Exodus 32:22

22 And Aaron said, "{Let not my lord become angry}. You yourself know the people, that {they are intent on evil}.

Exodus 32:22 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 32:22

And Aaron said, let not the anger of my lord wax hot
He addresses him in a very respectful manner, though his younger brother, being in a superior office, the chief ruler of the people, king in Jeshurun; and he perceived a violent emotion rising in him, great indignation in his countenance, and an high resentment of what was done, and therefore he entreats his patience to hear him, in a few words, what he had to say, and he begins with the well known character of the people:

thou knowest the people, that they [are] set on mischief;
or are "in wickedness" ^F17; wholly in it, and under the power and influence of it, given up to it, and bent upon it; and there was no restraining them from it; and he appeals to the knowledge of Moses himself for the truth of this, of which their several murmurings against him, since they came out of Egypt, were a proof; see ( 1 John 5:19 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 (erb) "in malo", Montanus, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Exodus 32:22 In-Context

20 And he took the bull calf that they had made, and he burned [it] with the fire, and he crushed [it] until it became fine, and he scattered [it] on the surface of the water, and he made the {Israelites} drink.

21 And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you brought on them [such] a great sin?"

22 And Aaron said, "{Let not my lord become angry}. You yourself know the people, that {they are intent on evil}.

23 And they said to me, 'Make for us gods who will go before us, because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

24 And I said to them, 'Whoever [has] gold, take [it] off.' And they gave [it] to me, and I threw it in the fire, and out came this bull calf."

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "let not the nose of my lord become hot"
• [b]. Literally "they in evil"