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Exodus Chapter
Thirty-two
New King James Version
(NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO
EXODUS 32
This chapter gives an
account of the idolatry of the Israelites making and worshipping a golden calf
Exodus 32:1 the
information of it God gave to Moses
bidding him at the same time not to make
any suit in their favour
that he might consume them
and make a large nation
out Moses's family
Exodus 32:7 the
intercession of Moses for them
in which he succeeded
Exodus 32:11 his
descent from the mount with the two tables in his hands
accompanied by Joshua
when he was an eyewitness of their idolatry
which raised his indignation
that
he cast the two tables out of his hands and broke them
took the calf and burnt
it
and ground it to powder
and made the children of Israel drink of it
Exodus 32:15 the
examination of Aaron about the fact
who excused himself
Exodus 32:21 the
orders given to the Levites
who joined themselves to Moses
to slay every man
his brother
which they did to the number of 3000 men
Exodus 32:25
another intercession for them by Moses
which gained a respite of them for a
time
for they are threatened to be visited still for their sin
and they were
plagued for it
Exodus 32:30.
Exodus 32:1 Now when the
people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain
the people
gathered together to Aaron
and said to him
“Come
make us gods that shall go
before us; for as for this Moses
the man who brought us up out of the
land of Egypt
we do not know what has become of him.”
YLT 1And the people see that Moses is delaying to
come down from the mount
and the people assemble against Aaron
and say unto
him
`Rise
make for us gods who go before us
for this Moses -- the man who
brought us up out of the land of Egypt -- we have not known what hath happened
to him.'
And when the
people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount
.... The time
according to the Targum of Jonathan
being elapsed
which he had fixed for his
descent
and through a misreckoning
as Jarchi suggests; they taking the day of
his going up to be one of the forty days
at the end of which he was to return
whereas he meant forty complete days; but it is not probable that Moses knew
himself how long he should stay
and much less that he acquainted them before
hand of it; but he staying longer than they supposed he would
they grew uneasy
and impatient
and wanted to set out in their journey to Canaan
and to have
some symbol and representation of deity to go before them:
the people
gathered themselves together unto Aaron; who with Hur was left to
judge them in the absence of Moses: it was very likely that they had had
conferences with him before upon this head
but now they got together in a
tumultuous manner
and determined to carry their point against all that he
should say to the contrary:
and said unto
him
up; put us off no longer
make no more delay
but arise at once
and
set about what has been once and again advised to and importuned:
make us gods
which shall go before us; not that they were so very stupid to think
that anything that
could be made with hands was really God
or even could have life and breath
and the power of self-motion
or of walking before them; but that something
should be made as a symbol and representation of the divine Being
carried
before them; for as for the cloud which had hitherto gone before them
from
their coming out of Egypt
that had not moved from its place for forty days or
more
and seemed to them to be fixed on the mount
and would not depart from
it; and therefore they wanted something in the room of it as a token of the
divine Presence with them:
for as for
this Moses; of whom they speak with great contempt
though he had been the
deliverer of them
and had wrought so many miracles in their favour
and had
been the instrument of so much good unto them:
the man that
brought us up out of the land of Egypt; this they own
but do
not seem to be very thankful for it:
we wot not what
is become of him; they could scarcely believe that he was alive
that it was
possible to live so long a time without eating and drinking; or they supposed
he was burnt on the mount of flaming fire from before the Lord
as the Targum
of Jonathan expresses it.
Exodus 32:2 2 And Aaron said to them
“Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives
your
sons
and your daughters
and bring them to me.”
YLT 2And Aaron saith unto them
`Break off the
rings of gold which [are] in the ears of your wives
your sons
and your
daughters
and bring in unto me;'
And Aaron said
unto them
.... Perceiving that they were not to be dissuaded from their
evil counsel
and diverted from their purpose
but were determined at all
events to have an image made to represent God unto them in a visible manner:
break off the
golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives
of your sons
and of your
daughters; these were some of the jewels in gold they had borrowed of the
Egyptians; and it seems that
in those times and countries
men
as well as
women
used to wear earrings
and so PlinyF23Nat. Hist. l. 11. c.
37. says
in the eastern countries men used to wear gold in their ears; and
this may be confirmed from the instance of the Ishmaelites and Midianites
Judges 8:24. Aaron
did not ask the men for theirs
but for those of their wives and children; it
may be
because he might suppose they were more fond of them
and would not so
easily part with them
hoping by this means to have put them off of their
design:
and bring them
unto me; to make a god of
as they desired
that is
the representation
of one.
Exodus 32:3 3 So all the people broke
off the golden earrings which were in their ears
and brought them
to Aaron.
YLT 3and all the people themselves break off the
rings of gold which [are] in their ears
and bring in unto Aaron
And all the
people brake off the golden earrings
which were in their ears
.... The men
took off their earrings
and persuaded their wives and children
or obliged
them to part with theirs; though the Targum of Jonathan says the women refused
to give their ornaments to their husbands
therefore all the people immediately
broke off all the golden ornaments which were in their earsF24So
Pirke Eliezer
c. 45.
so intent were they upon idolatry. This is to be
understood not of every individual
but of the greatest part of the people; so
apostle explains it of some of them
1 Corinthians 10:7.
Idolaters spare no cost nor pains to support their worship
and will strip
themselves
their wives
and children
of their ornaments
to deck their idols;
which may shame the worshippers of the true God
who are oftentimes too
backward to contribute towards the maintenance of his worship and service:
and brought them
unto Aaron: presently
the selfsame day; they soon forgot the commands
enjoined them to have no other gods
save one
and to make no graven image to
bow down to it
and their own words
Exodus 24:7.
Exodus 32:4 4 And he received the
gold from their hand
and he fashioned it with an engraving tool
and made
a molded calf. Then they said
“This is your god
O Israel
that brought
you out of the land of Egypt!”
