New American Standard Bible 1995

Exodus 32:21-34

21Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?” 22Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, 1that they are 2prone to evil. 23For 3they said to me, ‘Make 4a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and 5I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

25Now when Moses saw that the people were 6out of control--for Aaron had 7let them 8get out of control to be a derision among 9their enemies-- 26then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his 10neighbor.’” 28So 11the sons of Levi did 12as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29Then Moses said, “13Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord--for every man has been against his son and against his brother--in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today.”

30On the next day Moses said to the people, “14You yourselves have 15committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord, perhaps I can 16make atonement for your sin.” 31Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Alas, this people has 17committed a great sin, and they have made 18a 19god of gold for themselves. 32But now, if You will, forgive their sin--and if not, please blot me out from Your 20book which You have written!” 33The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, 21I will blot him out of My book. 34But go now, lead the people 22where I told you. Behold, 23My angel shall go before you; nevertheless 24in the day when I 25punish, 26I will 27punish them for their sin.”

Read all of Exodus 32

Notes

1. Exodus 32:22 Deut 9:24 ↩
2. Exodus 32:22 Lit in evil ↩
3. Exodus 32:23 Ex 32:1-4 ↩
4. Exodus 32:23 Or gods ↩
5. Exodus 32:24 Ex 32:4 ↩
6. Exodus 32:25 Lit let loose ↩
7. Exodus 32:25 1 Kin 12:28-30; 14:16 ↩
8. Exodus 32:25 Lit go loose ↩
9. Exodus 32:25 Lit those who rise against them ↩
10. Exodus 32:27 Or kin ↩
11. Exodus 32:28 Num 25:7-13; Deut 33:9 ↩
12. Exodus 32:28 Lit according to Moses’ word ↩
13. Exodus 32:29 Lit Fill your hand ↩
14. Exodus 32:30 1 Sam 12:20, 23 ↩
15. Exodus 32:30 Lit sinned ↩
16. Exodus 32:30 Num 25:13 ↩
17. Exodus 32:31 Lit sinned ↩
18. Exodus 32:31 Or gods ↩
19. Exodus 32:31 Ex 20:23 ↩
20. Exodus 32:32 Ps 69:28; Is 4:3; Dan 12:1; Mal 3:16, 17; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 21:27 ↩
21. Exodus 32:33 Ex 17:14; Deut 29:20; Ps 9:5; Rev 3:5 ↩
22. Exodus 32:34 Ex 3:17 ↩
23. Exodus 32:34 Ex 23:20 ↩
24. Exodus 32:34 Deut 32:35; Rom 2:5, 6 ↩
25. Exodus 32:34 Lit visit ↩
26. Exodus 32:34 Ps 99:8 ↩
27. Exodus 32:34 Lit visit their sin upon them ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Exodus 32