Exodus 32:17 kjv
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
Exodus 32:17 nkjv
And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
Exodus 32:17 niv
When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."
Exodus 32:17 esv
When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
Exodus 32:17 nlt
When Joshua heard the boisterous noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, "It sounds like war in the camp!"
Exodus 32 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:10 | "What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to Me from the ground." | Voice signifying significant event. |
| Exo 19:16 | "On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast…" | Loud noises from God's presence at Sinai. |
| Exo 32:1-6 | "When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down… They said, 'This is your god, O Israel!'" | Context of the golden calf's creation. |
| Exo 32:19 | "As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot…" | Moses seeing the cause of the noise. |
| Num 10:9 | "When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets…" | Noise (alarm) for military gathering. |
| Num 14:1-2 | "Then all the congregation raised a loud cry… the people wept that night." | Israelite rebellion often accompanied by loud lament or clamor. |
| Josh 5:13 | "When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand." | Joshua encountering the Commander of the Lord's army. |
| Josh 6:5 | "When they make a long blast with the ram's horn… all the people shall shout with a great shout…" | Battle cry associated with Jericho's fall. |
| Josh 6:10 | "And Joshua commanded the people, 'You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall any word go out of your mouth, until the day I tell you to shout; then you shall shout.'" | Ordered silence before a planned battle shout. |
| Judg 7:20 | "And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars, holding in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, 'A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!'" | Surprise attack with noise and shouting. |
| 1 Sam 4:5-6 | "When the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout… the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting…" | Great shouting in the camp as a sign of presence/resolve. |
| 1 Sam 17:20-21 | "As he came up, the army was going out to the battle line, shouting the war cry." | Noise as a definite battle cry. |
| 1 Kgs 18:28-29 | "And they cried aloud and cut themselves… as was their custom… But there was no voice, and no one answered, and no one paid attention." | Vain idolatrous clamor in contrast to divine response. |
| Isa 5:14 | "Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure… " | Result of lawlessness and turning away from God, leading to disorder. |
| Isa 42:13 | "The LORD goes out like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his zeal; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes." | God Himself as a warrior, associated with shouting. |
| Jer 50:42 | "They grasp bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea…" | Noise described as roaring like the sea in a martial context. |
| Amos 5:23 | "Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen." | God rejecting insincere worship, noise becoming offensive. |
| Hos 2:15 | "There she shall answer as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt." | Recalling the foundational experience of the exodus from Egypt. |
| Rom 1:21-23 | "For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God… they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man…" | Humanity's tendency towards idolatry. |
| Eph 4:17-19 | "So I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds." | Pagan practices are futile and lead to moral corruption. |
| Jas 1:19 | "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." | Principle of discernment and restraint in reaction. |
Exodus 32 verses
Exodus 32 17 Meaning
Exodus 32:17 details the initial reaction of Joshua as he and Moses descended Mount Sinai. Joshua perceives a loud commotion from the Israelite camp below, identifying it as the "noise of war." This verse sets the stage for Moses's deeper understanding of the camp's true state, which is revealed to be idolatrous revelry rather than battle. It highlights Joshua's limited perception compared to Moses, who has been in direct communion with God and informed of the people's sin.
Exodus 32 17 Context
Exodus 32:17 is a pivotal verse marking the moment Moses and Joshua return from Mount Sinai to find the Israelite camp in chaos. Moses has been on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, receiving the law from God. During his prolonged absence, the people, growing impatient, demanded Aaron make them gods. Aaron succumbed, creating a golden calf which they worshipped, attributing their deliverance from Egypt to it. God had already informed Moses of their rebellion and threatened to consume them, but Moses interceded. As Moses and Joshua descend, carrying the two tablets of the Testimony, the sounds of the camp reach them, creating an auditory scene that foreshadows the visual horror Moses is about to confront. Joshua's interpretation of the noise as "war" reflects his training and understanding as a military leader, yet it also exposes his spiritual blindness to the deeper issue of idolatry at hand, which Moses, having heard from God, instantly understands to be perverse revelry.
Exodus 32 17 Word analysis
- When Joshua: This identifies Moses's companion and trusted leader, Joshua ben Nun. He is Moses's aide (Exo 24:13) and a military figure, often present when Moses receives divine revelation. His perspective here is earthly, unlike Moses's divinely informed view.
- heard (שָׁמַע - shama): To perceive by ear. It can also imply understanding or obeying. Here, Joshua hears, but initially misunderstands the nature of what he perceives. His hearing is physical, not yet spiritually discerning.
- the noise (קוֹל - kol): This Hebrew word is very broad, meaning "voice," "sound," "thunder," "rumor," "cry," or "noise." Its specific meaning depends heavily on context. Here, it denotes a loud, pervasive sound emanating from the camp, initially ambiguous.
