Exodus 32:3

3 Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.

Exodus 32:3 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 32:3

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 ears {x}, 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 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 So Pirke Eliezer, c. 45.

Exodus 32:3 In-Context

1 Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”

2 So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”

3 Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.

4 He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”