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And they said, "These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"</title><link rel="canonical" href="https://biblehub.com/exodus/32-4.htm" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/new9.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><meta property="og:image" content="https://biblehub.com/visuals/15/02_Exo_32_04.jpg" /><meta property="og:title" content="Exodus 32:4 - The Golden Calf" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Bible Hub" /><meta property="og:description" content="He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. 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Then they said, &#8220These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.&#8221 <a href="/nlt/exodus/32.htm">New Living Translation</a> Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” <a href="/esv/exodus/32.htm">English Standard Version</a> And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” <a href="/bsb/exodus/32.htm">Berean Standard Bible</a> 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 the land of Egypt!” <a href="/kjv/exodus/32.htm">King James Bible</a> And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/nkjv/exodus/32.htm">New King James Version</a> And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” <a href="/nasb_/exodus/32.htm">New American Standard Bible</a> Then he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a cast metal calf; and they said, “This is your god, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/nasb/exodus/32.htm">NASB 1995</a> He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, &#8220This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.&#8221 <a href="/nasb77/exodus/32.htm">NASB 1977 </a> And he took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/lsb/exodus/32.htm">Legacy Standard Bible </a> And he took this from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/amp/exodus/32.htm">Amplified Bible</a> And he took the gold from their hands, and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/csb/exodus/32.htm">Christian Standard Bible</a> He took the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, “Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt! ” <a href="/hcsb/exodus/32.htm">Holman Christian Standard Bible</a> He took the gold from their hands, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf. Then they said, &#8220Israel, this is your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!&#8221 <a href="/asv/exodus/32.htm">American Standard Version</a> And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/cev/exodus/32.htm">Contemporary English Version</a> then he melted them and made an idol in the shape of a young bull. All the people said to one another, "This is the god who brought us out of Egypt!" <a href="/erv/exodus/32.htm">English Revised Version</a> And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/gwt/exodus/32.htm">GOD'S WORD® Translation</a> After he had worked on the gold with a tool, he made it into a statue of a calf. Then they said, "Israel, here are your gods who brought you out of Egypt." <a href="/gnt/exodus/32.htm">Good News Translation</a> He took the earrings, melted them, poured the gold into a mold, and made a gold bull-calf. The people said, "Israel, this is our god, who led us out of Egypt!" <a href="/isv/exodus/32.htm">International Standard Version</a> He took them from them and, using a tool, fashioned them into a molten calf. The people said, "This, Israel, is your god who brought you out of the land of Egypt." <a href="/msb/exodus/32.htm">Majority Standard Bible</a> 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 the land of Egypt!” <a href="/net/exodus/32.htm">NET Bible</a> He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." <a href="/nheb/exodus/32.htm">New Heart English Bible</a> He received what they handed him, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, "These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt." <a href="/wbt/exodus/32.htm">Webster's Bible Translation</a> And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/web/exodus/32.htm">World English Bible</a> He received what they handed him, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molded calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” <div class="vheading2">Literal Translations</div><a href="/lsv/exodus/32.htm">Literal Standard Version</a> and he receives [it] from their hand, and fashions it with an engraving tool, and makes it [into] a molten calf, and they say, “These [are] your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” <a href="/ylt/exodus/32.htm">Young's Literal Translation</a> and he receiveth from their hand, and doth fashion it with a graving tool, and doth make it a molten calf, and they say, 'These thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' <a href="/slt/exodus/32.htm">Smith's Literal Translation</a> And he will take from their hand, and will form it with a graver, and he will make it a molten calf: and they will say, These thy gods, Israel, who brought thee up from the land of Egypt.