YLT 4and he receiveth from their hand
and doth
fashion it with a graving tool
and doth make it a molten calf
and they say
`These thy gods
O Israel
who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'
And he received
them at their hand
.... For the use they delivered them to him:
and fashioned
it with a graving tool
after he had made it a molten calf; that is
after he had melted the gold
and cast it into a mould
which gave it the
figure of a calf
and with his tool wrought it into a more agreeable form
he
took off the roughness of it
and polished it; or if it was in imitation of the
Egyptian Apis or Osiris
he might with his graving tool engrave such marks and
figures as were upon that; to cause the greater resemblance
so SeldenF25De
Diis Syris Syntagm. 1. c. 4. p. 138. thinks; see Gill on Jeremiah 46:20 or
else the sense may be
that he drew the figure of a calf with his tool
or made
it in "a mould"F26ויצר אתו בחרט "formavit illud
modulo"
Piscator; so some in Ben Melech
and in Vatablus; and so the
Vulgate Latin
"formant opere fusorio"; see Fagius in loc.
into
which he poured in the melted gold:
and made it a
molten calf; the Targum of Jonathan gives another sense of the former clause
"he bound it up in a napkin"; in a linen cloth or bag
i.e. the gold
of the ear rings
and then put it into the melting pot
and so cast it into a
mould
and made a calf of it. Jarchi takes notice of this sense
and it is
espoused by BochartF1Hierozoic. p. 1. l. 2. c. 39. col. 334
335.
who produces two passages of Scripture for the confirmation of it
Judges 8:24 and
illustrates it by Isaiah 46:6. What
inclined Aaron to make it in the form of a calf
is not easy to say; whether in
imitation of the cherubim
one of the faces of which was that of an ox
as
Moncaeus thought; or whether in imitation of the Osiris of the Egyptians
who
was worshipped in a living ox
and sometimes in the image of one
even a golden
one. Plutarch is express for it
and saysF2De Isid. & Osir.
that the ox was an image of Osiris
and that it was a golden one; and so says
Philo the JewF3De Vita Mosis
l. 3. p. 677.
the Israelites
emulous of Egyptian figments
made a golden ox; or whether he did this to make
them ashamed of their idolatry
thinking they would never be guilty of
worshipping the form of an ox eating grass
or because an ox was an emblem of
power and majesty:
and they said
these be thy gods
O Israel
which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt; they own they were
brought up out of that land by the divine
Being; and they could not be so stupid as to believe
that this calf
which was
only a mass of gold
figured and decorated
was inanimate
had no life nor
breath
and was just made
after their coming out of Egypt
was what brought
them from hence; but that this was a representation of God
who had done this
for them; yet some Jewish writers are so foolish as to suppose
that through
art it had the breath of life in it
and came out of the mould a living calf
Satan
or Samael
entering into it
and lowed in itF4Pirke Eliezer
c. 45. .
Exodus 32:5 5 So when Aaron saw it
he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said
“Tomorrow is
a feast to the Lord.”
YLT 5And Aaron seeth
and buildeth an altar before
it
and Aaron calleth
and saith
`A festival to Jehovah -- to-morrow;'
And when Aaron
saw it
.... In what form it was
and what a figure it made
and how
acceptable it was to the Israelites. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
paraphrase it
"and Aaron saw Hur slain before him;'for reproving them for
their idolatry
as the MidrashF5So Pirke Eliezer
c. 45.
quoted by
Jarchi
says: and Aaron fearing they would take away his life if he opposed
them:
he built an
altar before it; that sacrifice might be offered on it to it:
and Aaron made
proclamation
and said
tomorrow is a feast to the Lord; that is
he
gave orders to have it published throughout the camp
there would be solemn
sacrifices offered up to the Lord
as represented by this calf
and a feast
thereon
which was a public invitation of them to the solemnity: though some
think this was a protracting time
and putting the people off till the morrow
who would have been for offering sacrifice immediately
hoping that Moses would
come down from the mount before that time
and prevent their idolatry.
Exodus 32:6 6 Then they rose early on
the next day
offered burnt offerings
and brought peace offerings; and the
people sat down to eat and drink
and rose up to play.
YLT 6and they rise early on the morrow
and cause
burnt-offerings to ascend
and bring nigh peace-offerings; and the people sit
down to eat and to drink
and rise up to play.
And they rose
up early in the morning
.... Being eager of
and intent upon their idol worship:
and offered
burnt offerings; upon the altar Aaron had made
where they were wholly consumed:
and brought
peace offerings: which were to make a feast to the Lord
and of which they
partook:
and the people
sat down to eat and to drink; as at a feast:
and rose up to
play; to dance and sing
as was wont to be done by the Egyptians in
the worship of their Apis or Ox; and Philo the Jew saysF6Ut supra
(De Vita Mosis
l. 3. p. 677.) & de Temulentia
p. 254.
of the
Israelites
that having made a golden ox
in imitation of the Egyptian Typho
he should have said Osiris
for Typho was hated by the Egyptians
being the
enemy of Osiris; they sung and danced: the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem
interpret it of idolatry; some understand this of their lewdness and
uncleanness
committing fornication as in the worship of Peor
taking the word
in the same sense as used by Potiphar's wife
Genesis 39:14.
Exodus 32:7 7 And the Lord said to Moses
“Go
get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have
corrupted themselves.
YLT 7And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Go
descend
for thy people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt hath done
corruptly
And the Lord
said unto Moses
go
get thee down
.... In Deuteronomy 9:12 it
is added
"quickly"
and so the Septuagint version here: this was
said after the Lord had finished his discourse with him
and had given him the
two tables of stone
and he was about to depart
but the above affair happening
he hastens his departure; indeed the idolatry began the day before
and he
could have acquainted him with it
if it had been his pleasure
but he suffered
the people to go the greatest length before a stop was put to their impiety:
for thy people
which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves; their works
as the Targum of Jonathan supplies it
their ways and their manners; their
minds
the imaginations of their hearts
were first corrupted
and this led on
to a corruption of actions
by which they corrupted and defiled themselves yet
more and more
and made themselves abominable in the sight of God
as corrupt
persons and things must needs be; and what can be a greater corruption and
abomination than idolatry? the Lord calls these people not his people
being
displeased with them
though they had been
and were
and still continued; for
notwithstanding this idolatry
he did not cast them off from being his people
or write a "Loammi" on them; but he calls them Moses's people
as
having broken the law delivered to them by him
they had promised to obey
and
so were liable to the condemnation and curse of it; and because they had been
committed to his care and charge
and he had been the instrument of their
deliverance
and therefore it was great ingratitude to him to act the part they
had done
as well as impiety to God; wherefore
though it was the Lord that
brought them out of Egypt
it is ascribed to Moses as the instrument
to make
the evil appear the greater. Jarchi very wrongly makes these people to be the
mixed multitude he supposes Moses had proselyted
and therefore called his people.
