Exodus 32:21

Exodus 32:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
• New International Version (NIV)He said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

Context of Exodus 32:21

19Then Moses arrived at the camp. He saw the gold calf. He saw that the people were dancing. He became very angry. He threw the two flat stones that he was carrying onto the ground. He broke them into pieces there at the bottom of the mountain. 20Then he took the image of the calf that they had made. He burned it in the fire. He beat it into powder. He mixed the powder with the people's water. Then he commanded the Israelites to drink it. Moses said to Aaron, ‘Why did you agree to do this? What did the people do to you? You have made them guilty of a great sin.’ 22Aaron answered, ‘My lord, please do not be so angry with me. You know how quickly these people decide to do wicked things. 23They said to me, “Make us some gods that will lead us. This man Moses brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.”

Exodus 32:21 word by word

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן מֶֽה־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּֽי־הֵבֵ֥אתָ עָלָ֖יו חֲטָאָ֥ה גְדֹלָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Aaronאַהֲרֹן'ahărôn · AaronH175
• What didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• unto thee, that thou hast broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• so greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• a sinחֲטָאָהchăţâ'âh · sinH2401

Cross-references for Exodus 32:21

• Genesis 20:9Abimelech called Abraham to come to him. He said to Abraham, ‘Why have you done this bad thing against us? I have not done anything wrong against you. Now you have made me and the people in my kingdom guilty of a very bad thing. Nobody should ever do the things that you have done to me.’
• Genesis 26:10Abimelech said, ‘You have done a bad thing against us! One of my men might have had sex with your wife. Then we would have been guilty of a bad sin.’
• Deuteronomy 13:6Even someone in your own family may try to turn you away from the Lord. It may be your own brother, your son or your daughter. It may be your wife whom you love. It may be a friend that you like very much. They may say to you secretly, ‘We should worship other gods.’ Those are gods that you and your ancestors never knew about before.
• 1 Samuel 26:19My master and my king, please listen to me. Has the Lord made you angry with me? If that is true, a sacrifice to him may change his thoughts. But if men have made you turn against me, I ask the Lord to curse them. They have chased me out of the land that belongs to the Lord's people. They have said to me, “Go away and worship other gods!”
• Joshua 7:19Then Joshua said to Achan, ‘My son, tell the truth, to show that you respect the Lord, Israel's God. Tell me what you have done. Do not try to deceive me.’
• 1 Kings 14:16He will put Israel under the power of its enemies because of Jeroboam's sins. Jeroboam also caused Israel's people to do bad things.’
• 1 Kings 21:22I will destroy your family as I did to the family of Nebat's son Jeroboam and the family of Ahijah's son Baasha. I will do this because you have made me angry and you have caused Israel's people to do wrong things.”
• 2 Kings 21:9But the people did not obey the Lord. Manasseh caused them to turn away from God. The Israelites did more evil things than the people who lived in Canaan before them. The Lord had destroyed those nations so that the Israelites could live there.

Commentaries on Exodus 32:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21What did this people unto thee - It seems if Aaron had been firm, this evil might have been prevented.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. 21-29Verses 21-29 Never did any wise man make a more frivolous and foolish excuse than that of Aaron. We must never be drawn into sin by any thing man can say or do to us; for men can but tempt us to sin, they cannot force us. The approach of Moses turned the dancing into trembling. They were exposed to shame by their sin. The course Moses took to roll away this reproach, was, not by concealing the sin, or putting any false colour upon it, but by punishing it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-25Aaron denied responsibility, even though he made the molds and poured the gold (32:4). Aaron wanted Moses to believe it all just happened (32:24). He implied he had no choice because the people were so evil (32:22). Aaron did not fool Moses. Moses knew Aaron could have led the people, but instead, he allowed them to get completely out of control (32:25).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-351. when the people saw that Moses delayed--They supposed that he had lost his way in the darkness or perished in the fire. the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron--rather, "against" Aaron in a tumultuous manner, to compel him to do what they wished. The incidents related in this chapter disclose a state of popular sentiment and feeling among the Israelites that stands in singular contrast to the tone of profound and humble reverence they…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 32:21

• Falsehood
• Israel
• Reproof

In the dictionaries

• Aaron
• Moses
• Consume
• Corrupt
• Fashion
• Levite
• Mastery
• Naked
• Play
• Shout

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