Deuteronomy 9:21

21 I took your sin, the calf you had made, and burned it up in the fire, beat it to pieces, and ground it up still smaller, until it was as fine as dust; then I threw its dust into the stream coming down from the mountain.

Deuteronomy 9:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:21

And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made
Which was the object of their sin, which lay in making and worshipping it; see ( Isaiah 31:7 )

and burnt it with fire, and stamped it;
with his feet after it was burnt, to bring it into small pieces:

and ground it very small;
or, as the Targum of Jonathan,

``ground it in a mortar well;''

the burnt and broken pieces:

even until it was as small as dust;
being ground to powder, as in ( Exodus 32:20 )

and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the
mount;
and made the children of Israel to drink of it, as in the previously mentioned place; (See Gill on Exodus 32:2); all this was done before the prayer for Aaron and the people.

Deuteronomy 9:21 In-Context

19 I was terrified that because of how angry ADONAI was at you, of how heatedly displeased he was, that he would destroy you. But ADONAI listened to me that time too.
20 In addition, ADONAI was very angry with Aharon and would have destroyed him; but I prayed for Aharon also at the same time.
21 I took your sin, the calf you had made, and burned it up in the fire, beat it to pieces, and ground it up still smaller, until it was as fine as dust; then I threw its dust into the stream coming down from the mountain.
22 "Again at Tav'erah, Massah and Kivrot-HaTa'avah you made ADONAI angry;
23 and when ADONAI sent you off from Kadesh-Barnea by saying, 'Go up and take possession of the land I have given you,' you rebelled against the order of ADONAI your God - you neither trusted him nor heeded what he said.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.