Exodus 32:8 8 They have turned aside
quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a
molded calf
and worshiped it and sacrificed to it
and said
‘This is
your god
O Israel
that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’”
YLT 8they have turned aside hastily from the way
that I have commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf
and
bow themselves to it
and sacrifice to it
and say
These thy gods
O Israel
who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'
They have
turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them
.... The
Targum of Jonathan adds
by way of explanation
"on Sinai
saying
ye shall
not make to yourselves an image
or figure
or any similitude.'This was the
command God had given to them; this the way he had directed them to walk in;
from this they turned aside
by making the golden calf as an image or
representation of God; and this they had done very quickly
since it was but
about six weeks ago that this command was given; wherefore if Moses had delayed
coming down from the mount
they had made haste to commit iniquity; and
perhaps
this observation is made of their quick defection
in opposition to
their complaint of Moses's long absence:
they have made
them a molten calf; for though it was made by Aaron
or by his direction to the
founder or goldsmith
yet it was at their request and earnest solicitation;
they would not be easy without it:
and have
worshipped it; by bowing the knee to it
kissing it or their hands at the
approach of it
see Hosea 13:2.
and have
sacrificed thereunto burnt offerings and peace offerings:
and said
these
be thy gods
O Israel
which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; the very
words they used
Exodus 32:4 and
which were taken particular notice of by the Lord with resentment.
Exodus 32:9 9 And the Lord said to Moses
“I have seen this people
and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!
YLT 9And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`I have seen
this people
and lo
it [is] a stiff-necked people;
And the Lord
said unto Moses
I have seen this people
.... He had observed
their ways and works
their carriage and behaviour; he had seen them before this
time; he knew from all eternity what they would be
that their neck would be as
an iron sinew
and their brow brass; but now he saw that in fact which he
before saw as future
and they proved to be the people he knew they would be;
besides
this is said to give Moses the true character of them
which might be
depended upon
since it was founded upon divine knowledge and observation:
and
behold
it
is a stiffnecked people; obstinate and self-willed
resolute in their own ways
and will
not be reclaimed
inflexible and not subjected to the yoke of the divine law; a
metaphor taken from such creatures as will not submit their necks or suffer the
yoke or bridle to be put upon them
but draw back and slip away; or
as Aben
Ezra thinks
to a man that goes on his way upon a run
and will not turn his
neck to him that calls him
so disobedient and irreclaimable were these people.
Exodus 32:10 10 Now therefore
let Me alone
that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make
of you a great nation.”
YLT 10and now
let Me alone
and My anger doth burn
against them
and I consume them
and I make thee become a great nation.'
Now
therefore
let me alone
.... And not solicit him with prayers and supplications in favour
of these people
but leave him to take his own way with them
without troubling
him with any suit on their behalf; and so the Targum of Jonathan
"and now
leave off thy prayer
and do not cry for them before me;'as the Prophet
Jeremiah was often bid not to pray for this people in his time
which was a
token of God's great displeasure with them
as well as shows the prevalence of
prayer with him; that he knows not how
as it were
humanly speaking
to deny
the requests of his children; and even though made not on their own account
but on the account of a sinful and disobedient people:
that my wrath
may wax hot against them
and that I may consume them: which
suggests that they were deserving of the wrath of God to the uttermost
and to
be destroyed from off the face of the earth
and even to be punished with an
everlasting destruction:
and I will make
of thee a great nation; increase his family to such a degree
as to make them as great a
nation or greater than the people of Israel were
see Deuteronomy 9:14 or
the meaning is
he would set him over a great nation
make him king over a people
as large or larger than they
which is a sense mentioned by Fagius and
Vatablus; and
indeed
as Bishop Patrick observes
if this people had been
destroyed
there would have been no danger of the promise not being made good
which was made to Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
concerning the multiplication of
their seed
urged by Moses
Exodus 32:13 seeing
that would have stood firm
if a large nation was made out of the family of
Moses
who descended from them: this was a very great temptation to Moses
and
had he been a selfish man
and sought the advancement of his own family
and
careless of
and indifferent to the people of Israel
he would have accepted of
it; it is a noble testimony in his favour
and proves him not to be the
designing man he is represented by the deists.
Exodus 32:11 11 Then
Moses pleaded with the Lord
his God
and said: “Lord
why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of
the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
YLT 11And Moses appeaseth the face of Jehovah his
God
and saith
`Why
O Jehovah
doth Thine anger burn against Thy people
whom
Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a
strong hand?
And Moses
besought the Lord his God
.... As the Lord was the God of Moses
his
covenant God
and he had an interest in him
he made use of it in favour of the
people of Israel:
and said
why
doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people? so as to think or speak
of consuming them utterly; otherwise he knew there was reason for his being
angry and wroth with them; but though they were deserving of his hot wrath and
displeasure
and even to be dealt with in the manner proposed
yet he entreats
he would consider they were his people; his special people
whom he had chose
above all people
and had redeemed them from the house of bondage
had given
them laws
and made a covenant with them
and many promises unto them
and
therefore hoped he would not consume them in his hot displeasure; God had
called them the people of Moses
and Moses retorts it
and calls them the
people of God
and makes use of their relation to him as an argument with him
in their favour; and which also shows that Moses did not understand that the
Lord by calling them his people disowned them as his:
which thou hast
brought out of the land of Egypt with great power
and with a mighty hand? this the Lord
had ascribed to Moses
and observes it is an aggravation of their ingratitude
to Moses
and here Moses retorts
and ascribes it to God
and to his mighty
power; as for himself he was only a weak feeble instrument
the Lord was the
efficient cause of their deliverance
in which he had shown the exceeding
greatness of his power; and he argues from hence
that seeing he had exerted
his mighty arm in bringing them from thence
that he would not now lift it up
against them and destroy them.
Exodus 32:12 12 Why should the Egyptians
speak
and say
‘He brought them out to harm them
to kill them in the
mountains
and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your
fierce wrath
and relent from this harm to Your people.
YLT 12why do the Egyptians speak
saying
For evil
He brought them out to slay them among mountains
and to consume them from off
the face of the ground? turn back from the heat of Thine anger
and repent of
the evil against Thy people.
Wherefore
should the Egyptians speak and say
.... Those that remained
as the Targum of Jonathan
who were not drowned in the Red sea: a good man will
be concerned for the honour and glory of God among the enemies of his people
that their mouths may not be opened to blaspheme the Lord and speak ill of his
ways
see Joshua 7:9 and this
is sometimes an argument with God himself
not to do that to his people they
deserve
lest it should give occasion to the enemy to speak reproachfully
insult
and triumph
Deuteronomy 32:26.
for mischief
did he bring them out
to slay them in the mountains
and to consume them from
the face of the earth; that he brought them out of Egypt
not with a good but ill
design; not to bring them into the land of Canaan
as they promised themselves
but to destroy them in the mountains; not to erect them into a great kingdom
and nation
which should make a considerable figure in the world
but to cut
them off from being a people at all: the mountains where they now were
were
Sinai and Horeb
and there might be others thereabout
among which they were
encamped: the Targum of Jonathan is
"among the mountains of Tabor
and
Hermon
and Sirion
and Sinai:"
turn from thy
fierce wrath
and repent of this evil against thy people; not that
there is any turning or shadow of turning with God
or any change of his mind
or any such passions and affections in him as here expressed; but this is said
after the manner of men concerning him
when he alters the course of his dealings
with men according to his unalterable will
and does not do the evil threatened
by him
and which the sins of men deserve.
