Излазак 32:4 Коментар

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 the Jews. Things went on admirably well towards that happy settlement: God had shown himself very favourable, and the people also had seemed to be pretty tractable. Moses had now almost completed his forty days upon the mount, and, we may suppose, was pleasing himself with the thoughts of the very joyful welcome he should have to the camp of Israel at his return, and the speedy setting up of the tabernacle among them. But, behold, the measures are broken, the sin of Israel turns away those good things from them, and puts a stop to the current of God's favours; the sin that did the mischief (would you think it?) was worshipping a golden calf. The marriage was ready to be solemnized between God and Israel, but Israel plays the harlot, and so the match is broken, and it will be no easy matter to piece it again. Here is, I. The sin of Israel, and of Aaron particularly, in making the golden calf for a god (Exo 32:1-4), and worshipping it (Exo 32:5, Exo 32:6). II. The notice which God gave of this to Moses, who was now in the mount with him (Exo 32:7, Exo 32:8), and the sentence of his wrath against them (Exo 32:9, Exo 32:10). III. The intercession which Moses immediately made for them in the mount (Exo 32:11-13), and the prevalency of that intercession (Exo 32:14). IV. His coming down from the mount, when he became an eye-witness of their idolatry (Exo 32:15-19), in abhorrence of which, and as an expression of just indignation, he broke the tables (Exo 32:19), and burnt the golden calf (Exo 32:20). V. The examination of Aaron about it (Exo 32:21-24). VI. Execution done upon the ring-leaders in the idolatry (Exo 32:25-29). VII. The further intercession Moses made for them, to turn away the wrath of God from them (Exo 32:30-32), and a reprieve granted thereupon, reserving them for a further reckoning (Exo 32:33, etc.).

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 information of it God gave to Moses, bidding him at the same time not to make any suit in their favour, that he might consume them, and make a large nation out Moses's family, Exo 32:7 the intercession of Moses for them, in which he succeeded, Exo 32:11 his descent from the mount with the two tables in his hands, accompanied by Joshua, when he was an eyewitness of their idolatry, which raised his indignation, that he cast the two tables out of his hands and broke them, took the calf and burnt it, and ground it to powder, and made the children of Israel drink of it, Exo 32:15 the examination of Aaron about the fact, who excused himself, Exo 32:21 the orders given to the Levites, who joined themselves to Moses, to slay every man his brother, which they did to the number of 3000 men, Exo 32:25 another intercession for them by Moses, which gained a respite of them for a time, for they are threatened to be visited still for their sin, and they were plagued for it, Exo 32:30.

And when Aaron saw it,.... In what form it was, and what a figure it made, and how acceptable it was to the Israelites. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,"and Aaron saw Hur slain before him;''for reproving them for their idolatry, as the Midrash (e), quoted by Jarchi, says: and Aaron fearing they would take away his life if he opposed them: he built an altar before it; that sacrifice might be offered on it to it: and Aaron made proclamation, and said, tomorrow is a feast to the Lord; that is, he gave orders to have it published throughout the camp, there would be solemn sacrifices offered up to the Lord, as represented by this calf, and a feast thereon, which was a public invitation of them to the solemnity: though some think this was a protracting time, and putting the people off till the morrow, who would have been for offering sacrifice immediately, hoping that Moses would come down from the mount before that time, and prevent their idolatry. (e) So Pirke Eliezer, c. 45.

The Israelites, finding that Moses delayed his return, desire Aaron to make them gods to go before them, Exo 32:1. Aaron consents, and requires their ornaments, Exo 32:2. They deliver them to him, and he makes a molten calf, Exo 32:3, Exo 32:4. He builds an altar before it, Exo 32:5; and the people offer burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, Exo 32:6. The Lord commands Moses to go down, telling him that the people had corrupted themselves, Exo 32:7, Exo 32:8. The Lord is angry, and threatens to destroy them, Exo 32:9, Exo 32:10. Moses intercedes for them, Exo 32:11-13; and the Lord promises to spare them, Exo 32:14. Moses goes down with the tables in his hands, Exo 32:15, Exo 32:16. Joshua, hearing the noise they made at their festival, makes some remarks on it, Exo 32:17, Exo 32:18. Moses, coming to the camp, and seeing their idolatrous worship, is greatly distressed, throws down and breaks the two tables, Exo 32:19. Takes the calf, reduces it to powder, strews it upon the water, and causes them to drink it, Exo 32:20. Moses expostulates with Aaron, Exo 32:21. Aaron vindicates himself, Exo 32:22-24. Moses orders the Levites to slay the transgressors, Exo 32:25-27. They do so, and 3,000 fall, Exo 32:28, Exo 32:29. Moses returns to the Lord on the mount, and makes supplication for the people, Exo 32:30-32. God threatens and yet spares, Exo 32:33. Commands Moses to lead the people, and promises him the direction of an angel, Exo 32:34. The people are plagued because of their sin, Exo 32:35.

