Focused Passage

Exodus 32:21-24

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

21 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”

22 “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.

23 They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’

24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 21

Original words

What מֶֽה־ H4100 Interrogative did this הַזֶּ֑ה H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular people הָעָ֣ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular do עָשָׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to you לְךָ֖ Preposition | second person masculine singular Moses מֹשֶׁה֙ H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular . . . אֶֽל־ H413 Preposition asked וַיֹּ֤אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Aaron אַהֲרֹ֔ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular that כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you have led them הֵבֵ֥אתָ H935 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular into עָלָ֖יו H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular so great גְדֹלָֽה׃ H1419 Adjective - feminine singular a sin חֲטָאָ֥ה H2401 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 22

Original words

Do not אַל־ H408 Adverb be enraged יִ֥חַר H2734 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular . . . אַ֖ף H639 Noun - masculine singular construct my lord אֲדֹנִ֑י H113 Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular Aaron אַהֲרֹ֔ן H175 Noun - proper - masculine singular replied וַיֹּ֣אמֶר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular You אַתָּה֙ H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular yourself know יָדַ֣עְתָּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker that the people הָעָ֔ם H5971 Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . כִּ֥י H3588 Conjunction are intent on evil בְרָ֖ע H7451 Preposition-b | Adjective - masculine singular . . . הֽוּא׃ H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular
Verse 23

Original words

They told וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural me לִ֔י Preposition | first person common singular Make עֲשֵׂה־ H6213 Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular us לָ֣נוּ Preposition | first person common plural gods אֱלֹהִ֔ים H430 Noun - masculine plural who אֲשֶׁ֥ר H834 Pronoun - relative will go יֵלְכ֖וּ H1980 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural before us לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ H6440 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural As for כִּי־ H3588 Conjunction this זֶ֣ה׀ H2088 Pronoun - masculine singular Moses מֹשֶׁ֣ה H4872 Noun - proper - masculine singular - הָאִ֗ישׁ H376 Article | Noun - masculine singular who אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative brought us up הֶֽעֱלָ֙נוּ֙ H5927 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural out of the land מֵאֶ֣רֶץ H776 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרַ֔יִם H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular we do not לֹ֥א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle know יָדַ֖עְנוּ H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural what מֶה־ H4100 Interrogative has happened הָ֥יָה H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to him לֽוֹ׃ Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 24

Original words

So I said וָאֹמַ֤ר H559 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular to them לָהֶם֙ Preposition | third person masculine plural Whoever לְמִ֣י H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative has gold זָהָ֔ב H2091 Noun - masculine singular let him take it off הִתְפָּרָ֖קוּ H6561 Verb - Hitpael - Imperative - masculine plural and they gave it וַיִּתְּנוּ־ H5414 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural to me לִ֑י Preposition | first person common singular And when I threw it וָאַשְׁלִכֵ֣הוּ H7993 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular into the fire בָאֵ֔שׁ H784 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular out came וַיֵּצֵ֖א H3318 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular this הַזֶּֽה׃ H2088 Article | Pronoun - masculine singular calf הָעֵ֥גֶל H5695 Article | Noun - masculine singular

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.