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Text -- Exodus 32:11 (NET)

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Context
32:11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:
 · Egypt descendants of Mizraim
 · Moses a son of Amram; the Levite who led Israel out of Egypt and gave them The Law of Moses,a Levite who led Israel out of Egypt and gave them the law


Dictionary Themes and Topics: Tabernacle | SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2 | Prayer | Levite | LEVITICUS, 2 | Israel | Intercession | ISRAEL, RELIGION OF, 1 | GODS | GOD, 2 | EZEKIEL, 2 | EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 2 | EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 1 | Calf | COVENANT, BOOK OF THE | CALF, GOLDEN | Backsliders | Apostasy | Aaron | ASIA MINOR, ARCHAEOLOGY OF | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
Wesley , JFB , Calvin , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Keil-Delitzsch , Constable , Guzik

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: Exo 32:11 - -- If God would not be called the God of Israel, yet he hoped he might address him as his own God. Now Moses is standing in the gap to turn away the wrat...

If God would not be called the God of Israel, yet he hoped he might address him as his own God. Now Moses is standing in the gap to turn away the wrath of God. Psa 106:23. He took the hint which God gave him when he said, Let me alone, which, though it seemed to forbid his interceding, did really encourage it, by shewing what power the prayer of faith hath with God.

JFB: Exo 32:7-14 - -- Intelligence of the idolatrous scene enacted at the foot of the mount was communicated to Moses in language borrowed from human passions and feelings,...

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.

Calvin: Exo 32:11 - -- 11.And Moses besought the Lord his God It is clear that this prayer sprang from faith, though in it he seems to fight against the very word of God; f...

11.And Moses besought the Lord his God It is clear that this prayer sprang from faith, though in it he seems to fight against the very word of God; for God had said, Get thee down to thy people; but his answer is, Nay, it is thine. But, as I have lately stated, inasmuch as he firmly grasped the principle, that it was impossible for God’s covenant to be made ineffective, he breaks through or surmounts all obstacles with closed eyes as it were. He proves them to be God’s people by the benefit they had so recently received; yet he mainly relies on the covenant; nay, he mentions their deliverance as a result of it; for he proceeds afterwards to say, “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.” We see, therefore, that the first ground of his confidence is the promise, although Moses refers first of all to the fact that the people had been delivered by the hand of God. He so expressly particularizes His “mighty hand,” and “great power,” to signify that the more conspicuous God’s miracles had been, the more was His glory exposed to the calumnies of the ungodly; and this he immediately afterwards explains, “Wherefore should the Egyptians speak,” etc.

The particle, ברעה , beragnah, which the old interpreter 336 renders craftily, and others maliciously, I prefer simply to translate unto evil, (ad malum,) as denoting an unprosperous and unhappy issue. The exposition which others give, “under an unlucky star,” seems to me to be too far-fetched. 337 I have no doubt, therefore, but that Moses signifies that this would be a consolation to the Egyptians in their misfortunes if the people should be destroyed, as if God had thus avenged them against their enemies; besides, by this misapprehension, the memory of God’s grace, as well as of His judgment, would have been destroyed; for the Egyptians would have hardened themselves, and would have been untouched by any sense of guilt, deeming that God would shew no mercy to His elect people.

What follows, “repent of this evil,” is spoken in accordance with common parlance, for the saints often stammer in their prayers, and, whilst unburdening their cares into the bosom of God, address him in their infirmity as by no means befits His nature; as, for instance, when they ask Him, How long wilt thou sleep? or be forgetful? or shut thine eyes? or hide thy face? But with God repentance is nothing but a change of dealing, wherein He seems to retrace His course, as if He had conceived some fresh design. When, therefore, it is said a little further on that “the Lord repented of the evil,” it is tantamount to saying, that He was appeased; not because He retracts in Himself what He has once decreed, but because He does not execute the sentence He had pronounced. If my readers 338 desire more on this point, let them consult my Comments on Genesis and the Prophets.