Fashioned it with a graving tool - There has been much controversy about the meaning of the word חרט cheret in the text: some make it a mould, others a garment, cloth, or apron; some a purse or bag, and others a graver. It is likely that some mould was made on this occasion, that the gold when fused was cast into it, and that afterwards it was brought into form and symmetry by the action of the chisel and graver. These be thy gods, O Israel - The whole of this is a most strange and unaccountable transaction. Was it possible that the people could have so soon lost sight of the wonderful manifestations of God upon the mount? Was it possible that Aaron could have imagined that he could make any god that could help them? And yet it does not appear that he ever remonstrated with the people! Possibly he only intended to make them some symbolical representation of the Divine power and energy, that might be as evident to them as the pillar of cloud and fire had been, and to which God might attach an always present energy and influence; or in requiring them to sacrifice their ornaments, he might have supposed they would have desisted from urging their request: but all this is mere conjecture, with very little probability to support it. It must however be granted that Aaron does not appear to have even designed a worship that should supersede the worship of The Most High; hence we find him making proclamation, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord, (יהוה); and we find farther that some of the proper rites of the true worship were observed on this occasion, for they brought burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, Exo 32:6, Exo 32:7 : hence it is evident he intended that the true God should be the object of their worship, though he permitted and even encouraged them to offer this worship through an idolatrous medium, the molten calf. It has been supposed that this was an exact resemblance of the famous Egyptian god Apis who was worshipped under the form of an ox, which worship the Israelites no doubt saw often practiced in Egypt. Some however think that this worship of Apis was not then established; but we have already had sufficient proof that different animals were sacred among the Egyptians, nor have we any account of any worship in Egypt earlier than that offered to Apis, under the figure of an Ox.

THE GOLDEN CALF. (Exo. 32:1-35) when the people saw that Moses delayed--They supposed that he had lost his way in the darkness or perished in the fire. the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron--rather, "against" Aaron in a tumultuous manner, to compel him to do what they wished. The incidents related in this chapter disclose a state of popular sentiment and feeling among the Israelites that stands in singular contrast to the tone of profound and humble reverence they displayed at the giving of the law. Within a space of little more than thirty days, their impressions were dissipated. Although they were still encamped upon ground which they had every reason to regard as holy; although the cloud of glory that capped the summit of Sinai was still before their eyes, affording a visible demonstration of their being in close contact, or rather in the immediate presence, of God, they acted as if they had entirely forgotten the impressive scenes of which they had been so recently the witnesses. said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us--The Hebrew word rendered "gods" is simply the name of God in its plural form. The image made was single, and therefore it would be imputing to the Israelites a greater sin than they were guilty of, to charge them with renouncing the worship of the true God for idols. The fact is, that they required, like children, to have something to strike their senses, and as the Shekinah, "the glory of God," of which they had hitherto enjoyed the sight, was now veiled, they wished for some visible material object as the symbol of the divine presence, which should go before them as the pillar of fire had done.

fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf--The words are transposed, and the rendering should be, "he framed with a graving tool the image to be made, and having poured the liquid gold into the mould, he made it a molten calf." It is not said whether it was of life size, whether it was of solid gold or merely a wooden frame covered with plates of gold. This idol seems to have been the god Apis, the chief deity of the Egyptians, worshipped at Memphis under the form of a live ox, three years old. It was distinguished by a triangular white spot on its forehead and other peculiar marks. Images of it in the form of a whole ox, or of a calf's head on the end of a pole, were very common; and it makes a great figure on the monuments where it is represented in the van of all processions, as borne aloft on men's shoulders. they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt--It is inconceivable that they, who but a few weeks before had witnessed such amazing demonstrations of the true God, could have suddenly sunk to such a pitch of infatuation and brutish stupidity, as to imagine that human art or hands could make a god that should go before them. But it must be borne in mind, that though by election and in name they were the people of God, they were as yet, in feelings and associations, in habits and tastes, little, if at all different, from Egyptians. They meant the calf to be an image, a visible sign or symbol of Jehovah, so that their sin consisted not in a breach of the FIRST [Exo 20:3], but of the SECOND commandment [Exo 20:4-6].