intimated that they were not to expect any thing for the future to be done for them out of the common road of providence. _When I visit_ Hereafter, when I shall see cause to punish them... [ Continue Reading ]