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

15 Then 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.

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

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

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

19 As 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.

20 Then 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 Moses מֹשֶׁה֙ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular turned וַיִּ֜פֶן H6437 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular and went down וַיֵּ֤רֶד H3381 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular מִן־ מִן־ H4480 Preposition the mountain הָהָ֔ר H2022 Article | Noun - masculine singular with the two וּשְׁנֵ֛י H8147 Conjunctive waw | Number - masculine dual construct tablets לֻחֹ֥ת H3871 Noun - masculine plural construct of the Testimony הָעֵדֻ֖ת H5715 Article | Noun - feminine singular in his hands בְּיָד֑וֹ H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular . . . לֻחֹ֗ת H3871 Noun - masculine plural They were inscribed כְּתֻבִים֙ H3789 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural on both מִשְּׁנֵ֣י H8147 Preposition-m | Number - masculine dual construct sides עֶבְרֵיהֶ֔ם H5676 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural הֵ֥ם הֵ֥ם H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural - כְּתֻבִֽים׃ H3789 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine plural front מִזֶּ֥ה H2088 Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular and back וּמִזֶּ֖ה H2088 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Pronoun - masculine singular
Verse 16

Original words

The tablets וְהַ֨לֻּחֹ֔ת H3871 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine plural were the work מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה H4639 Noun - masculine singular construct of God אֱלֹהִ֖ים H430 Noun - masculine plural . . . הֵ֑מָּה H1992 Pronoun - third person masculine plural and the writing וְהַמִּכְתָּ֗ב H4385 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular [was] the writing מִכְתַּ֤ב H4385 Noun - masculine singular construct of God אֱלֹהִים֙ H430 Noun - masculine plural . . . ה֔וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular engraved חָר֖וּת H2801 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the tablets הַלֻּחֹֽת׃ H3871 Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 17

Original words

When Joshua יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ H3091 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker heard וַיִּשְׁמַ֧ע H8085 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the sound ק֥וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of the people הָעָ֖ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular shouting בְּרֵעֹ֑ה H7452 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular he said וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition Moses מֹשֶׁ֔ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular The sound ק֥וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of war מִלְחָמָ֖ה H4421 Noun - feminine singular [is] in the camp בַּֽמַּחֲנֶה׃ H4264 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Verse 18

Original words

But Moses replied וַיֹּ֗אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular It is neither אֵ֥ין H369 Adverb the cry קוֹל֙ H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . עֲנ֣וֹת H6030 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct of victory גְּבוּרָ֔ה H1369 Noun - feminine singular nor וְאֵ֥ין H369 Conjunctive waw | Adverb the cry ק֖וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct . . . עֲנ֣וֹת H6030 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct of defeat חֲלוּשָׁ֑ה H2476 Noun - feminine singular I אָנֹכִ֖י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular hear שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃ H8085 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular the sound ק֣וֹל H6963 Noun - masculine singular construct of singing עַנּ֔וֹת H6030 Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Verse 19

Original words

- וַֽיְהִ֗י H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular As כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Preposition-k | Pronoun - relative [Moses] approached קָרַב֙ H7126 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular . . . אֶל־ H413 Preposition the camp הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה H4264 Article | Noun - common singular and saw וַיַּ֥רְא H7200 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the calf הָעֵ֖גֶל H5695 Article | Noun - masculine singular and the dancing וּמְחֹלֹ֑ת H4246 Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural he מֹשֶׁ֗ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular burned וַיִּֽחַר־ H2734 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular with anger אַ֣ף H639 Noun - masculine singular construct and threw וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular the tablets הַלֻּחֹ֔ת H3871 Article | Noun - masculine plural out of his hands מִיָּדוֹ H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine dual construct | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker shattering וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר H7665 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular them אֹתָ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural at the base of תַּ֥חַת H8478 Preposition the mountain הָהָֽר׃ H2022 Article | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 20

Original words

Then he took וַיִּקַּ֞ח H3947 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the calf הָעֵ֨גֶל H5695 Article | Noun - masculine singular אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative they had made עָשׂוּ֙ H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural burned it וַיִּשְׂרֹ֣ף H8313 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular in the fire בָּאֵ֔שׁ H784 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular ground [it] וַיִּטְחַ֖ן H2912 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular to עַ֣ד H5704 Preposition - אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative powder דָּ֑ק H1854 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular and scattered [the powder] וַיִּ֙זֶר֙ H2219 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular over עַל־ H5921 Preposition the face פְּנֵ֣י H6440 Noun - common plural construct of the water הַמַּ֔יִם H4325 Article | Noun - masculine plural Then he forced בְּנֵ֥י H1121 Noun - masculine plural construct the Israelites יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ H3478 Noun - proper - masculine singular to drink וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ H8248 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular it אֶת־ H853 Direct 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.