Deuteronomy 9:16

16 When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made for yourselves a metal statue of a god. It looked like a calf. You had quickly turned away from the path the LORD had commanded you to follow.

Deuteronomy 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:16

And I looked
When he was come down from the mount, and was nigh the camp:

and, behold, ye had sinned against the Lord your God;
that plainly appeared by what they had done, and at which he was amazed; and therefore a behold is prefixed to it, it being such a gross sin, having so much impiety and ingratitude, and stupidity in it:

and made you a molten calf;
that he saw with his eyes, and them dancing about it; see ( Exodus 32:19 )

ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the Lord had commanded
you;
see ( Deuteronomy 9:7 ) .

Deuteronomy 9:16 In-Context

14 Do not try to stop me. I am going to destroy them. I will wipe them out from the earth. Then I will make you into a great nation. Your people will be stronger than they were. There will be more of you than there were of them."

15 So I turned and went down the mountain. It was blazing with fire. I was carrying the two tablets of the covenant.

16 When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made for yourselves a metal statue of a god. It looked like a calf. You had quickly turned away from the path the LORD had commanded you to follow.

17 So I threw the two tablets out of my hands. You watched them break into pieces.

18 Then once again I fell down flat in front of the LORD with my face toward the ground. I lay there for 40 days and 40 nights. I didn't eat any food or drink any water. You had committed a terrible sin. You had done an evil thing in the LORD's sight. You had made him angry.