Exodus 32:13 13 Remember Abraham
Isaac
and Israel
Your servants
to whom You swore by Your own self
and said to
them
‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this
land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants
and they shall inherit it
forever.’”[a]
YLT 13`Be mindful of Abraham
of Isaac
and of
Israel
Thy servants
to whom Thou hast sworn by Thyself
and unto whom Thou
speakest: I multiply your seed as stars of the heavens
and all this land
as I
have said
I give to your seed
and they have inherited to the age;'
Remember
Abraham
Isaac
and Israel
thy servants
.... The covenant he made
with them
the promise he had made unto them
with an oath annexed to it:
to whom thou
swarest by thine own self; which he did
because he could swear by no
greater; and for the confirmation of his covenant and promise
see Genesis 22:16.
and saidst unto
them; for what was said to Abraham was repeated and confirmed to Isaac
and Jacob:
I will multiply
your seed as the stars of heaven; multitudes of which are
out of sight
and cannot be seen with the naked eye
nor numbered:
and all this
land that I have spoken of; the land of Canaan
then inhabited by
several nations:
will I give
unto your seed
and they shall inherit it for ever; as long as
they are a people
a body politic
and especially while obedient to the divine
will; but should they be now cut off
this promise would become of no effect:
this is the great argument Moses makes use of
and the most forcible one.
Exodus 32:14 14 So the Lord relented from
the harm which He said He would do to His people.
YLT 14and Jehovah repenteth of the evil which He
hath spoken of doing to His people.
And the Lord
repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. He did not do
what he threatened to do
and seemed to have in his thoughts and designs
but
did what Moses desired he would
Exodus 32:12 not
that any of God's thoughts or the determinations of his mind are alterable; for
the thoughts of his heart are to all generations; but he changes the outward
dispensations of his providence
or his methods of acting with men
which he
has been taking or threatened to take; and this being similar to what they do
when they repent of anything
who alter their course
hence repentance is
ascribed to God
though
properly speaking
it does not belong to him
see Jeremiah 18:8. Aben
Ezra thinks that the above prayer of Moses
which was so prevalent with God
does not stand in its proper place
but should come after Exodus 32:31 for
to what purpose
says he
should Moses say to the Israelites
Exodus 32:30
"peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin": if he was
appeased by his prayer before?
Exodus 32:15 15 And Moses turned and went
down from the mountain
and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his
hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and
on the other they were written.
YLT 15And Moses turneth
and goeth down from the
mount
and the two tables of the testimony [are] in his hand
tables written on
both their sides
on this and on that [are] they written;
And Moses
turned
and went down from the mount
.... He turned himself
from God
with whom he had been conversing forty days; his back was to the
ascent of the mount
and he turned himself in order to go down; or "he
looked"F7ויפן "et aspexit"
Pagninus.
as a man considers what is to be done
as Aben Ezra observes
and
he saw that he was obliged to go down in haste:
and the two
tables of the testimony were in his hand; or hands
as in Exodus 32:19 for
they were
perhaps
as much as he could carry in both hands
being of stone
as
in Exodus 31:18 on
which was written the law
the "testimony" of the will of God with
respect to what was to be done or not done:
the letters
were written on both their sides
on the one side and on the other were they
written; some think that the engraving of the letters was such
that it
went through the stones
and in a miraculous manner the letters and lines were
in a regular order
and might be read on the other sides; to which Jarchi seems
to incline
saying
the letters might be read
and it was a work of wonders;
others think that the letters were written both within and without
like
Ezekiel's book of woes; that the same that was within side was written without
that so
when held up
they might be read by those that stood before and those
that stood behind; but rather so it was that the whole was written within
some
of the commands on the right
and some on the left
and so the tables might be
clapped together as a book is folded.
Exodus 32:16 16 Now the tablets were
the work of God
and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the
tablets.
YLT 16and the tables are the work of God
and the
writing is the writing of God
graven on the tables.
And the tables
were the work of God
.... And not of angels or men; the stones were made and formed by
God into the shape they were:
and the writing
was the writing of God
graven upon the tables; the letters in which the
law was written were of his framing
devising
and engraving; and this was to
show that this law was his own
and contained his mind and will; and to give
the greater dignity and authority to it
and to deter men from breaking it.
Exodus 32:17 17 And when Joshua heard the
noise of the people as they shouted
he said to Moses
“There is a noise
of war in the camp.”
YLT 17And Joshua heareth the voice of the people in
their shouting
and saith unto Moses
`A noise of battle in the camp!'
And when Joshua
heard the noise of the people
as they shouted
.... Dancing about the
calf: when Moses went up into the mount
Joshua went with him
and tarried in a
lower part of the mount all the forty days until he returned
see Exodus 24:13 though
not so low as the bottom of the mount where the people were
nor so near it as
to know what they did there
for of their affairs he seems to be entirely
ignorant; nor so high as where Moses was
or
however
not in the cloud where
he conversed with God
for of what passed between them he had no knowledge
until declared by Moses:
he said unto
Moses
there is a noise of war in the camp; such a noise
as soldiers make in an onset for battle; he supposed that some enemy was come
upon and had attacked the people
and that this noise was the noise of the
enemy
or of the Israelites
or both
just beginning the battle; or on the
finishing of it on the account of victory on one side or the other; and as he
was the general of the army
it must give him a concern that he should be
absent at such a time.
Exodus 32:18 18 But he said: “It is
not the noise of the shout of victory
Nor the noise of the cry of defeat
But
the sound of singing I hear.”
YLT 18and he saith
`It is not the voice of the
crying of might
nor is it the voice of the crying of weakness -- a voice of
singing I am hearing.'
