And the Lord was gracious to them
To Israel, notwithstanding their apostasy from him, and the idolatry of the calves they were guilty of:
and had compassion on them;
being in oppression and distress:
and had respect unto them;
looked upon them with an eye of pity and mercy:
because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;
made so long ago he still remembered:
and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as
yet;
or suffered them to be carried captive into another land, as he afterwards did in the times of Hoshea.