New American Standard Bible 2020

Exodus 32:21-34

21Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22And Aaron 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 happened to him.’ 24So I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ Then 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 the point of being an object of ridicule among 9their enemies-- 26Moses then stood at 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. 27And he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Every man of you put his sword on 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.”

30And on 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, “Oh, this people has 17committed a great sin, and they have made a 18god of gold for themselves! 32But now, if You will forgive their sin, very well; but if not, please wipe me out from Your 19book which You have written!” 33However, the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, 20I will wipe him out of My book. 34But go now, lead the people 21where I told you. Behold, 22My angel shall go before you; nevertheless 23on the day when I 24punish, 25I will 26punish 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 Ex 20:23 ↩
19. Exodus 32:32 Ps 69:28; Is 4:3; Dan 12:1; Mal 3:16, 17; Phil 4:3; Rev 3:5; 21:27 ↩
20. Exodus 32:33 Ex 17:14; Deut 29:20; Ps 9:5; Rev 3:5 ↩
21. Exodus 32:34 Ex 3:17 ↩
22. Exodus 32:34 Ex 23:20 ↩
23. Exodus 32:34 Deut 32:35; Rom 2:5, 6 ↩
24. Exodus 32:34 Lit visit ↩
25. Exodus 32:34 Ps 99:8 ↩
26. Exodus 32:34 Lit visit their sin upon them ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Exodus 32