Acts 7:40

40 They told Aaron, 'Make us a god who will lead us. This fellow Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don't know what has happened to him!'(Exodus 32:1)

Acts 7:40 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 7:40

Saying unto Aaron, make us gods to go before us
This is a proof of their disobedience to the law of Moses, and of their rejection of him, and of the inclination of their hearts to the idolatry of the Egyptians; which shows the gross stupidity, as well as ingratitude of this people, to think that gods could be made; and that those that are made could go before them, be guides unto them, and protectors of them; when they have eyes, but see not, and hands, but handle not, and feet, but walk not:

for as for this Moses;
whom they speak of with great contempt, and in a very irreverent way:

which brought us out of the land of Egypt;
which they mention not with gratitude, but as reflecting upon him for doing it:

we wot not what is become of him;
they thought he was dead, according to the Targum of Jonathan on ( Exodus 32:1 ) they concluded he was consumed with fire on the mount which flamed with fire. F2 The following story is told by the Jews;

``when Moses went up on high, he said to the Israelites, at the end of forty days, at the beginning of the sixth hour I will come; at the end of forty days came Satan, and disturbed the world; he said to them, where is Moses your master? they answered him, he is gone up on high: he said to them, the sixth hour is come; they took no notice of him; he is dead (says he); they had no regard to him; he showed them the likeness of his bier; then they said to Aaron, "as for this man Moses"''


FOOTNOTES:

F2 T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 89. 1. Vid. Jarchi & Baal Hatturim in Exod. xxxii. 1.

Acts 7:40 In-Context

38 Moses was with the Israelites in the desert. He was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai. Moses was with our people of long ago. He received living words to pass on to us.
39 "But our people refused to obey Moses. They would not accept him. In their hearts, they wished they were back in Egypt.
40 They told Aaron, 'Make us a god who will lead us. This fellow Moses led us out of Egypt. But we don't know what has happened to him!'(Exodus 32:1)
41 That was the time they made a statue to be their god. It looked like a calf. They brought sacrifices to it. They were glad because of what they had made with their own hands.
42 But God turned away from them. He left them to worship the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets. There it says, " 'People of Israel, did you bring me sacrifices and offerings for 40 years in the desert?
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