Focused Passage

Exodus 32:15-20

The Golden Calf: Covenant Rebellion, Intercession, Judgment, and Mercy

The chapter moves from Israel’s demand for a visible god, to Aaron’s making of the golden calf, to idolatrous worship and revelry, to the LORD’s declaration of Israel’s corruption, to Moses’ intercession, to Moses’ descent and shattering of the tablets, to judgment in the camp, to Moses’ second intercession, and finally to the LORD’s warning that sin will be punished even as Israel continues forward.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

15Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.

16The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

17When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.”

18But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”

19As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.

20Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 15

Original words

Then Mosesמֹשֶׁה֙H4872Noun - proper - masculine singularturnedוַיִּ֜פֶןH6437Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularand went downוַיֵּ֤רֶדH3381Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularמִן־מִן־H4480Prepositionthe mountainהָהָ֔רH2022Article | Noun - masculine singularwith the twoוּשְׁנֵ֛יH8147Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine dual constructtabletsלֻחֹ֥תH3871Noun - masculine plural constructof the Testimonyהָעֵדֻ֖תH5715Article | Noun - feminine singularin his handsבְּיָד֑וֹH3027Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular. . .לֻחֹ֗תH3871Noun - masculine pluralThey were inscribedכְּתֻבִים֙H3789Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralon bothמִשְּׁנֵ֣יH8147Preposition-m | Number - masculine dual constructsidesעֶבְרֵיהֶ֔םH5676Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine pluralהֵ֥םהֵ֥םH1992Pronoun - third person masculine plural-כְּתֻבִֽים׃H3789Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine pluralfrontמִזֶּ֥הH2088Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singularand backוּמִזֶּ֖הH2088Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

The tabletsוְהַ֨לֻּחֹ֔תH3871Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine pluralwere the workמַעֲשֵׂ֥הH4639Noun - masculine singular constructof Godאֱלֹהִ֖יםH430Noun - masculine plural. . .הֵ֑מָּהH1992Pronoun - third person masculine pluraland the writingוְהַמִּכְתָּ֗בH4385Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular[was] the writingמִכְתַּ֤בH4385Noun - masculine singular constructof Godאֱלֹהִים֙H430Noun - masculine plural. . .ה֔וּאH1931Pronoun - third person masculine singularengravedחָר֖וּתH2801Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularonעַל־H5921Prepositionthe tabletsהַלֻּחֹֽת׃H3871Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

When Joshuaיְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַH3091Noun - proper - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerheardוַיִּשְׁמַ֧עH8085Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularthe soundק֥וֹלH6963Noun - masculine singular constructof the peopleהָעָ֖םH5971Article | Noun - masculine singularshoutingבְּרֵעֹ֑הH7452Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularhe saidוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙H559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulartoאֶל־H413PrepositionMosesמֹשֶׁ֔הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singularThe soundק֥וֹלH6963Noun - masculine singular constructof warמִלְחָמָ֖הH4421Noun - feminine singular[is] in the campבַּֽמַּחֲנֶה׃H4264Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Verse 18

Original words

But Moses repliedוַיֹּ֗אמֶרH559Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularIt is neitherאֵ֥יןH369Adverbthe cryקוֹל֙H6963Noun - masculine singular construct. . .עֲנ֣וֹתH6030Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructof victoryגְּבוּרָ֔הH1369Noun - feminine singularnorוְאֵ֥יןH369Conjunctive waw | Adverbthe cryק֖וֹלH6963Noun - masculine singular construct. . .עֲנ֣וֹתH6030Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructof defeatחֲלוּשָׁ֑הH2476Noun - feminine singularIאָנֹכִ֖יH595Pronoun - first person common singularhearשֹׁמֵֽעַ׃H8085Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularthe soundק֣וֹלH6963Noun - masculine singular constructof singingעַנּ֔וֹתH6030Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Verse 19

Original words

-וַֽיְהִ֗יH1961Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularAsכַּאֲשֶׁ֤רH834Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative[Moses] approachedקָרַב֙H7126Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular. . .אֶל־H413Prepositionthe campהַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הH4264Article | Noun - common singularand sawוַיַּ֥רְאH7200Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe calfהָעֵ֖גֶלH5695Article | Noun - masculine singularand the dancingוּמְחֹלֹ֑תH4246Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine pluralheמֹשֶׁ֗הH4872Noun - proper - masculine singularburnedוַיִּֽחַר־H2734Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularwith angerאַ֣ףH639Noun - masculine singular constructand threwוַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְH7993Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularthe tabletsהַלֻּחֹ֔תH3871Article | Noun - masculine pluralout of his handsמִיָּדוֹH3027Preposition-m | Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markershatteringוַיְשַׁבֵּ֥רH7665Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularthemאֹתָ֖םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralat the base ofתַּ֥חַתH8478Prepositionthe mountainהָהָֽר׃H2022Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

Then he tookוַיִּקַּ֞חH3947Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe calfהָעֵ֨גֶלH5695Article | Noun - masculine singularאֲשֶׁ֤ראֲשֶׁ֤רH834Pronoun - relativethey had madeעָשׂוּ֙H6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralburned itוַיִּשְׂרֹ֣ףH8313Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularin the fireבָּאֵ֔שׁH784Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singularground [it]וַיִּטְחַ֖ןH2912Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulartoעַ֣דH5704Preposition-אֲשֶׁר־H834Pronoun - relativepowderדָּ֑קH1854Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularand scattered [the powder]וַיִּ֙זֶר֙H2219Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularoverעַל־H5921Prepositionthe faceפְּנֵ֣יH6440Noun - common plural constructof the waterהַמַּ֔יִםH4325Article | Noun - masculine pluralThen he forcedבְּנֵ֥יH1121Noun - masculine plural constructthe Israelitesיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃H3478Noun - proper - masculine singularto drinkוַיַּ֖שְׁקְH8248Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularitאֶת־H853Direct object marker

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.