Acts 7:40

40 dicentes ad Aaron fac nobis deos qui praecedant nos Moses enim hic qui eduxit nos de terra Aegypti nescimus quid factum sit ei

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 hic est qui fuit in ecclesia in solitudine cum angelo qui loquebatur ei in monte Sina et cum patribus nostris qui accepit verba vitae dare nobis
39 cui noluerunt oboedire patres nostri sed reppulerunt et aversi sunt cordibus suis in Aegyptum
40 dicentes ad Aaron fac nobis deos qui praecedant nos Moses enim hic qui eduxit nos de terra Aegypti nescimus quid factum sit ei
41 et vitulum fecerunt in illis diebus et obtulerunt hostiam simulacro et laetabantur in operibus manuum suarum
42 convertit autem Deus et tradidit eos servire militiae caeli sicut scriptum est in libro Prophetarum numquid victimas aut hostias obtulistis mihi annis quadraginta in deserto domus Israhel
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.