Devarim 9:12

12 And Hashem said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Mitzrayim have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a massekhah (molten image).

Devarim 9:12 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:12

And the Lord said unto me
The omniscient God, who knew what was doing in the camp of Israel, though Moses did not, of which he informs him:

arise, get thee down quickly from hence;
from the mount where he was; and the word "arise" does not suppose him to be sitting or lying along, neither of which postures would have been suitable, considering in whose presence he was; but is only expressive of urgency and haste of his departure; it is not used in ( Exodus 32:7 )

for thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt, have
corrupted themselves;
their way, as the Targum of Jonathan; that is, by idolatry, than which nothing is more corrupting and defiling; the Lord calls them not his people, but the people of Moses, being highly displeased with them; and ascribes their coming out of Egypt to Moses the instrument, and not to himself, as if he repented of bringing them from thence:

they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them:
it being but about six weeks ago, that the command forbidding idolatry, the sin they had fallen into, had been given them:

and they have made them a molten image;
the image of a calf made of melted gold.

Devarim 9:12 In-Context

10 And Hashem delivered unto me shnei luchot ha’avanim written with the etzba Elohim (finger of G-d); and on them was written according to all the words, which Hashem spoke with you in the mount out of the midst of the eish in the Yom HaKahal.

11 And it came to pass at the end of arba’im yom and arba’im lailah, Hashem gave me the shnei luchot ha’avanim, even the Luchot HaBrit.

12 And Hashem said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Mitzrayim have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a massekhah (molten image).

13 Furthermore Hashem spoke unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is an Am Kesheh Oref (stiffnecked people):

14 Let Me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their shem from under Shomayim; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.