TSK: Exo 32:11 - -- besought : Deu 9:18-20, Deu 9:26-29; Psa 106:23 the Lord his God : Heb. the face of the Lord why doth : Num 11:11, Num 16:22; Deu 9:18-20; Psa 74:1, P...

besought : Deu 9:18-20, Deu 9:26-29; Psa 106:23

the Lord his God : Heb. the face of the Lord

why doth : Num 11:11, Num 16:22; Deu 9:18-20; Psa 74:1, Psa 74:2; Isa 63:17; Jer 12:1, Jer 12:2

which thou : Exo 32:7

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Exo 32:7-35 - -- The faithfulness of Moses in the office that had been entrusted to him was now to be put to the test. It was to be made manifest whether he loved hi...

The faithfulness of Moses in the office that had been entrusted to him was now to be put to the test. It was to be made manifest whether he loved his own glory better than he loved the brethren who were under his charge; whether he would prefer that he should himself become the founder of a "great nation,"or that the Lord’ s promise should be fulfilled in the whole people of Israel. This may have been especially needful for Moses, in consequence of his natural disposition. See Num 12:3; and compare Exo 3:11. With this trial of Moses repeated in a very similar manner Num 14:11-23, may be compared the trial of Abraham Gen. 22 and of our Saviour Mat 4:8-10.

Exo 32:8

These be thy gods ... have brought - This is thy god, O Israel, who has brought ...

Exo 32:10

Let me alone - But Moses did not let the Lord alone; he wrestled, as Jacob had done, until, like Jacob, he obtained the blessing Gen 32:24-29.

Exo 32:14

This states a fact which was not revealed to Moses until after his second intercession when he had come down from the mountain and witnessed the sin of the people Exo 32:30-34. He was then assured that the Lord’ s love to His ancient people would prevail God is said, in the language of Scripture, to "repent,"when His forgiving love is seen by man to blot out the letter of His judgments against sin (2Sa 24:16; Joe 2:13; Jon 3:10, etc.); or when the sin of man seems to human sight to have disappointed the purposes of grace (Gen 6:6; 1Sa 15:35, etc.). The awakened conscience is said to "repent,"when, having felt its sin, it feels also the divine forgiveness: it is at this crisis that God, according to the language of Scripture, repents toward the sinner. Thus, the repentance of God made known in and through the One true Mediator reciprocates the repentance of the returning sinner, and reveals to him atonement.

Exo 32:17-18

Moses does not tell Joshua of the divine communication that had been made to him respecting the apostasy of the people, but only corrects his impression by calling his attention to the kind of noise which they are making.

Exo 32:19

Though Moses had been prepared by the revelation on the Mount, his righteous indignation was stirred up beyond control when the abomination was before his eyes.

Exo 32:20

See Deu 9:21. What is related in this verse must have occupied some time and may have followed the rebuke of Aaron. The act was symbolic, of course. The idol was brought to nothing and the people were made to swallow their own sin (compare Mic 7:13-14).

Exo 32:22

Aaron’ s reference to the character of the people, and his manner of stating what he had done Exo. 5:24, are very characteristic of the deprecating language of a weak mind.

Exo 32:23

Make us gods - Make us a god.

Exo 32:25

Naked - Rather unruly, or "licentious".

Shame among their enemies - Compare Psa 44:13; Psa 79:4; Deu 28:37.

Exo 32:26-29

The tribe of Levi, Moses’ own tribe, now distinguished itself by immediately returning to its allegiance and obeying the call to fight on the side of Yahweh. We need not doubt that the 3,000 who were slain were those who persisted in resisting Moses. The spirit of the narrative forbids us to conceive that the act of the Levites was anything like an indiscriminate massacre. An amnesty had first been offered to all by the words: "Who is on the Lord’ s side?"Those who were forward to draw the sword were directed not to spare their closest relations or friends; but this must plainly have been with an understood qualification as regards the conduct of those who were to be slain. Had it not been so, they who were on the Lord’ s side would have had to destroy each other. We need not stumble at the bold, simple way in which the statement is made.

Exo 32:29

Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord ... - The margin contains the literal rendering. Our version gives the most probable meaning of the Hebrew, and is supported by the best authority. The Levites were to prove themselves in a special way the servants of Yahweh, in anticipation of their formal consecration as ministers of the sanctuary (compare Deu 10:8), by manifesting a self-sacrificing zeal in carrying out the divine command, even upon their nearest relatives.