<div class="vheading2">Catholic Translations</div><a href="/drb/exodus/32.htm">Douay-Rheims Bible</a> And when he had received them, he fashioned them by founders' work, and made of them a molten calf. And they said: These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/cpdv/exodus/32.htm">Catholic Public Domain Version</a> And when he had received them, he formed these by the work of a casting furnace, and he made from these a molten calf. And they said: “These are your gods, O Israel, who led you away from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/nabre/exodus/32.htm">New American Bible</a> He received their offering, and fashioning it with a tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” <a href="/nrsvce/exodus/32.htm">New Revised Standard Version</a> He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”<div class="vheading2">Translations from Aramaic</div><a href="/lamsa/exodus/32.htm">Lamsa Bible</a> And he received them, and drew a design, and made it a molten calf; and they said, This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/hpbt/exodus/32.htm">Peshitta Holy Bible Translated</a> And all the people removed the rings that were in their ears and they brought them to Ahron.<div class="vheading2">OT Translations</div><a href="/jps/exodus/32.htm">JPS Tanakh 1917</a> And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: 'This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' <a href="/sep/exodus/32.htm">Brenton Septuagint Translation</a> And he received them at their hands, and formed them with a graving tool; and he made them a molten calf, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. <a href="/parallel/exodus/32-4.htm">Additional Translations ...</a></div></div></div><div id="centbox"><div class="padcent"><a name="study" id="study"></a><div class="vheadingv">Audio Bible</div><iframe width="100%" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kVae3PiKqhs?start=8235" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <div class="vheadingv">Context</div><a href="/bsb/exodus/32.htm">The Golden Calf</a> …3Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4<a href="/hebrew/3947.htm" title="3947: way·yiq·qaḥ (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To take. A primitive root; to take.">He took the gold</a> <a href="/hebrew/3027.htm" title="3027: mî·yā·ḏām (Prep-m:: N-fsc:: 3mp) -- Hand (indicating power, means, direction, etc.)">from their hands,</a> <a href="/hebrew/6696.htm" title="6696: way·yā·ṣar (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms) -- To confine, bind, besiege. A primitive root; to cramp, i.e. Confine.">and</a> <a href="/hebrew/2747.htm" title="2747: ba·ḥe·reṭ (Prep-b, Art:: N-ms) -- Engraving tool, stylus. From a primitive root meaning to engrave; a chisel or graver; also a style for writing.">with an engraving tool</a> <a href="/hebrew/6213.htm" title="6213: way·ya·‘ă·śê·hū (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms:: 3ms) -- To do, make. A primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application.">he fashioned</a> <a href="/hebrew/853.htm" title="853: ’ō·ṯōw (DirObjM:: 3ms) -- Apparent contracted from 'owth in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self.">it</a> <a href="/hebrew/4541.htm" title="4541: mas·sê·ḵāh (N-fs) -- From nacak; properly, a pouring over, i.e. Fusion of metal; by implication, a libation, i.e. League; concretely a coverlet.">into a molten</a> <a href="/hebrew/5695.htm" title="5695: ‘ê·ḡel (N-ms) -- A calf. From the same as agol; a calf, especially one nearly grown.">calf.</a> <a href="/hebrew/559.htm" title="559: way·yō·mə·rū (Conj-w:: V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp) -- To utter, say. A primitive root; to say.">And they said,</a> <a href="/hebrew/428.htm" title="428: ’êl·leh (Pro-cp) -- These. Prolonged from 'el; these or those.">“These,</a> <a href="/hebrew/3478.htm" title="3478: yiś·rā·’êl (N-proper-ms) -- From sarah and 'el; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also of his posterity.">O Israel,</a> <a href="/hebrew/430.htm" title="430: ’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā (N-mpc:: 2ms) -- Plural of 'elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used of the supreme God">are your gods,</a> <a href="/hebrew/834.htm" title="834: ’ă·šer (Pro-r) -- Who, which, that. A primitive relative pronoun; who, which, what, that; also when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.">who</a> <a href="/hebrew/5927.htm" title="5927: he·‘ĕ·lū·ḵā (V-Hifil-Perf-3cp:: 2ms) -- A primitive root; to ascend, intransitively or actively; used in a great variety of senses, primary and secondary, literal and figurative.">brought you up</a> <a href="/hebrew/776.htm" title="776: mê·’e·reṣ (Prep-m:: N-fsc) -- Earth, land. From an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth.">out of the land</a> <a href="/hebrew/4714.htm" title="4714: miṣ·rā·yim (N-proper-fs) -- A son of Ham, also his desc. and their country in N.W. Africa. Dual of matsowr; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt.">of Egypt!”