And he said
.... Not
Joshua
as Saadiah Gaon thinks
but Moses
in answer to what Joshua had said:
it is not the voice of them that shout for mastery; that have got
the better of it
and have obtained the victory
and shout on that account; or
"not the voice of a cry of strength"
or "of a strong cry"F8קול ענות גבורה
"vox eorum qui respondeant fortiter"
Tigurine version; "vox
clamoris fortis"
Drusius. ; that is
of men who have got the victory
and
are in high spirits
and shout with a strong voice; and so the Targums of
Onkelos and Jonathan
"not the voice of strong men that overcome in
battle:"
neither is
it the voice of them that cry for being overcome; which is not
a voice of shouting
but of howling; or
"not the voice of the cry of
weakness"
or "of a weak cry"F9קול
ענות הלושה "vox eorum
qui respondeant infirmiter"
Tigurine version; "vox clamoris
debilis"
Drusius. ; who being unable to stand their ground are conquered
and make a bitter outcry on falling into the enemy's hands
or being wounded
shriek terribly
and so the above Targums
"not the voice of the weak who
are overcome by the enemy in battle:"
but the noise of them that sing do I hear; as at a merry
entertainment
either on a civil or religious account: Moses
who knew what the
children of Israel had done
and what they were about
could better judge of
the nature of the sound he heard than Joshua could
who knew nothing of what
was transacting
Exodus 32:19 19 So it was
as soon as he
came near the camp
that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’
anger became hot
and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at
the foot of the mountain.
YLT 19And it cometh to pass
when he hath drawn
near unto the camp
that he seeth the calf
and the dancing
and the anger of
Moses burneth
and he casteth out of his hands the tables
and breaketh them
under the mount;
And it came to
pass
as soon
as he came nigh unto the camp
.... To the bottom of the
mountain
and pretty near where the people were encamped:
that he saw the
calf
and the dancing; the golden image of the calf
and the people dancing about it
in honour of it
and as glad they had got a symbol and representation of God to
go before them; and so the Egyptians did before the golden ox; as Philo says
before observed:
and Moses's
anger waxed hot: he fell into a passion of indignation at the sight of such
execrable idolatry
though he was so meek a man
and though he had himself
expostulated with the Lord why his wrath should wax hot against this people;
but
when he saw it with his own eyes he could not contain himself
but his
spirit was raised to a very great pitch of anger
and could not forbear showing
it in some way or another
and particularly in the following manner:
and he cast the
tables out of his hands
and brake them beneath the mount; of Sinai; at
the foot of it: he brought the tables
though he knew what they had done
and
no doubt showed them to them
told them what they were
and enlarged on the
wonderful condescension and goodness of God in giving them such laws
and
writing them with his own hand
engraving them himself on such tables of stone;
and then broke them to pieces
to denote that they had broken these laws
and
deserved to be broke in pieces and destroyed themselves; and this he did before
their eyes
that they might be the more affected with it
and be the more
sensible of their loss; and this was not the mere effect of passion
at least a
sinful one
but was under the influence and direction of God himself; since we
never read he was blamed for this action
though afterwards ordered to make two
tables like them: the Jews sayF11Misn. Taanith
c. 4. sect. 7.
this was done on the seventeenth day of Tammuz
which answers to part of June
and part of July
and is observed by them as a fast on account of it.
Exodus 32:20 20 Then he took the calf
which they had made
burned it in the fire
and ground it to
powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel
drink it.
YLT 20and he taketh the calf which they have made
and burneth [it] with fire
and grindeth until [it is] small
and scattereth on
the face of the waters
and causeth the sons of Israel to drink.
And he took the
calf which they had made
and burnt it in the fire
.... Melted it
down into a mass of gold
whereby it lost its form
and had no more the
appearance of a calf:
and ground it
to powder; but how this was done is not easy to say
whether by beating the
mass of gold into thin plates
and then filing them small; for this art has
remained unknown; the chemists have boasted of it as only possessed of it; but
it seems Moses
learned in all the learning of the Egyptians
had it: however
it is now certain by various experiments
that gold
though a very thick and
heavy body
consists of parts which are separable from one another
and to be
divided into infinite subtler parts: the famous Dr. Halley has shown that one
grain of gold may be divided into 10
000 parts
and yet visible; and Dr. Keil
has demonstrated that a cubic thumb's breadth of gold is divisible into
47
619
047 parts
which do not escape the sight: according to the computation
of the said Dr. Halley
leaf gold
with which silver threads are gilded
is not
thicker than the 124
500 part of a thumb's breadth; so that a cube of the
hundredth part of a thumb's breadth of the said subtle parts may contain
243
000
000F12Vid. Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. vol. 2. p. 247. :
and strawed it
upon the water; of the brook that descended out of the mount
Deuteronomy 9:21
now called the fountain of St. Catharine; which Dr. ShawF13Travels
p. 242. Ed. 2. says
after it has supplied the demands of the convent (now
built on this mount) is received without into a large basin
which running
over
forms a little rill: and another travellerF14Baumgarten.
peregrinatio
l. 1. c. 24. p. 61
62. speaks of a fountain about the middle of
Mount Sinai
which
though small
was found in it running water very wholesome
and refreshing: but if this was a brook of running water
it seems more likely
that water was taken out of it and put into a proper vessel or vessels
on
which the powder of the golden calf was strewed; or otherwise it would have
been carried away with the stream
and could not have been taken up and given
to the people to drink
as is next said; and this shows that it must be reduced
to a very small light powder indeed
to float upon the top of the water and not
sink to the bottom
as mere filings of gold would necessarily do:
and made the
children of Israel drink of it; not the whole body of them
or every individual
but the more principal persons
and such who had been the most active in
encouraging the making of the calf
and the worshipping of it: this was done
not only that they might entirely lose their gold and have no manner of profit
by it
but that the idol
which is nothing in the world
might be brought to
nothing indeed
and that there might be no remains of it to be abused to
superstitious uses
as well as to show them their folly in worshipping that
which could not save itself; and by drinking it
whereby it passed through them
and became an excrement
to express the utmost abhorrence and detestation of
it; as also to show that they deserved the curse of God to enter into them
as
oil into their bowels
as that water did
and be utterly destroyed: the Jewish
writers
as Jarchi and Aben Ezra
suppose this water
with the powder of the
golden calf in it
had the same effect and was for the same use as the water of
jealousy
that it made the bellies of those that drank it to swell: and the
Targum of Jonathan observes
that whoever gave any golden vessel towards the
making of the calf
there was a sign appeared in his countenance: and Aben Ezra
suggests the same
but neither of them say what it was: but an ancient Latin
poet
quoted by SeldenF15De Diis Syris Syntagma
1. c. 4. p. 156.
reports from the Hebrew writers
that whoever were guilty of this idolatry
as
soon as they drank of the water their beards became yellow as gold
whereby the
Levites knew who were guilty
and slew them; but as this is quite fabulous
so
I have not met with it in any Jewish writer
only an author of theirs
of great
antiquity and credit with them
saysF16Pirke Eliezer
c. 45.
that
whoever kissed the calf with his whole heart
his lips became golden.