Exo 32:31

Returned unto the Lord - i. e. again he ascended the mountain.

Gods of gold - a god of gold.

Exo 32:32

For a similar form of expression, in which the conclusion is left to be supplied by the mind of the reader, see Dan 3:15; Luk 13:9; Luk 19:42; Joh 6:62; Rom 9:22. For the same thought, see Rom 9:3. It is for such as Moses and Paul to realize, and to dare to utter, their readiness to be wholly sacrificed for the sake of those whom God has entrusted to their love. This expresses the perfected idea of the whole burnt-offering.

Thy book - The figure is taken from the enrolment of the names of citizens. This is its first occurrence in the Scriptures. See the marginal references. and Isa 4:3; Dan 12:1; Luk 10:20; Phi 4:3; Rev 3:5, etc.

Exo 32:33, Exo 32:34

Each offender was to suffer for his own sin. Compare Exo 20:5; Eze 18:4, Eze 18:20. Moses was not to be taken at his word. He was to fulfill his appointed mission of leading on the people toward the land of promise.

Exo 32:34

Mine Angel shall go before thee - See the marginal references and Gen 12:7.

In the day when I visit ... - Compare Num 14:22-24. But though the Lord chastized the individuals, He did not take His blessing from the nation.

Poole: Exo 32:11 - -- The Lord his God ; emphatically so called: q.d. Moses had not lost his interest in God, though Israel had. Why doth thy wrath wax hot , so hot as to ...

The Lord his God ; emphatically so called: q.d. Moses had not lost his interest in God, though Israel had.

Why doth thy wrath wax hot , so hot as to consume them utterly? For though he saw reason enough why God should be angry with them, yet he humbly expostulates with God whether it would be for his honour utterly to destroy them. Or this is a petition delivered in form of an interrogation or expostulation, as Mat 8:29 , compared with Luk 8:28 .

Against thy people , an ingenious retortion: q.d. They are not my people, as thou calledst them, Exo 32:7 , but thy people , which he proves in the following words.

Haydock: Exo 32:11 - -- Why, &c. Calvin here accuses Moses of arrogance, in prescribing laws to God's justice. But St. Jerome (ep. ad Gaud.) commends his charity and "pray...

Why, &c. Calvin here accuses Moses of arrogance, in prescribing laws to God's justice. But St. Jerome (ep. ad Gaud.) commends his charity and "prayer, which hindered God's power." (Worthington)

Gill: Exo 32:11 - -- And Moses besought the Lord his God,.... As the Lord was the God of Moses, his covenant God, and he had an interest in him, he made use of it in favou...

And Moses besought the Lord his God,.... As the Lord was the God of Moses, his covenant God, and he had an interest in him, he made use of it in favour of the people of Israel:

and said, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people? so as to think or speak of consuming them utterly; otherwise he knew there was reason for his being angry and wroth with them; but though they were deserving of his hot wrath and displeasure, and even to be dealt with in the manner proposed, yet he entreats he would consider they were his people; his special people, whom he had chose above all people, and had redeemed them from the house of bondage, had given them laws, and made a covenant with them, and many promises unto them, and therefore hoped he would not consume them in his hot displeasure; God had called them the people of Moses, and Moses retorts it, and calls them the people of God, and makes use of their relation to him as an argument with him in their favour; and which also shows that Moses did not understand that the Lord by calling them his people disowned them as his:

which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? this the Lord had ascribed to Moses, and observes it is an aggravation of their ingratitude to Moses, and here Moses retorts, and ascribes it to God, and to his mighty power; as for himself he was only a weak feeble instrument, the Lord was the efficient cause of their deliverance, in which he had shown the exceeding greatness of his power; and he argues from hence, that seeing he had exerted his mighty arm in bringing them from thence, that he would not now lift it up against them and destroy them.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Exo 32:11 S. R. Driver (Exodus, 351) draws on Arabic to show that the meaning of this verb (חָלָה, khalah) was properly “mak...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Exo 32:1-35 - --1 The people, in the absence of Moses, cause Aaron to make a calf.7 God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and prevails.15 Moses comes down wit...

