XXXII. THE IDOLATRY OF THE GOLDEN CALF. (1) WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW THAT MOSES DELAYED TO COME DOWN. — After seven Chapter s of directions, which belong to the Mosaic or Levitical Law, the writer here resumes his historical narrative. Leaving Moses still in the mount, he returns to the plain at its base... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AARON SAID... BREAK OFF THE GOLDEN EARRINGS. — It is a reasonable conjecture that Aaron thought to prevent the projected idolatry by this requirement. Not having the courage to meet the demand of the people with a direct negative, he may have aimed at diverting them from their purpose by requiri... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE PEOPLE BRAKE OFF THE GOLDEN EARRINGS. — Aaron had miscalculated the strength of the people’s fanaticism. Not the slightest resistance was offered to his requirement, not the slightest objection made. “_All_ the people,” with one accord, surrendered their earrings. Some measure is hereby affo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE RECEIVED THEM AT THEIR HAND, AND FASHIONED IT WITH A GRAVING TOOL. — Rather, _and he received it_ (_i.e.,_ the gold) _at their hand, and bound it in a bag._ So Gesenius, Rosenmüller, Fürst, Knobel, Kurtz, Maurer, Seröder, Cook, &c. “Fashioned it with a graving tool” is a possible rendering of... [ Continue Reading ]
AARON... BUILT AN ALTAR BEFORE IT. — Having once yielded to the popular cry. Aaron was carried on from one compliance to another. He caused the mould to be made for the idol, and the gold to be melted and run into it; and now he constructed, perhaps with his own hands, an altar of rough stones or tu... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ROSE UP EARLY. — Impatient to begin the new worship, the people rose with the dawn, and brought offerings, and offered sacrifice. Whether Aaron took part in these acts — which constituted the actual worship of the idol — is left doubtful. BURNT OFFERINGS, AND... PEACE OFFERINGS. — Sacrifices o... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD’S OFFER TO MOSES. (7) THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO, GET THEE DOWN. — Moses was, of course, wholly ignorant of all that had occurred in the camp. The thick cloud which covered the top of Sinai had prevented his seeing what occurred in the plain below (Exodus 24:18). The phrase, “Go, get thee dow... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE BE THY GODS. — Rather, _This is thy god,_ as in Exodus 32:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE. — This phrase, afterwards so common (Exodus 33:3; Exodus 33:5; Exodus 34:5; Deuteronomy 9:6; Deuteronomy 9:13; Deuteronomy 10:16; 2 Chronicles 30:8; 2 Chronicles 36:13;... [ Continue Reading ]
LET ME ALONE. — This was not a command to abstain from deprecation, but rather an intimation that deprecation might have power to change God’s purpose. Moses was tried by an offer which would have exalted him at the expense of the people. He was allowed to see that he might either sacrifice the peop... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES’ REPLY, AND GOD’S “REPENTANCE.” (11-13) Moses has three arguments: (1) God has done so much for His people, that surely He will not now make all of none effect (Exodus 32:11); (2) their destruction will give a triumph to the Egyptians (Exodus 32:12); (3) it will nullify the promises made to Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DESCENT OF MOSES FROM SINAI, AND THE SUPPRESSION OF THE IDOLATRY. (15) AND MOSES TURNED — _i.e._, “returned,” or “set out on his return,” apparently without making any communication to Joshua, who was waiting for him not far off (see Exodus 32:17). THE TWO TABLES... WERE IN HIS HAND. — In Deut... [ Continue Reading ]
THE TABLES WERE THE WORK OF GOD. — Rosenmüller supposes this to mean merely that the size and shape of the stones was prescribed to Moses by God; but the natural meaning of the words is that God Himself fashioned them. This was not the case with the second tables (Exodus 34:1; Exodus 34:4). THE WRI... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JOSHUA HEARD. — Joshua’s presence with Moses in the mount has not been indicated since Exodus 24:13. But it would seem that when Moses was summoned up into the cloud (Exodus 24:16) his faithful “minister” remained where he was, waiting for his master. He may have found shelter in some “cleft of... [ Continue Reading ]
