Deuteronomy 9:21

21 I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.

Deuteronomy 9:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 9:21

And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made
Which was the object of their sin, which lay in making and worshipping it; see ( Isaiah 31:7 )

and burnt it with fire, and stamped it;
with his feet after it was burnt, to bring it into small pieces:

and ground it very small;
or, as the Targum of Jonathan,

``ground it in a mortar well;''

the burnt and broken pieces:

even until it was as small as dust;
being ground to powder, as in ( Exodus 32:20 )

and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the
mount;
and made the children of Israel to drink of it, as in the previously mentioned place; (See Gill on Exodus 32:2); all this was done before the prayer for Aaron and the people.

Deuteronomy 9:21 In-Context

19 I feared that the furious anger of the LORD, which turned him against you, would drive him to destroy you. But again he listened to me.

20 The LORD was so angry with Aaron that he wanted to destroy him, too. But I prayed for Aaron, and the LORD spared him.

21 I took your sin—the calf you had made—and I melted it down in the fire and ground it into fine dust. Then I threw the dust into the stream that flows down the mountain.

22 “You also made the LORD angry at Taberah, Massah, and Kibroth-hattaavah.

23 And at Kadesh-barnea the LORD sent you out with this command: ‘Go up and take over the land I have given you.’ But you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God and refused to put your trust in him or obey him.