MHCC: Exo 32:7-14 - --God says to Moses, that the Israelites had corrupted themselves. Sin is the corruption of the sinner, and it is a self-corruption; every man is tempte...

Matthew Henry: Exo 32:7-14 - -- Here, I. God acquaints Moses with what was doing in the camp while he was absent, Exo 32:7, Exo 32:8. He could have told him sooner, as soon as the ...

Keil-Delitzsch: Exo 32:7-14 - -- Before Moses left the mountain, God told him of the apostasy of the people (Exo 32:7, Exo 32:8). " Thy people, which thou hast brought out of Egypt:...

Constable: Exo 15:22--Lev 1:1 - --II. THE ADOPTION OF ISRAEL 15:22--40:38 The second major section of Exodus records the events associated with Go...

Constable: Exo 32:1--34:35 - --D. The breaking and renewal of the covenant chs. 32-34 "If a narrative paradigmatic of what Exodus is re...

Constable: Exo 32:1-35 - --1. The failure of Israel ch. 32 The scene shifts now and we see what was happening in the Israel...

Constable: Exo 32:7-14 - --Moses' intercession 32:7-14 God's recounting the news of the golden calf to Moses gives ...

Guzik: Exo 32:1-35 - --Exodus 32 - The Golden Calf A. Israel steps into idolatry. 1. (1) The people make a request. Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming dow...

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Introduction / Outline

JFB: Exodus (Book Introduction) EXODUS, a "going forth," derives its name from its being occupied principally with a relation of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and the i...

JFB: Exodus (Outline) INCREASE OF THE ISRAELITES. (Exo. 1:1-22) BIRTH AND PRESERVATION OF MOSES. (Exo 2:1-10) there went a man of the house of Levi, &c. Amram was the hus...

TSK: Exodus (Book Introduction) The title of this Book is derived from the Septuagint; in which it is called ΕΞΟΔΟΣ , " Exodus;" or, as it is in the Codex Alexandrinus, Ε...

TSK: Exodus 32 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Exo 32:1, The people, in the absence of Moses, cause Aaron to make a calf; Exo 32:7, God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and pr...

Poole: Exodus (Book Introduction) SECOND BOOK OF MOSES CALLED EXODUS. THE ARGUMENT. AFTER the death of Joseph, who had sent for his father’ s house into Egypt, the children o...

Poole: Exodus 32 (Chapter Introduction) CHAPTER 32 The people commit idolatry by worshipping the molten image which Aaron made, Exo 32:1-6 . God makes it known to Moses, and threatens the...

MHCC: Exodus (Book Introduction) The Book of Exodus relates the forming of the children of Israel into a church and a nation. We have hitherto seen true religion shown in domestic lif...

MHCC: Exodus 32 (Chapter Introduction) (Exo 32:1-6) The people cause Aaron to make a golden calf. (Exo 32:7-14) God's displeasure, The intercession of Moses. (Exo 32:15-20) Moses breaks t...

Matthew Henry: Exodus (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Second Book of Moses, Called Exodus Moses (the servant of the Lord in writing for him as well as ...

Matthew Henry: Exodus 32 (Chapter Introduction) It is a very lamentable interruption which the story of this chapter gives to the record of the establishment of the church, and of religion among ...

Constable: Exodus (Book Introduction) Introduction Title The Hebrew title of this book (we'elleh shemot) originated from the...

Constable: Exodus (Outline) Outline I. The liberation of Israel 1:1-15:21 A. God's preparation of Israel and Moses chs. ...

Constable: Exodus Exodus Bibliography Adams, Dwayne H. "The Building Program that Works (Exodus 25:4--36:7 [31:1-11])." Exegesis ...

Haydock: Exodus (Book Introduction) THE BOOK OF EXODUS. INTRODUCTION. The second Book of Moses is called Exodus from the Greek word Exodos, which signifies going out; becaus...

Gill: Exodus (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS This book is called by the Jews Veelleh Shemoth, from the first words with which it begins, and sometimes Sepher Shemoth, an...

Gill: Exodus 32 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 32 This chapter gives an account of the idolatry of the Israelites making and worshipping a golden calf, Exo 32:1 the inform...

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