SHOUT... CRY... SING. — The Hebrew verb is the same in all three clauses. Translate: _It is not the voice of them that cry for victory, nor is it the voice of them that cry for defeat; the voice of them that cry do I hear._ Moses’ sense of hearing conveys to him no positive result. We must remember... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DANCING. — Heb., _and dances._ What Moses saw was “_the_ calf” which had already been mentioned, and “dances” which had not been mentioned, but which were now going on after the usual fashion of idolatrous festivity. Such dancing among Oriental nations was uniformly of a lascivious character... [ Continue Reading ]
HE TOOK THE CALF. — To suppress the idolatry, the first step was to destroy the idol. Moses, who must have rallied to his side at once a certain number of the people, laid hold of the calf, and ordered its immediate destruction. He had it submitted to the action of fire, whereby its form was destroy... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES SAID UNTO AARON, WHAT DID THIS PEOPLE UNTO THEE ? — The second step was to inquire how the idolatry came about; and here Moses very reasonably addressed himself to Aaron. Aaron had been left in charge of the people (Exodus 24:14), to advise them, direct them, control them, if necessary. How ha... [ Continue Reading ]
(22-24) Aaron’s conduct was really without excuse; but he attempts two pleas — the first insufficient, the second false and fatuous. (1) The people compelled him; they were “set on mischief;” they made the proposal — they would have it so. (2) He threw the gold into the furnace, and “it came out a c... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN MOSES SAW THAT THE PEOPLE WERE NAKED. — Most modern commentators prefer to translate “that the people were licentious,” or “unruly.” But the rendering of the Authorised Version may be defended. In the lewd and excited dancing of idolatrous orgies, garments were frequently cast aside, and the pe... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN MOSES STOOD IN THE GATE OF THE CAMP. — The third and crowning step was now to be taken. Though the idol had been seized and its destruction commenced, though Aaron had been rebuked and put to shame, yet the revel continued. Once launched on an evil course, the bulk of the people persisted in it... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD. — Moses felt that he was divinely commissioned to perform this act of severity. The lives of all who had committed the idolatry were justly forfeit. Trial was unnecessary where the offence was being openly committed before the eyes of all. Such dancing and such shouting coul... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MOSES HAD SAID, CONSECRATE YOURSELVES. — Moses had explained to them that a brave behaviour under existing circumstances would be accepted as a “consecration,” and would win for the tribe a semi-priestly character. His announcement was made good when the Levites were appointed to the service of... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES’ INTERCESSION ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE. (30-35) When Moses had, on first hearing of God’s intention to destroy the people, interceded for them (Exodus 32:11), his prayers had received no direct answer — he had been left in doubt whether they were granted or no. Having now put an end to the offe... [ Continue Reading ]
MOSES RETURNED UNTO THE LORD — _i.e._, re-ascended Sinai, to the place where he had passed the forty days and nights. Gods of gold. — Rather, _a god of gold._ (Comp. Note 3 on Exodus 32:1.) The plural is one of dignity.... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU WILT FORGIVE THEIR SIN. — Supply after the word “sin,” “well and good,” “I am content,” or some such phrase. Similar instances of _aposiopesis_ will be found in Daniel 3:15; Luke 13:9; Luke 19:42; John 6:62; Romans 9:22. The usage is common among Orientals. BLOT ME, I PRAY THEE, OUT OF THY B... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSOEVER HATH SINNED AGAINST ME, HIM WILL I BLOT OUT. — Comp. Ezekiel 18:4 : “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” A mere man cannot take other men’s sins on him, cannot relieve them of the penalties attached to sin, the worst of which is the depravation of the soul itself. Sin persisted in blots... [ Continue Reading ]
LEAD THE PEOPLE UNTO THE PLACE OF WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN — _i.e.,_ continue their leader until Palestine is reached. (See Exodus 3:8; Exodus 3:17; Exodus 6:4, &c.) MINE ANGEL SHALL GO BEFORE THEE. — So far as the form of the expression goes, the promise is, as nearly as possible, a repetition of the or... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD PLAGUED THE PEOPLE. — We are not to understand by this (with Kalisch) that a pestilence was sent, but only that sufferings of various kinds befell those who had worshipped the calf, and were, in fact, punishments inflicted on them for that transgression.... [ Continue Reading ]