Exodus 32:8-18

8 "They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. ¹They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and ²have sacrificed to it and said, '³This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!' "

9 ⁴The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, they are ⁵an obstinate * people.

10 "Now then ⁶let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and ⁷I will make of you a great nation."

Moses' Entreaty

11 Then ⁸Moses entreated the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

12 "Why should ⁹the Egyptians speak, saying, 'With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth '? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.

13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You ¹⁰swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will ¹¹multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and ¹²all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' "

14 ¹³So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.

15 ¹⁴Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, ¹⁵tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other.

16 The tablets were God's work, and the writing was God's writing engraved on the tablets.

17 Now when Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a sound of war in the camp."

18 But he said, "It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear."

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Exodus 32:8-18 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 32

This chapter gives an account of the idolatry of the Israelites making and worshipping a golden calf, Ex 32:1-6 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, Ex 32:7-10 the intercession of Moses for them, in which he succeeded, Ex 32:11-14 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, Ex 32:15-20 the examination of Aaron about the fact, who excused himself, Ex 32:21-24 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, Ex 32:25-29 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, Ex 32:30-35.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 15

1. Ex 20:3, 4, 23
2. Exodus 22:20; Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 32:17
3. 1 Kings 12:28
4. Numbers 14:11-20
5. Exodus 33:3, 5; Exodus 34:9; Isaiah 48:4; Acts 7:51
6. Deuteronomy 9:14
7. Numbers 14:12
8. Deuteronomy 9:18, 26
9. Numbers 14:13-19; Deuteronomy 9:28; Joshua 7:9
10. Genesis 22:16-18; Hebrews 6:13
11. Genesis 15:5; Genesis 26:4
12. Genesis 12:7; Genesis 13:15; Genesis 15:18; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 35:12; Exodus 13:5, 11; Exodus 33:1
13. Psalms 106:45
14. Deuteronomy 9:15
15. Exodus 31:18

Footnotes 6

[a]. Or "These are your gods"
[b]. Or "a stiff-necked"
[c]. Lit "seed"
[d]. Lit "seed"
[e]. Lit "their sides"
[f]. Lit "in its shouting"