Exodus 18:14

18:14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this ¹  that you are doing for the people? ²  Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

Exodus 32:19

32:19 When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry. ³  He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain. ⁴ 

[18:14]  ¹ tn Heb “what is this thing.”

[18:14]  ² sn This question, “what are you doing for the people,” is qualified by the next question. Sitting alone all day and the people standing around all day showed that Moses was exhibiting too much care for the people – he could not do this.

[32:19]  ³ tn Heb “and the anger of Moses burned hot.”

[32:19]  ⁴ sn See N. M. Waldham, “The Breaking of the Tablets,” Judaism 27 (1978): 442-47.