</a> 5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”…<div class="cred"><a href="//berean.bible">Berean Standard Bible</a> · <a href="//berean.bible/downloads.htm">Download</a></div> <a name="crossref" id="crossref"></a><div class="vheading">Cross References</div><div id="crf"><a href="/deuteronomy/9-16.htm">Deuteronomy 9:16</a> And I saw how you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves a molten calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you. <a href="/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28-30</a> After 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 of the land of Egypt.” / One calf he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. / And this thing became a sin; the people walked as far as Dan to worship before one of the calves. <a href="/nehemiah/9-18.htm">Nehemiah 9:18</a> Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies, <a href="/psalms/106-19.htm">Psalm 106:19-20</a> At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. / They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. <a href="/acts/7-41.htm">Acts 7:41</a> At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. <a href="/1_corinthians/10-7.htm">1 Corinthians 10:7</a> Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” <a href="/hosea/8-4.htm">Hosea 8:4-6</a> They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria. <a href="/2_kings/17-16.htm">2 Kings 17:16</a> 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 Baal. <a href="/2_chronicles/11-15.htm">2 Chronicles 11:15</a> And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. <a href="/isaiah/44-9.htm">Isaiah 44:9-20</a> All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ... <a href="/jeremiah/10-3.htm">Jeremiah 10:3-5</a> For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.” <a href="/ezekiel/20-8.htm">Ezekiel 20:8</a> But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt. <a href="/ezekiel/23-8.htm">Ezekiel 23:8</a> She did not give up the prostitution she began in Egypt, when men slept with her in her youth, caressed her virgin bosom, and poured out their lust upon her. <a href="/romans/1-22.htm">Romans 1:22-23</a> Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. <a href="/galatians/4-8.htm">Galatians 4:8</a> Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.</div> <a name="tsk" id="tsk"><div class="vheading">Treasury of Scripture</div>And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a engraving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.fashioned<a href="/exodus/20-23.htm">Exodus 20:23</a> Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.<a href="/deuteronomy/9-16.htm">Deuteronomy 9:16</a> And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.<a href="/psalms/106-19.htm">Psalm 106:19-21</a> They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image… a graving<a href="/exodus/28-9.htm">Exodus 28:9,11</a> And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: … calf<a href="/1_kings/12-28.htm">1 Kings 12:28,32</a> Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt… <a href="/2_kings/10-29.htm">2 Kings 10:29</a> Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.<a href="/2_chronicles/11-15.htm">2 Chronicles 11:15</a> And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.these<a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Exodus 32:8</a> 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.<a href="/judges/17-3.htm">Judges 17:3,4</a> And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee… <a href="/nehemiah/9-18.htm">Nehemiah 9:18</a> Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;which brought<a href="/exodus/32-1.htm">Exodus 32:1,8</a> And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him… <a href="/exodus/20-2.htm">Exodus 20:2</a> I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.<div class="vheading">Jump to Previous</div><a href="/exodus/22-30.htm">Calf</a> <a href="/exodus/26-37.htm">Cast</a> <a href="/1_kings/6-7.htm">Chisel</a> <a href="/exodus/32-1.htm">Egypt</a> <a href="/exodus/28-36.htm">Engraving</a> <a href="/exodus/28-15.htm">Fashion</a> <a href="/genesis/2-22.htm">Fashioned</a> <a href="/1_peter/1-14.htm">Fashioning</a> <a href="/exodus/32-1.htm">Gods</a> <a href="/exodus/32-3.htm">Gold</a> <a href="/exodus/31-5.htm">Graving</a> <a href="/acts/27-41.htm">Hammering</a> <a href="/exodus/29-35.htm">Hand</a> <a href="/genesis/27-17.htm">Handed</a> <a href="/exodus/20-4.htm">Idol</a> <a href="/exodus/20-4.htm">Image</a> <a href="/exodus/21-6.htm">Instrument</a> <a href="/exodus/31-17.