Exodus 32:18

Exodus 32:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
• New International Version (NIV)Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.”

Context of Exodus 32:18

16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved on the tablets. 17When Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” But Moses replied, It’s not the sound of a victory cry and not the sound of a cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing! 19As he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became enraged and threw the tablets out of his hands, smashing them at the base of the mountain. 20He took the calf they had made, burned it up, and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder over the surface of the water and forced the Israelites to drink the water.

Exodus 32:18 word by word

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֥ין קוֹל֙ עֲנ֣וֹת גְּבוּרָ֔ה וְאֵ֥ין ק֖וֹל עֲנ֣וֹת חֲלוּשָׁ֑ה ק֣וֹל עַנּ֔וֹת אָנֹכִ֖י שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• not the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
• shoutעוּן‛ânâh · to dwellH6030
• for masteryגְּבוּרָהgebûrâh · mightH1369
• for being overcomeחֲלוּשָׁהchălûshâh · weaknessH2476
• singעָנָה‛ânâh · be occupiedH6031
• do I hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085

Cross-references for Exodus 32:18

• Exodus 15:1Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said: I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted; he has thrown the horse and its rider into the sea.
• Daniel 5:4They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Commentaries on Exodus 32:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18And he said - That is, Moses returned this answer to the observations of Joshua.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-35Verses 7-35 The faithfulness of Moses in the office that had been entrusted to him was now to be put to the test. It was to be made manifest whether he loved his own glory better than he loved the brethren who were under his charge; whether he would prefer that he should himself become the founder of a “great nation,” or that the Lord‘s promise should be fulfilled in the whole people of Israel. This may have been especially needful for Moses, in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-20Verses 15-20 What a change it is, to come down from the mount of communion with God, to converse with a wicked world. In God we see nothing but what is pure and pleasing; in the world nothing but what is sinful and provoking. That it might appear an idol is nothing in the world, Moses ground the calf to dust. Mixing this powder with their drink, signified that the backslider in heart should be filled with his own ways.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-29When Moses saw what was happening, he became much less calm than he was on the mountain. He smashed the two tablets (32:15–19). He destroyed the calf (32:20). He confronted Aaron (32:21–25). He ordered the death of the rebellious leaders (32:26–29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1815-18. Moses turned, and went down from the mount--The plain, Er-Raheh, is not visible from the top of Jebel Musa, nor can the mount be descended on the side towards that valley; hence Moses and his companion, who on duty had patiently waited his return in the hollow of the mountain's brow, heard the shouting some time before they actually saw the camp.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 32:18

• Falsehood
• Idolatry
• Table

In the dictionaries

• Consume
• Corrupt
• Fashion
• Levite
• Mastery
• Naked
• Play
• Shout
• Sing
• Soon

Commentaries on Exodus 32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings