God’s Word Translation
Exodus 32:17
17Then Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. He said to Moses, “It’s the sound of war in the camp!”
Exodus 32:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
- New International Version (NIV)When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”
Context of Exodus 32:17
15Moses turned and went down the mountain carrying the two tablets with God’s words. They were written on both sides, front and back. 16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing inscribed on the tablets. Then Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting. He said to Moses, “It’s the sound of war in the camp!” 18Moses replied, “It’s not the sound of winners shouting. It’s not the sound of losers crying. It’s the sound of a wild celebration that I hear.” 19When he came near the camp, he saw the calf and the dancing. In a burst of anger Moses threw down the tablets and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.
Read all of Exodus 32Exodus 32:17 word by word
וַיִּשְׁמַ֧ע יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ אֶת־ק֥וֹל הָעָ֖ם בְּרֵע֑וֹ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה ק֥וֹל מִלְחָמָ֖ה בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And when Joshuaיְהוֹשׁוּעַyehôshûa‛ yehôshûa‛ · JoshuaH3091
- heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
- the noiseקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
- of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- as they shoutedרֵעַrêa‛ · shoutingH7452
- he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421
- in the campמַחֲנֶהmachăneh · campH4264
Cross-references for Exodus 32:17
- Exodus 17:9Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men. Then fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I will hold in my hand the staff God told me to take along.”
- Exodus 24:13Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up on the mountain of God.
- Exodus 32:18Moses replied, “It’s not the sound of winners shouting. It’s not the sound of losers crying. It’s the sound of a wild celebration that I hear.”
- Ezra 3:11As they praised and gave thanks to the Lord, they sang antiphonally: “He is good; his mercy toward Israel endures forever.” Then all the people shouted, “Praise the Lord,” because the foundation for the house of the Lord had been laid.
- Psalms 47:1Clap your hands, all you people. Shout to God with a loud, joyful song.
- Joshua 6:5When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city.”
- Judges 15:14When he came to Lehi, the Philistines met him with shouts ⌞of triumph⌟. But the Lord’s Spirit came over him. The ropes on his arms became like strings burned in a fire, and those on his hands snapped.
- 1 Samuel 4:5When the Lord’s ark came into the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth rang with echoes.
- 1 Samuel 17:20David got up early in the morning and had someone else watch ⌞the sheep⌟. He took ⌞the food⌟ and went, as Jesse ordered him. He went to the camp as the army was going out to the battle line shouting their war cry.
- Job 39:25As often as the horn sounds, the horse says, ‘Aha!’ and it smells the battle far away— the thundering ⌞orders⌟ of the captains and the battle cries.
- Jeremiah 51:14The Lord of Armies has taken an oath on himself: “I will certainly fill you with many enemy armies. They will swarm like locusts. People will shout their victory over you.”
- Amos 1:14I will set fire to the walls of Rabbah and burn down its palaces while troops are shouting on the day of battle and winds are howling on the day of the storm.
- Amos 2:2I will send a fire on Moab and burn down the palaces of Kerioth. Moab will die during the noise of battle while troops are shouting and rams’ horns are blowing.
Commentaries on Exodus 32:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Joshua - said - There is a noise of war in the camp - How natural was this thought to the mind of a military man! Hearing a confused noise he supposed that the Israelitish camp had been attacked by some of the neighboring tribes.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 32:17
In the dictionaries
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
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