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/exodus/25-36.htm">Metal</a> <a href="/habakkuk/2-18.htm">Molten</a> <a href="/exodus/29-36.htm">Ox</a> <a href="/exodus/18-2.htm">Received</a> <a href="/genesis/33-11.htm">Receiveth</a> <a href="/1_peter/1-14.htm">Shape</a> <a href="/exodus/20-25.htm">Tool</a> <a href="/exodus/29-1.htm">Young</a><div class="vheading2">Jump to Next</div><a href="/exodus/32-5.htm">Calf</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Cast</a> <a href="/exodus/34-1.htm">Chisel</a> <a href="/exodus/32-7.htm">Egypt</a> <a href="/exodus/39-30.htm">Engraving</a> <a href="/exodus/37-19.htm">Fashion</a> <a href="/exodus/39-8.htm">Fashioned</a> <a href="/2_corinthians/11-13.htm">Fashioning</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Gods</a> <a href="/exodus/32-24.htm">Gold</a> <a href="/exodus/35-33.htm">Graving</a> <a href="/exodus/39-3.htm">Hammering</a> <a href="/exodus/32-11.htm">Hand</a> <a href="/leviticus/9-12.htm">Handed</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Idol</a> <a href="/exodus/32-24.htm">Image</a> <a href="/numbers/35-16.htm">Instrument</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Israel</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Metal</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Molten</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Ox</a> <a href="/exodus/36-3.htm">Received</a> <a href="/numbers/31-51.htm">Receiveth</a> <a href="/exodus/32-8.htm">Shape</a> <a href="/deuteronomy/27-5.htm">Tool</a> <a href="/exodus/33-11.htm">Young</a><div class="vheading2">Exodus 32</div>1. <a href="/exodus/32-1.htm">The people in the absence of Moses, caused Aaron to make a calf</a> 7. <a href="/exodus/32-7.htm">God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and prevails</a> 15. <a href="/exodus/32-15.htm">Moses comes down with the tablets</a> 19. <a href="/exodus/32-19.htm">He breaks them</a> 20. <a href="/exodus/32-20.htm">He destroys the calf</a> 22. <a href="/exodus/32-22.htm">Aaron's excuse for himself</a> 25. <a href="/exodus/32-25.htm">Moses causes the idolaters to be slain</a> 30. <a href="/exodus/32-30.htm">He prays for the people</a> </div></div><div id="mdd"><div align="center"><div class="bot2"><table align="center" width="100%"><tr><td><div align="center"> <script id="3d27ed63fc4348d5b062c4527ae09445"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=51ce25d5-1a8c-424a-8695-4bd48c750f35&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script> <script id="b817b7107f1d4a7997da1b3c33457e03"> (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=cb0edd8b-b416-47eb-8c6d-3cc96561f7e8&cid=3a9f82d0-4344-4f8d-ac0c-e1a0eb43a405'; </script>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-2'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-0' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-3'> </div>  <div id='div-gpt-ad-1529103594582-1' style='max-width: 300px;'> </div>  <div align="center" id='div-gpt-ad-1531425649696-0'> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </div> </td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="combox"><div class="padcom"><a name="commentary" id="commentary"></a><div class="vheading"><a href="/study/exodus/32.htm">Berean Study Bible</a></div>He took the gold from their hands This phrase highlights the act of Aaron collecting gold from the Israelites. The Hebrew word for "gold" is "zahav," which often symbolizes wealth and idolatry in the Bible. The act of taking gold from their hands signifies a transfer of trust and value from the people to Aaron, who was supposed to be a spiritual leader. Historically, gold was a precious commodity, often associated with divine worship, but here it is misused for idolatry, reflecting a profound spiritual failure.and with an engraving tool he fashioned it The phrase "engraving tool" comes from the Hebrew "cheret," indicating a tool used for carving or shaping. This suggests a deliberate and skilled act of creation, not a haphazard or accidental formation. Aaron's action of fashioning the gold into a calf reveals a conscious decision to create an idol, directly violating the commandment against idolatry. This act of crafting an idol is a stark contrast to the divine creation narrative, where God creates life and order, while Aaron creates an object of false worship.into a molten calf The "molten calf" is a significant symbol in this narrative. The Hebrew word for "calf" is "egel," which can denote a young bull, often associated with strength and fertility in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The choice of a calf as an idol may have been influenced by Egyptian religious practices, where bulls were venerated. This act of creating a calf idol represents a regression to pagan practices and a rejection of the covenant relationship with Yahweh, who had just delivered them from Egypt.and they said, 'These, O Israel, are your gods' The declaration "These, O Israel, are your gods" is a profound moment of apostasy. The Hebrew word for "gods" here is "elohim," which can mean "gods" or "God" depending on context. The plural form used here indicates a return to polytheistic beliefs, a direct violation of the monotheistic worship of Yahweh. This statement reflects the people's spiritual confusion and their quick abandonment of the God who had miraculously delivered them.who brought you up out of the land of Egypt! This phrase is a tragic misattribution of divine power and deliverance. The Hebrew verb "brought up" is "alah," which conveys the idea of ascent or deliverance. By attributing their deliverance to the idol, the Israelites are not only committing idolatry but also rewriting their own history, denying the true source of their salvation. This reflects a deep spiritual amnesia and highlights the human tendency to forget God's past faithfulness in times of uncertainty.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/ellicott/exodus/32.htm">Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers</a></div>(4) And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool.--Rather, and he received it (i.e., the gold) at their hand, and bound it in a bag. So Gesenius, Rosenmller, Frst, Knobel, Kurtz, Maurer, Ser?der, Cook, &c. "Fashioned it with a graving tool" is a possible rendering of the Hebrew words, but will not suit here, since the next clause tells us that the image was a molten one, and if it had been intended to say that the image was first molten and then finished with a graving too!, the order of the two clauses would have been inverted. A similar phrase to that here used has the sense of "bound in a bag" in <a href="/2_kings/5-23.htm" title="And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them on two of his servants; and they bore them before him.">2Kings 5:23</a>.After he had made it a molten calf.--This is a quite impossible rendering. The original gives "and," not "after." The action of this clause must either be simultaneous with that of the last or subsequent. Translate, and made it into a molten calf.A molten calf.--It has been usual to regard the selection of the "calf" form for the image as due to Egyptian influences. But the Egyptian calf-worship, or, rather, bull-worship, was not a worship of images, but of living animals. A sacred bull, called Apis, was worshipped at Memphis, and another, called Mnevis, at Heliopolis, both being regarded as actual incarnate deities. Had Egyptian ideas been in the ascendant, it would have been natural to select a living bull, which might have "gone before" the people literally. The "molten calf," which had no very exact counterpart in Egypt, perhaps points back to an older idolatry, such as is glanced at in <a href="/joshua/24-14.htm" title="Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD.">Joshua 24:14</a>, where the Israelites are warned to "put away the gods which their fathers served on the other side of the flood," i.e., of the Euphrates. Certainly the bull form was more distinctive of the Babylonian and Assyrian than of the Egyptian worship, and it may he suspected that the emigrants from Chaldaea had clung through all their wanderings to the mystic symbolism which had been elaborated in that primaeval land, and which they would contrast favourably with the coarse animal worship of Egypt. In Chaldaea, the bull, generally winged and human-headed, represented the combination of wisdom, strength, and omnipresence, which characterises divinity; and this combination might well have seemed to carnal minds no unapt symbol of Jehovah.These be thy gods.--Rather, This is thy god.<div class="vheading2"><a href="/commentaries/pulpit/exodus/32.htm">Pulpit Commentary</a></div>Verse 4. - And fashioned it with a graving tool. Rather, "and bound it (the gold) in a bag." Compare <a href="/2_kings/5-23.htm">2 Kings 5:23</a>, where the same two Hebrew words occur in the same sense. It is impossible to extract from the original the sense given in the Authorised Version, since the simple copula van cannot mean "after." When two verbs in the same tense are conjoined by van "and," the two actions must be simultaneous, or the latter follow the former. But the calf cannot have been graven first, and then molten. It is objected to the rendering, "he bound it in a bag," that that action is so trivial that it would be superfluous to mention it (Keil). But it is quite consonant with the simplicity of Scripture to mention very trivial circumstances. The act of putting up in bags is mentioned both here and also in <a href="/2_kings/5-23.htm">2 Kings 5:23</a>, and <a href="/2_kings/12-9.htm">2 Kings 12:9</a>. They said. The fashioners of the image said this. These be thy gods. Rather, "This is thy God." Why Aaron selected the form of the calf as that which he would present to the Israelites to receive their worship, has been generally explained by supposing that his thoughts reverted to Egypt, and found in the Apis of Memphis or the Mnevis of Hellopolis the pattern which he thought it best to follow. But there are several objections to this view. 1. The Egyptian gods had just been discredited by their powerlessness being manifested - it was an odd time at which to fly to them. 2. Apis and Mnevis were not molten calves, but live bulls. If the design had been to revert to Egypt, would not a living animal have been selected? 