Acts 7:40

40 saying to Aaron, Make thou to us gods, that shall go before us; for to this Moses that led us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is done to him [we witen not, what is done to him].

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 This it is [This is], that was in the church in wilderness, with the angel that spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers; which took words of life to give to us.
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but putted him away [but put him away], and were turned away in their hearts into Egypt,
40 saying to Aaron, Make thou to us gods, that shall go before us; for to this Moses that led us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is done to him [we witen not, what is done to him].
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the maumet; and they were glad in the works of their hands [and offered an host to the simulacrum; and they gladded in the works of their hands].
42 And God turned, and betook them to serve to the knighthood of heaven, as it is written in the book of [the] prophets, Whether ye, house of Israel, offered to me slain sacrifices, either sacrifices, forty years in desert?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.