Exodus 32:21 21 And
Moses said to Aaron
“What did this people do to you that you have brought so
great a sin upon them?”
YLT 21And Moses saith unto Aaron
`What hath this
people done to thee
that thou hast brought in upon it a great sin?'
And Moses said
unto Aaron
.... Having destroyed the calf
and thereby expressed his
abhorrence of their idolatry
he examines the principal persons concerned
and
inquires into the cause and reason of it
how it came about; and begins with
Aaron
though his own brother
with whom along with Hur he had committed the
government of the people during his absence; and therefore was justly
accountable for such a transaction
which could not have been without his
knowledge and consent: no mention is made of Hur
whether he was dead or no is
not certain; the Jewish writers say he was
and that he was killed for
reproving the Israelites for their wickedness; and it looks as if he was dead
since he was not in the examination
and we hear of him no more afterwards:
what did this
people unto thee
that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? as idolatry
is
than which no sin can be greater
it being not only a breach of the first
table of the law
but directly against God
against the very being of God
and
his honour and glory; it is a denial of him
and setting up an idol in his
room
and giving to that the glory that is only due to his name; and Aaron
being the chief magistrate
whose business it was to see that the laws of God
were observed
and to restrain the people from sin
and to have been a terror
to evil doers; yet falling in with them
and conniving at them
he is charged
with bringing sin upon them
or them into that; and is asked what the people had
done to him
that he should do this to them
what offence they had given him
what injury they had done him
that he bore them a grudge for it
and took this
method to be revenged? for it is suggested
had they used him ever so ill
he
could not have requited it in a stronger manner than by leading them into such
a sin
the consequence of which must be ruin and destruction
see Genesis 20:9 or
else Moses inquires of Aaron what methods the people had made use of to prevail
upon him to suffer them to do such a piece of wickedness; whether it was by
persuasion and artful insinuations
or by threatening to take away his life if
he did not comply
or in what manner they had wrought upon his weak side
to
induce him to take such a step.
Exodus 32:22 22 So Aaron said
“Do not let
the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people
that they are set
on evil.
YLT 22and Aaron saith
`Let not the anger of my
lord burn; thou -- thou hast known the people that it [is] in evil;
And Aaron said
let not the anger of my lord wax hot
.... He addresses him in
a very respectful manner
though his younger brother
being in a superior
office
the chief ruler of the people
king in Jeshurun; and he perceived a
violent emotion rising in him
great indignation in his countenance
and an
high resentment of what was done
and therefore he entreats his patience to
hear him
in a few words
what he had to say
and he begins with the well known
character of the people:
thou knowest
the people
that they are set on mischief; or are "in
wickedness"F17ברע "in
malo"
Montanus
Drusius
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; wholly in
it
and under the power and influence of it
given up to it
and bent upon it;
and there was no restraining them from it; and he appeals to the knowledge of
Moses himself for the truth of this
of which their several murmurings against
him
since they came out of Egypt
were a proof; see 1 John 5:19.
Exodus 32:23 23 For they said to me
‘Make
us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses
the man who brought
us out of the land of Egypt
we do not know what has become of him.’
YLT 23and they say to me
Make for us gods
who go
before us
for this Moses -- the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt
-- we have not known what hath happened to him;
For they said
unto me
make us gods
which shall go before us
.... Which was true
Exodus 32:1 but
then he should have told them
that gods were not to be made; that what were
made with hands were no gods
and could not go before them; that the making of
any image
similitude
or representation of God
was forbidden by him
as they
had lately heard from his own mouth; he should have dissuaded from such
idolatry
by showing them the evil nature of the sin
and the ruin they exposed
themselves to by it:
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; their words he truly recites
and perhaps might choose the
rather to mention them
because they carried in them some reflection on Moses
for staying so long in the mount; and as if that contributed much to this
affair
and which put the people on forming such a scheme
they concluding he
must be dead through famine; or
as the Targum of Jonathan
be burnt with
flaming fire from the Lord.
Exodus 32:24 24 And I said to them
‘Whoever has any gold
let them break it off.’ So they gave it to
me
and I cast it into the fire
and this calf came out.”
YLT 24and I say to them
Whoso hath gold
let them
break [it] off
and they give to me
and I cast it into the fire
and this calf
cometh out.'
And I said unto
them
whosoever hath any gold
let them break it off
.... That is
any ear rings of gold
let them loose or take them off their ears:
so they gave it
me; of their own accord
as if unasked by him
though he had bid
them bring it to him
Exodus 32:2
then I cast it
into the fire; to melt it
but says nothing of the mould the melted gold was
poured into:
and there came
out this calf; he speaks of it as if the gold became in the form of a calf
without any design
or without using any methods to put it in this form; but
that it was a matter of chance
or rather something preternatural and
miraculous; he speaks of it as if it was alive
and came out of itself: and
indeed the Jews represent it as done by magic art
and by the operation of
Satan
and speak of it as coming out alive
bellowing and dancing; and the
Targum of Jonathan is
"and I cast it into the fire
and Satan entered into
the midst of it
and out of it came the likeness of this calf.'Aaron says not a
word of his fashioning it with a graving tool
after he had made it a molten
calf; but Moses learned this elsewhere
and has recorded it. What Moses thought
of this apology is not said; it could not be satisfactory to him: and it is
certain the conduct of Aaron in this affair was displeasing to God; and it seemed
as if he would have destroyed him
had not Moses prayed for him
Deuteronomy 9:20.
Exodus 32:25 25 Now when Moses saw that
the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them
to their
shame among their enemies)
YLT 25And Moses seeth the people that it [is]
unbridled
for Aaron hath made it unbridled for contempt among its
withstanders
And when Moses
saw that the people were naked
.... Not in their bodies
being stripped of their ear rings; for parting with them was not sufficient to
denominate them naked in a corporeal sense; nor as being without their armour
which was laid aside while they were eating
and drinking
and dancing about
the calf
and so might be thought a proper opportunity for the Levites to fall
upon them
by the order of Moses
and slay them: but it can hardly be thought
that all the people bore arms
and that Moses took the advantage of their being
without them: but rather they were naked in their souls
through their sin
and
the shame of their nakedness appeared; their sin was made manifest
and they
were discovered to be what they were; and they were now deprived of the divine
protection; the cloud was departing from them
the symbol of the divine
Presence
God being provoked by their sins; unless it is to be understood of
their ceasing from work
and keeping holy day in honour of the calf
and so
were loitering about
and not attending to the business of their callings
in
which sense the word sometimes seems to be used
see Exodus 5:4.