3. The calf when made was not viewed as an image of any Egyptian god, but as a representation of Jehovah (ver. 5). . . . <a href="/commentaries/exodus/32-4.htm">Parallel Commentaries ...</a> <a name="lexicon" id="lexicon"></a><div class="vheading">Hebrew</div>He took [the gold] וַיִּקַּ֣ח (way·yiq·qaḥ) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3947.htm">Strong's 3947: </a> To take from their hands, מִיָּדָ֗ם (mî·yā·ḏām) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3027.htm">Strong's 3027: </a> A hand and וַיָּ֤צַר (way·yā·ṣar) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3335.htm">Strong's 3335: </a> To mould into a, form, as a, potter, to determine with an engraving tool בַּחֶ֔רֶט (ba·ḥe·reṭ) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_2747.htm">Strong's 2747: </a> A chisel, graver, a style for, writing he fashioned וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ (way·ya·‘ă·śê·hū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_6213.htm">Strong's 6213: </a> To do, make it אֹתוֹ֙ (’ō·ṯōw) Direct object marker | third person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_853.htm">Strong's 853: </a> Untranslatable mark of the accusative case into a molten מַסֵּכָ֑ה (mas·sê·ḵāh) Noun - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4541.htm">Strong's 4541: </a> A pouring over, fusion of metal, a libation, league, a coverlet calf. עֵ֣גֶל (‘ê·ḡel) Noun - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5695.htm">Strong's 5695: </a> A, calf, one nearly grown And they said, וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (way·yō·mə·rū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_559.htm">Strong's 559: </a> To utter, say “O Israel, יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (yiś·rā·’êl) Noun - proper - masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_3478.htm">Strong's 3478: </a> Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc these אֵ֤לֶּה (’êl·leh) Pronoun - common plural <a href="/hebrew/strongs_428.htm">Strong's 428: </a> These, those are your gods, אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_430.htm">Strong's 430: </a> gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative who אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative <a href="/hebrew/strongs_834.htm">Strong's 834: </a> Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that brought you up הֶעֱל֖וּךָ (he·‘ĕ·lū·ḵā) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | second person masculine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_5927.htm">Strong's 5927: </a> To ascend, in, actively out of the land מֵאֶ֥רֶץ (mê·’e·reṣ) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct <a href="/hebrew/strongs_776.htm">Strong's 776: </a> Earth, land of Egypt!” מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (miṣ·rā·yim) Noun - proper - feminine singular <a href="/hebrew/strongs_4714.htm">Strong's 4714: </a> Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa <div class="vheading">Links</div><a href="/niv/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 NIV</a> <a href="/nlt/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 NLT</a> <a href="/esv/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 ESV</a> <a href="/nasb/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 NASB</a> <a href="/kjv/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 KJV</a> <a href="//bibleapps.com/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 BibleApps.com</a> <a href="//bibliaparalela.com/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 Biblia Paralela</a> <a href="//holybible.com.cn/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 Chinese Bible</a> <a href="//saintebible.com/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 French Bible</a> <a href="/catholic/exodus/32-4.htm">Exodus 32:4 Catholic Bible</a> <a href="/exodus/32-4.htm">OT Law: Exodus 32:4 He received what they handed him (Exo. Ex) </a></div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="/exodus/32-3.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Exodus 32:3"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Exodus 32:3" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="/exodus/32-5.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Exodus 32:5"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Exodus 32:5" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhnew2.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>