Exodus 32:32

32 Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people." ¹

Exodus 32:32 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 32:32

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 32:32 In-Context

30 The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin. But now I will again go up the mountain to the Lord; perhaps I can obtain forgiveness for your sin."

31 Moses then returned to the Lord and said, "These people have committed a terrible sin. They have made a god out of gold and worshiped it.

32 Please forgive their sin; but if you won't, then remove my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people."

33 The Lord answered, "It is those who have sinned against me whose names I will remove from my book.

34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Remember that my angel will guide you, but the time is coming when I will punish these people for their sin."

Cross References

• 1. 32.32Psalms 69.28;Revelation 3.5.