Exodus 32:8
in Exodus 32How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
KJV
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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This verse in Exodus 32
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt
on Exodus 32:7-8
God calls them your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, the words the people used of Moses in verse 1. They have quickly turned aside from the way given at 20:4 and agreed to at 24:7.
This site's exposition
How quickly they have turned aside
The three acts the LORD names, making a molten calf, bowing down to it and sacrificing to it, each break a command already given. At 20:5 the LORD forbade bowing down to an image, and 22:20 set apart for destruction whoever sacrificed to other gods.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them,....
To fall into sin quickly after we have renewed our covenants with God, or received special mercy from him, is very provoking. He tells him particularly what they had done: They have made a calf, and worshipped it. Note, Those sins which are concealed from our governors are naked and open before God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
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The words behind it
22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| סָ֣רוּ | saru | they have turned aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מַהֵ֗ר | maher | quickly | H4118 → | |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ | haderekh | the way | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוִּיתִ֔ם | tzivitim | I commanded them | H6680 → | 494 times |
| עָשׂ֣וּ | ʾasu | they have made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָהֶ֔ם | lahem | for <the> themselves | ||
| עֵ֖גֶל | ʾegel | a calf of | H5695 → | 35 times |
| מַסֵּכָ֑ה | masekhah | molten metal | H4541 → | 28 times |
| וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־ | vaiyishtachavu- | and they have bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> it | ||
| וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־ | vaiyizbechu- | and they have sacrificed | H2076 → | 134 times |
| ל֔וֹ | lo | to <the> it | ||
| וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ | vaiyomeru | and they have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵ֤לֶּה | ʾeleh | these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | [are] gods your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | O Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָ | heelukha | they brought up you | H5927 → | 890 times |
| מֵאֶ֥רֶץ | meeretz | from [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִצְרָֽיִם׃ | mitzrayim | Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
סָ֣רוּthey have turned aside
saruH5493 →299 times
מַהֵ֗רquickly
maherH4118 →
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙the way
haderekhH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוִּיתִ֔םI commanded them
tzivitimH6680 →494 times
עָשׂ֣וּthey have made
ʾasuH6213 →2628 times
לָהֶ֔םfor <the> themselves
lahem
עֵ֖גֶלa calf of
ʾegelH5695 →35 times
מַסֵּכָ֑הmolten metal
masekhahH4541 →28 times
וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־and they have bowed down
vaiyishtachavu-H7812 →172 times
לוֹ֙to <the> it
lo
וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־and they have sacrificed
vaiyizbechu-H2076 →134 times
ל֔וֹto <the> it
lo
וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּand they have said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
אֵ֤לֶּהthese
ʾelehH428 →746 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙[are] gods your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לO Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwho
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֶֽעֱל֖וּךָthey brought up you
heelukhaH5927 →890 times
מֵאֶ֥רֶץfrom [the] land of
meeretzH776 →2504 times
מִצְרָֽיִם׃Egypt
mitzrayimH4714 →641 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
Exodus 22:20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 17:2–5
If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His…
- Deuteronomy 18:20
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put…
- Numbers 25:7–8
On seeing this, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, got up from the assembly, took a spear in his hand,
- Deuteronomy 13:1–15
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Deuteronomy 17:2–5
Through
1 Kings 12:28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out…
it leads to
- Exodus 32:4
He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of…
- 2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served…
- 2 Kings 10:29
but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
- Exodus 32:4
Through
Exodus 20:23You are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 20:39
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you…
- Ezekiel 20:39
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Worship35 verses
On this page
Studies16
About Exodus
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.