for Aaron had
made them naked unto their shame amongst their enemies; to part with
their ear rings
or lay aside their armour while feasting
could not be so much
to their shame among their enemies; but to sin against God
in the manner they
did
was to their shame
which Aaron was a means of by not doing all he could
to hinder it
and by doing what he did to encourage it; and now he made them
naked to their shame by exposing it
saying they were a people set on mischief
and given up to sin and wickedness; and what they had now done served to expose
them to shame even among their enemies
both now and hereafter; when they
should hear of their shameful revolt from God
after so many great and good
things done for them
and of the change of their gods
and of their fickleness
about them
which was not usual with the Gentiles: though the last word may be
rendered
"among those that rise up from you"; that should spring
from them
come up in their room
and succeed them
their posterity
as in Numbers 32:14 and
so Onkelos renders it
"to your generations"
and is so to be
understood
as Abendana observes; and then the sense is
that this sin of
making and worshipping the golden calf
and keeping a holy day
would be to
their shame and disgrace
among their posterity
in all succeeding ages. (If is
quite possible the people were physically naked
having taken off all their
clothes to indulge in the idolatrous worship of the calf and sexual immorality
that usually is associated with such wicked practices. Editor.)
Exodus 32:26 26 then Moses stood in the
entrance of the camp
and said
“Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come
to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
YLT 26and Moses standeth in the gate of the camp
and saith
`Who [is] for Jehovah? -- unto me!' and all the sons of Levi are
gathered unto him;
Then Moses
stood in the gate of the camp
.... In one of the gates of it; for it
doubtless had more than one to go in and out of
as is clear from Exodus 32:27 it
being probably entrenched all around; here Moses set himself
it being the
usual place
as in cities
where the people were summoned together on important
occasions
and justice and judgment were administered:
and said
who
is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me; who is for
the worship of the true God
and him only
and against the worship of a gold
calf
or any other idol
and is zealous for the glory of God
and the honour of
his name:
and all the
sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him; that is
all
those that had not given in to the idolatry of the calf; all is put for many.
Jarchi infers from hence
that this tribe was wholly free from that sin; but
the contrary is most evident
for it appears from the context that many of them
were slain for it; yea
as
on the one hand
they were only of the tribe of
Levi
who joined themselves to Moses
though there was no doubt many in all the
tribes that were not in the idolatry; so
on the other hand
there were none
slain
or very few
but of the tribe of Levi
as will appear in the exposition
of the following verses
the being principally concerned with Aaron in making
the calf; and therefore those of the same tribe that joined them not were the
more zealous and studious to purge themselves from the imputation of the crime
by going over to Moses at once
and showing themselves to be on the Lord's
side.
Exodus 32:27 27 And he said to them
“Thus
says the Lord
God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side
and go in and out from
entrance to entrance throughout the camp
and let every man kill his brother
every man his companion
and every man his neighbor.’”
YLT 27and he saith to them
`Thus said Jehovah
God
of Israel
Put each his sword by his thigh
pass over and turn back from gate
to gate through the camp
and slay each his brother
and each his friend
and
each his relation.'
And he said
unto them
thus saith the Lord God of Israel
.... The following orders
are given by Moses
not of himself the chief magistrate
and as the effect of
heat and passion
but there were from the Lord
who was Israel's God and King;
he had them expressly from him
or by an impulse on his spirit
or in such a
way and manner that he knew it was of God
and this was his will:
put every man
his sword by his side; girt there
ready to be drawn upon order:
and go in and
out from gate to gate throughout the camp; not into the tents
where good men might be bemoaning the sin committed
but throughout the
streets
where many were loitering
it being a holy day with the idolaters:
and slay every
man his brother
and every man his companion
and every man his neighbour; who were
idolaters; none were to be spared on account of relation
friendship
and
acquaintance.
Exodus 32:28 28 So the sons of Levi did
according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell
that day.
YLT 28And the sons of Levi do according to the word
of Moses
and there fall of the people on that day about three thousand men
And the
children of Levi did according to the word of Moses
.... They
girded their swords by their sides
went through the camp
and slew their
brethren
companions and neighbours
who were keeping holy day in honour of the
idol:
and there fell
of the people that day about three thousand men; the Vulgate Latin
version reads 23
000
very wrongly; now these being chiefly
if not altogether
of the tribe of Levi
the brethren
companions
and neighbours of the Levites
that were the slayers
together with the after plagues that came upon them
Exodus 32:35
account for the deficiency of males in this tribe
some few months after
when
it was numbered; and the number of them from one month old and upwards amounted
but to 22
000
which was but a very small one in proportion to the other
tribes
who generally
one with another
numbered 40
000 each
and none so few
as 30
000F18See the Bishop of Clogber's Chronology of the Hebrew
Bible
p. 360
362. ; of this tribe Aaron was
and therefore used with
severity
because of his concern in this sin; and even though it was the tribe
of Moses
it was not spared.
Exodus 32:29 29 Then Moses said
“Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord
that He may bestow on
you a blessing this day
for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”
YLT 29and Moses saith
`Consecrate your hand to-day
to Jehovah
for a man [is] against his son
and against his brother
so as to
bring on you to-day a blessing.'
For Moses had
said
.... To the Levites
when he first gave them their orders:
consecrate
yourselves today to the Lord; devote yourselves to his service
by
obeying his orders
slaying those
or the heads of them
who have cast so much
contempt upon him as to worship the golden calf in his room; and which would be
as acceptable to him as the offerings were
by which Aaron and his sons were
consecrated to the Lord; and as these Levites were consecrated to his service
this day
on this account:
even every man upon his son
and upon his brother; not sparing
the nearest relation found in this idolatry
and for which the tribe of Levi is
commended and blessed in the blessing of Moses
Deuteronomy 33:8
and as it follows:
that he may
bestow a blessing upon you this day; which was their being
taken into the service of God to minister to the priests in the sanctuary
to
bear the vessels of the Lord
and for their maintenance to have the tithes of
the people: this day was
according to the Jewish writersF19Sedar
Olam Rabba
c. 6. p. 18. Pirke Eliezer
c. 46.
the seventeenth of Tammuz
or
June
on which day the Jews keep a fast upon this account.
Exodus 32:30 30 Now it came to pass on the
next day that Moses said to the people
“You have committed a great sin. So now
I will go up to the Lord;
perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”
YLT 30And it cometh to pass
on the morrow
that
Moses saith unto the people
`Ye -- ye have sinned a great sin
and now I go up
unto Jehovah
if so be I atone for your sin.'
