Exodus 32:31

Exodus 32:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
• New International Version (NIV)So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!

Context of Exodus 32:31

29Then Moses said to the Levites, ‘You have shown today that you want to serve the Lord. You have become his special servants because you have obeyed him. You have agreed to kill even your own sons and brothers. God has blessed you because of this.’ 30On the next day, Moses said to the people, ‘You have done a great sin. But now I will go back up the mountain. I will speak to the Lord. Perhaps I can do something so that the Lord will forgive your sin.’ So Moses returned to the Lord. He said to the Lord, ‘Please listen to me. These people have done a very great sin. They have made a gold idol to worship as their god. 32But now I ask you to forgive them for their sin. But if you will not do that, then please remove my name from your book.’ 33The Lord answered Moses, ‘I will only remove the names of the people who have turned against me.

Exodus 32:31 word by word

וַיָּ֧שָׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אָ֣נָּ֗א חָטָ֞א הָעָ֤ם הַזֶּה֙ חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֔ה וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ לָהֶ֖ם אֱלֹהֵ֥י זָהָֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• returnedשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Ohאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
• this peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• have sinnedחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
• a greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• sinחֲטָאָהchăţâ'âh · sinH2401
• and have madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• them godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• of goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091

Cross-references for Exodus 32:31

• Exodus 34:28Moses was there on the mountain with the Lord for 40 days and 40 nights. He did not eat anything or drink anything during that time. He wrote the words of God's covenant on the flat stones. Those were God's ten special commands.
• Deuteronomy 9:18Then I again fell down with my face on the ground, to pray to the Lord. I did that for 40 days and nights. I did not eat or drink anything. You had done an evil thing which caused the Lord to be very angry.
• Exodus 32:30On the next day, Moses said to the people, ‘You have done a great sin. But now I will go back up the mountain. I will speak to the Lord. Perhaps I can do something so that the Lord will forgive your sin.’
• Ezra 9:6I said, ‘My God, I am too ashamed to look up at you. Our sins are very great. They are so many that they reach far above us. We are completely guilty.
• Nehemiah 9:33But when you punished us like that, you were right to do it. You have always been faithful. It is us who have done wicked things.
• Daniel 9:5We have done bad things that are wicked and evil. We have turned against you. We have not obeyed your laws and your teaching.
• Exodus 20:4You must not make any idol for yourself. Do not make a false god in the shape of anything that is in the sky above. Do not make one in the shape of anything on the earth or in the sea.

Commentaries on Exodus 32:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Moses returned unto the Lord - Before he went down from the mountain God had acquainted him with the general defection of the people, whereupon he immediately, without knowing the extent of their crime, began to make intercession for them; and God, having given him a general assurance that they should not be cut off, hastened him to go down, and bring them off from their idolatry. Having descended, he finds matters much worse than he expected, and ordered…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. 30-35Verses 30-35 Moses calls it a great sin. The work of ministers is to show people the greatness of their sins. The great evil of sin appears in the price of pardon. Moses pleads with God for mercy; he came not to make excuses, but to make atonement. We are not to suppose that Moses means that he would be willing to perish for ever, for the people's sake. We are to love our neighbour as ourselves, and not more than ourselves. But having that mind which was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 30-35This further intercession for the people may have been needed because of the new recognition Moses had of how serious the sin really was.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 30-3330-33. Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin--Moses labored to show the people the heinous nature of their sin, and to bring them to repentance. But not content with that, he hastened more earnestly to intercede for them.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 32:31

• Intercession
• Israel
• Love
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Moses
• Consume
• Corrupt
• Fashion
• Levite
• Mastery
• Naked
• Pentateuch
• Play
• Prayer

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