- of the people (הָעָם - ha'am): Refers to the Israelites, specifically the vast congregation. It underscores that the commotion is from their collective activity, not an external threat.
- as they shouted (בְּרֵעֹה - bere'oh, from רוּעַ - rua'): To shout, to raise a war-cry, to cheer, to make a loud noise, often a joyful shout or an alarm. It can be for triumph, cultic exultation, or military aggression. Its ambiguity plays into Joshua's misinterpretation. The rua' used for battle cries (e.g., Josh 6:5) or a shout of joy/exultation (e.g., Ps 47:1), is now linked to unholy revelry.
- he said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayomer): Joshua verbally expresses his interpretation to Moses. This is a direct statement, conveying his immediate assessment.
- to Moses (אֶל־מֹשֶׁה - el-mosheh): Moses is the recipient of Joshua's observation, highlighting Moses's unique position as leader and primary figure.
- "There is a noise (קוֹל - kol) of war (מִלְחָמָה - milchamah)": Joshua interprets the ambiguous kol and rua' specifically as kol milchamah, a "sound of battle" or "war cry." His military mind instinctively leaps to this conclusion, expecting external conflict, which was a common occurrence during their journey.
- in the camp (בַּמַּחֲנֶה - bammachaneh): The Israelite encampment. This was not merely a secular living space but also the designated space for God's presence among His people (Exo 29:45). The "noise of war" here would indicate chaos within the consecrated space, further amplifying the misinterpretation and contrasting with the sacred order God intends.
- Words-group analysis:
- "the noise of the people as they shouted": This phrase captures the auditory perception of the general din emanating from the large gathering of people. The use of kol and rua' together hints at a strong, uninhibited vocal expression.
- "a noise of war in the camp": Joshua's interpretation immediately categorizes the sounds into a familiar, alarming scenario – that of battle. This phrase reveals his initial failure to perceive the true, much more sinister, nature of the "noise," which was idolatrous rebellion rather than a physical fight. The contrast highlights the spiritual discernment lacking in Joshua at this moment compared to Moses.
Exodus 32 17 Bonus section
- Sound as a Spiritual Barometer: In the Bible, sounds from the people often indicate their spiritual state. A "noise of shouting" can be either glorious worship (e.g., Psa 150) or rebellious sin (e.g., Num 14). Here, it transitions from a perceived martial sound to the jarring discord of idolatrous revelry, symbolizing Israel's deep spiritual decline.
- Joshua's Growth: This incident is a teaching moment for Joshua. As he eventually takes over leadership from Moses, such encounters help sharpen his spiritual discernment, enabling him to perceive internal spiritual battles as well as external physical ones (e.g., his faith at Jericho, Josh 6).
- The Ruah and False Worship: The Hebrew term rua' for shouting can be associated with religious or ecstatic cries. When linked with the Golden Calf worship, it becomes a mockery of genuine, God-directed jubilation, representing unbridled passion directed towards a false god. This sound is a polemic against pagan cults that often involved drunken revelry and immoral acts.
Exodus 32 17 Commentary
Exodus 32:17 serves as a powerful illustration of the difference between physical perception and spiritual discernment. Joshua, the devoted and courageous military aide, hears the tumultuous kol (noise) and the rua' (shouting/rejoicing) from the camp. His trained ear and expectation for order and external threats lead him to conclude it is a "noise of war." This interpretation, while seemingly logical given his role and the general perils of their journey, dramatically misses the actual nature of the commotion. It signifies an inward corruption, not an outward attack.
Moses, however, who has been privy to God's direct revelation of the people's sin, immediately possesses a different understanding. Though he hasn't seen the scene yet, he knows from God's word that the problem is internal rebellion. The sounds he hears confirm what God already revealed: the people "have corrupted themselves" (Exo 32:7). Joshua's remark thus sets the dramatic tension for Moses's righteous anger and subsequent actions, emphasizing Moses's spiritual insight over Joshua's literal interpretation. The noise was not disciplined battle cries but the clamor of idolatrous worship, revelry, and moral decay, a far more devastating spiritual warfare waged against God within the camp itself.
The passage suggests that while Joshua was a strong leader and loyal, his spiritual understanding was still maturing. Moses, through his unique communion with God, had a heightened perception that cut through mere auditory experience to the root cause. This contrast underscores that the most dangerous battles for God's people are often not physical skirmishes with external enemies but internal struggles against sin, idolatry, and spiritual unfaithfulness. The sound was one of corrupted joy and profane celebration, offensive to a Holy God, contrasting sharply with the trumpet blast of God's holy presence that marked the beginning of the covenant.