Deuteronomy 9:16

16 and I saw, that ye had sinned to your Lord God, and had made to you a molten calf, and that ye had forsaken swiftly the way of God that he had showed to you, (and I saw that ye had sinned against the Lord your God, and had cast an idol, yea, a metal calf, for yourselves, and that ye had already forsaken the way of God that he had shown you,)

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 suffer thou me, that I all-break him, and do away his name from under heaven; and I shall ordain thee on a folk which is greater and stronger than this folk. (allow me to all-break them, and do away their name from under heaven; and then I shall ordain thee upon a nation which shall be greater and stronger than this nation.)

15 And when I came down from the hill burning, and I held with either hand the two tables of the bond of peace, (And when I came down from the burning mountain, and I held in my hands the two tablets of the covenant,)

16 and I saw, that ye had sinned to your Lord God, and had made to you a molten calf, and that ye had forsaken swiftly the way of God that he had showed to you, (and I saw that ye had sinned against the Lord your God, and had cast an idol, yea, a metal calf, for yourselves, and that ye had already forsaken the way of God that he had shown you,)

17 then I threw down the tables from mine hands, and I brake those tables in your sight. (then I threw down the tablets from my hands, and I broke those tablets in front of you.)

18 And I felled down before the Lord as before, in forty days and forty nights, and I ate not bread, and drank not water, for all your sins which ye did against the Lord, and stirred him to great wrath; (And I fell down before the Lord as I did before, for forty days and forty nights, and I ate no bread, and drank no water, for all your sins which ye did against the Lord, and so had stirred him to such great anger;)