Exodus 32:19
in Exodus 32As 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
KJV
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
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This verse in Exodus 32
Commentary
6 notes on this verseMoses was the meekest man on the earth, and yet when he saw the calf, and the dancing, his anger waxed hot. Note, It is no breach of the law of meekness to show our displeasure at the wickedness of the wicked. Those are angry and sin not that are angry at sin only, not as against themselves, but as against God.
This site's exposition
he saw the calf, and the dancing
Moses' anger waxed hot, which is the phrase the chapter used of God's anger at verse 10 and that Moses himself used at verse 11. He breaks the tables at the foot of the mountain where the people can see it, and Deuteronomy 9:17 says he brake them before your eyes. Whether the act is temper or a public declaration that the covenant is already broken has been read both ways, and the text records the act without giving a reason.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
And Moses broke their tablet, having written for them, as it were, certain words; just as a schoolmaster would do, who having taken up the writing tablet, and found it badly written, throws away the tablet itself, desiring to show great anger; and if he have broken it, the father is not angry. For he indeed was busy writing, but they not attending to him, but turning themselves other ways, were committing disorder. And as in school, they strike each other, so also, on that occasion, he bade them strike and slay each other.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Though God knew of their sin, before Moses came down, yet he did not order him to leave the tables behind him, but gave them to him to take down in his hand, that the people might see how forward God was to take them into covenant with himself, and that nothing but their own sin prevented it; yet he put in into his heart, when the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered (as the expression is, Hos. vii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And it came to pass, as soon, as he came nigh unto the camp,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He saw the calf, and the dancing - Dancing before the idol takes place in almost every Hindoo idolatrous feast - Ward.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר | kaasher | just when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| קָרַב֙ | karav | he drew near | H7126 → | 280 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה | hamachaneh | the camp | H4264 → | 215 times |
| וַיַּ֥רְא | vaiyar' | and he saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָעֵ֖גֶל | haegel | the calf | H5695 → | 35 times |
| וּמְחֹלֹ֑ת | umecholot | and dancing | H4246 → | |
| וַיִּֽחַר־ | vaiyichar- | and it burned | H2734 → | 91 times |
| אַ֣ף | ʾaf | [the] anger of | H639 → | 276 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֗ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ | vaiyashlekh | and he threw down | H7993 → | 125 times |
| מִיָּדָיו֙ | miyadov | from hands his | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַלֻּחֹ֔ת | haluchot | the tablets | H3871 → | 43 times |
| וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥ר | vayshaber | and he broke in pieces | H7665 → | 147 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תַּ֥חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| הָהָֽר׃ | hahar | the mountain | H2022 → | 546 times |
וַֽיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤רjust when
kaasherH834 →5497 times
קָרַב֙he drew near
karavH7126 →280 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔הthe camp
hamachanehH4264 →215 times
וַיַּ֥רְאand he saw
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָעֵ֖גֶלthe calf
haegelH5695 →35 times
וּמְחֹלֹ֑תand dancing
umecholotH4246 →
וַיִּֽחַר־and it burned
vaiyichar-H2734 →91 times
אַ֣ף[the] anger of
ʾafH639 →276 times
מֹשֶׁ֗הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְand he threw down
vaiyashlekhH7993 →125 times
מִיָּדָיו֙from hands his
miyadovH3027 →1618 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַלֻּחֹ֔תthe tablets
haluchotH3871 →43 times
וַיְשַׁבֵּ֥רand he broke in pieces
vayshaberH7665 →147 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
תַּ֥חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
הָהָֽר׃the mountain
haharH2022 →546 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 10:14But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and told them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
it leads to
- Matthew 19:14
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
- Matthew 18:4
Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
- Matthew 18:10
See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
- Psalms 131:1–2
My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me.
- Luke 18:15–16
Now people were even bringing their babies to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them. And when the disciples saw this, they rebuked those who brought them.
- Matthew 19:14
Through
Deuteronomy 27:26‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
it leads to
- Galatians 3:10
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Galatians 3:10
Through
2 Samuel 6:14And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 2:18
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
- Exodus 15:20
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
- 1 Samuel 2:18
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON COLOSSIANS 4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.