And it came to
pass on the morrow
.... The eighteenth day of Tammuz it was
the same writers say
that Moses implored the mercy of God for Israel. Jarchi on Exodus 32:11 says
it was on the seventeenth day the tables were broke
on the eighteenth the calf
was burnt
and on the nineteenth that Moses went up to intercede for them:
that Moses said
unto the people
ye have sinned a great sin; the sin of idolatry
see
Exodus 32:21 from
whence it appears
that all that were guilty of it were not slain
perhaps only
some of one tribe; and there was great reason to fear
that as wrath was gone
forth it would not stop here
but others would fall a sacrifice to the divine
displeasure; wherefore it is proposed by Moses to make application to the Lord
on their behalf
that they might obtain mercy:
and I will go
up unto the Lord: on the top of Mount Sinai:
peradventure I
shall make atonement for your sin; not by any sacrifice
offered
but by his prayers prevail with God to forgive their sin
and not
punish any more for it: he had by his first prayer obtained of the Lord not to
consume them off of the face of the earth
and utterly destroy them as a
nation; but that he did not hinder but that resentment might be shown in a
lesser degree
or by parts; as not 3000 men had been cut off
chiefly out of
one tribe
if not altogether
the rest of the tribes might expect to be
visited
according to the number of their delinquents.
Exodus 32:31 31 Then
Moses returned to the Lord
and said
“Oh
these people have committed a great sin
and have made for themselves
a god of gold!
YLT 31And Moses turneth back unto Jehovah
and
saith
`Oh this people hath sinned a great sin
that they make to themselves a
god of gold;
And Moses
returned unto the Lord
.... On the mount where he was in the cloud:
and said
oh
this people have sinned a great sin; which to following words
explain; he confesses the same to God he had charged the people with in Exodus 32:30
and have made
them gods of gold; the golden calf
which they themselves called
"Elohim"
gods.
Exodus 32:32 32 Yet now
if You will
forgive their sin—but if not
I pray
blot me out of Your book which You have
written.”
YLT 32and now
if Thou takest away their sin -- and
if not -- blot me
I pray thee
out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'
Yet now
if
thou will forgive their sin
.... Of thy free grace
good will
and pleasure;
it will redound to thy glory
men will praise thy name on account of it; these
people will have great reason to be thankful
and will lie under great
obligations to thee
to fear
serve
and glorify thee; and in particular it
will be regarded by me as the highest favour that can be asked or granted:
and if not
blot me
I pray thee
out of the book which thou hast written; not the book
of the law
as Jarchi
written with the finger of God
the name of Moses was
not written there; nor the book of the just
as the Targum of Jonathan
the
list and catalogue of good men
that belonged to the visible church
called in
after time "the writing of the house of Israel"
Ezekiel 13:9 but
rather the book of life
either of this temporal life
and then it means no
more than that he wished to die
even immediately by the hand of God
which
seems to be countenanced by Numbers 11:15 or
else of eternal life
and is no other than the book of life of the Lamb
or
God's predestination or choice of men in Christ to everlasting life
which is
particular
personal
sure
and certain; and Moses asks for this
not as a
thing either desirable or possible
but to express his great affection for this
people
and his great concern for the glory of God; and rather than either
should suffer
he chose
if it was possible
to be deprived of that eternal
happiness he hoped for
and should enjoy.
Exodus 32:33 33 And the Lord said to Moses
“Whoever has sinned against Me
I will blot him out of My book.
YLT 33And Jehovah saith unto Moses
`Whoso hath
sinned against Me -- I blot him out of My book;
And the Lord
said unto Moses
.... In answer to his request:
whosoever hath
sinned against me
him will I blot out of my book; not that
anyone that is really in the book of life is ever blotted out
or that anyone
predestinated or ordained to eternal life ever perish: but some persons may
think themselves
and they may seem to be written in that book
or to be among
the number of God's elect
but are not
and turn out obstinate impenitent
sinners
and live and die in impenitence and unbelief; when it will appear that
their names were never written in it
which
is the same thing as to be blotted
out of it
see Psalm 69:28. Now by
this answer the Lord does not absolutely refuse the request of Moses with
respect to the people
though he does with regard to himself
and the blotting
his name out of his book; and it is plain
by what follows
he meant to show
mercy to the people
since he bids Moses go and lead them on towards Canaan
and promises an angel to go before them; though he reserves to himself a
liberty to chastise this people for this sin
as he should have opportunity
along with others.
Exodus 32:34 34 Now therefore
go
lead
the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold
My Angel
shall go before you. Nevertheless
in the day when I visit for punishment
I
will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”
YLT 34and now
go
lead the people whithersoever I
have spoken to thee of; lo
My messenger goeth before thee
and in the day of
my charging -- then I have charged upon them their sin.'
Therefore now
go
lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee
.... That is
to the land of Canaan
which he had promised to their fathers and to them
and
had directed Moses to bring them to:
behold
mine
angel shall go before thee: and not I
as Jarchi interprets it; not the
Angel of the covenant
and of his presence
as in Exodus 23:20 but a
created angel
which
though a favour
was a lessening of the mercy before
promised and granted; and which gave the people a great deal of concern
though
Moses by his supplications got the former blessing restored
Exodus 33:2
nevertheless
in the day when I visit
I will visit their sin upon them; that is
when
he should visit them in a way of correction for other sins
he would visit them
in like manner for this sin
the worship of the golden calf; and so Jarchi well
explains it
"when I visit upon them their iniquities
I will visit upon
them a little of this iniquity
with the rest of iniquities; and there is no
punishment (adds he) comes upon Israel
in which there is not something of the
punishment of the sin of the calf;'and the Jews have a sayingF20T.
Hieros. Taanith
fol. 68. 3.
that"there is not a generation in which
there is not an ounce of the sin of the calf.'
Exodus 32:35 35 So the Lord plagued the
people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.
YLT 35And Jehovah plagueth the people
because they
made the calf which Aaron made.
And the Lord
plagued the people
.... That is
continued so to do at certain times
with the
pestilence
or other calamities; for this seems not to refer
as some think
to
the slaughter of the 3000 men: the reason follows:
because they
made the calf which Aaron made; that is
they provided him with materials
to make it; they urged and solicited him to do it
and would not be easy
without it
so that the making of it is ascribed to them; or they served it
as
Onkelos; or bowed unto it
as Jonathan; with which agree the Syriac
Arabic
and Samaritan versions
which render it
they served
or worshipped
or sacrificed
to the calf which Aaron made.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Exodus 32:13 Genesis 13:15 and 22:17