New King James Version
Exodus 32:12
12Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.
Exodus 32:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
- New International Version (NIV)Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!
Context of Exodus 32:12
10Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” 11Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.
Read all of Exodus 32Exodus 32:12 word by word
לָמָּה֩ יֹאמְר֨וּ מִצְרַ֜יִם לֵאמֹ֗ר בְּרָעָ֤ה הֽוֹצִיאָם֙ לַהֲרֹ֤ג אֹתָם֙ בֶּֽהָרִ֔ים וּ֨לְכַלֹּתָ֔ם מֵעַ֖ל פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה שׁ֚וּב מֵחֲר֣וֹן אַפֶּ֔ךָ וְהִנָּחֵ֥ם עַל־הָרָעָ֖ה לְעַמֶּֽךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Wherefore should the Egyptiansמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- speakאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- For mischiefרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- did he bringיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- them out, to slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- them in the mountainsהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
- and to consumeכָּלָהkâlâh · to end: destroyH3615
- them from the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
- of the earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: planetH127
- Turnשׁוּבshûb · to return: turn backH7725
- from thy fierceחָרוֹןchârôn chârôn · burning angerH2740
- wrathאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- and repentנָחַםnâcham · to be sorry: relentH5162
- of this evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: harmH7451
- against thy peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
Cross-references for Exodus 32:12
- Numbers 14:13And Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them,
- Deuteronomy 9:28lest the land from which You brought us should say, “Because the Lord was not able to bring them to the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.”
- Deuteronomy 32:26I would have said, “I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,”
- Joshua 7:9For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
- Psalms 74:18Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O Lord, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name.
- Psalms 79:9Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name’s sake!
- Ezekiel 20:9But I acted for My name’s sake, that it should not be profaned before the Gentiles among whom they were, in whose sight I had made Myself known to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 13:17So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers,
- Joshua 7:26Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.
- Ezra 10:14Please, let the leaders of our entire assembly stand; and let all those in our cities who have taken pagan wives come at appointed times, together with the elders and judges of their cities, until the fierce wrath of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”
- Psalms 78:38But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;
- Psalms 85:3You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
- Exodus 32:14So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.
- Genesis 6:6And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
- Deuteronomy 32:36“For the Lord will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free.
- Psalms 90:13Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants.
Commentaries on Exodus 32:12
- 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. 7-14Verses 7-14 God says to Moses, that the Israelites had corrupted themselves. Sin is the corruption of the sinner, and it is a self-corruption; every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust. They had turned aside out of the way. Sin is a departing from the way of duty into a by-path. They soon forgot God's works. He sees what they cannot discover, nor is any wickedness of the world hid from him. We could not bear to see the thousandth part of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-13If there was a test, Moses passed it. He refused to take God's place (32:11). He knew God is just and faithful and would not save people just to destroy them (32:12). He declined the offer to become the father of a great nation because it would mean God violating promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (32:13). Moses understood who God truly is.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-147-14. the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down--Intelligence of the idolatrous scene enacted at the foot of the mount was communicated to Moses in language borrowed from human passions and feelings, and the judgment of a justly offended God was pronounced in terms of just indignation against the gross violation of the so recently promulgated laws.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 32:12
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries