Exodus 32 21

Exodus 32:21 kjv

And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?

Exodus 32:21 nkjv

And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?"

Exodus 32:21 niv

He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?"

Exodus 32:21 esv

And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"

Exodus 32:21 nlt

Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, "What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?"

Exodus 32 verses

Exodus 32 21 Meaning

Exodus 32:21 captures Moses' direct and impassioned confrontation with Aaron regarding his complicity in the golden calf idolatry. Moses' rhetorical question expresses his utter shock and indignation, accusing Aaron of enabling and facilitating such an enormous sin, thereby burdening the entire nation with severe guilt and incurring God's wrath upon them. It underscores the immense weight of leadership responsibility and the catastrophic impact of failing to uphold divine standards.

Exodus 32 21 Context

This verse is situated immediately after Moses' return from Mount Sinai, where he had been receiving God's laws, including the Ten Commandments, for forty days and forty nights. He descends carrying the very tablets inscribed by the finger of God, embodying the direct covenant between God and Israel. As he nears the camp, the sounds of revelry reach him, and upon seeing the golden calf and the people's idolatrous worship and immoral dancing, his anger burns fiercely. He shatters the tablets, pulverizes the calf, makes the Israelites drink the dust, and commands the Levites to execute the unrepentant. The confrontation with Aaron, his own brother and soon-to-be high priest, occurs amidst this scene of chaos, divine wrath, and national shame. It follows directly on the heels of Moses destroying the calf. The broader historical context is critical: the people had just been liberated from slavery in Egypt by God's mighty hand and had recently entered into a sacred covenant at Sinai, promising obedience to His unique monotheistic worship. The quick lapse into a form of idolatry, possibly syncretizing Egyptian bull worship, was a profound and immediate betrayal of this new, exclusive relationship with Yahweh.

Exodus 32 21 Word analysis

• And Moses said (וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה, vaiyomer Mosheh): Signals a direct, solemn address from Moses, emphasizing his divinely appointed authority and moral indignation. Moses acts as God's representative and defender of the covenant.
• to Aaron (אֶל אַהֲרֹן, el Aharon): Specifies the direct recipient of Moses' confrontation. Aaron, as Moses' brother and the interim leader, bore the highest human responsibility for the people's actions in Moses' absence. His future role as High Priest makes his present failure especially egregious.
• "What did this people do to you (מַה עָשָׂה לְךָ הָעָם הַזֶּה, mah asah lekha ha'am hazzeh)": This rhetorical question expresses Moses' deep shock and bewilderment. It implies an accusation: Moses can scarcely believe that anything the people could have done to Aaron warranted him enabling such a catastrophic spiritual offense. It casts Aaron not merely as a passive observer, but as someone who actively yielded or was influenced, yet held accountable for his choice. The emphasis on "this people" subtly highlights their newfound status as God's peculiar people, now tainted by gross disobedience.
• "that you have brought (כִּי הֵבֵאתָ, ki hevetah)": The verb "brought" signifies active causation or facilitation. Moses is accusing Aaron of causing this great sin to come into being among the people, not merely allowing it or being pressured into it. It suggests a leadership failure to prevent harm and uphold divine standards, placing the onus of responsibility firmly on Aaron.
• "such a great sin (חֲטָאָה גְדֹלָה, chata'ah g'dolah)":
  • sin (חֲטָאָה, chata'ah): The general term for missing the mark, moral error, or transgression against God. Here it implies profound spiritual apostasy and covenant breaking.
  • great (גְדֹלָה, g'dolah): An emphatic adjective highlighting the immense gravity, scale, and consequence of the idolatry. This was not a minor offense but an act that threatened the entire covenant relationship and the very existence of the nation before God. It implies the potential for catastrophic divine judgment.
• "upon them (עָלָיו, alav)": Denotes that the sin and its ensuing guilt and judgment have been placed as a burden upon the people. Aaron, through his actions (or inactions), facilitated the transfer of this heavy spiritual liability onto the entire community, making them subject to divine discipline.

Exodus 32 21 Bonus section

• The rhetorical nature of Moses' question (not seeking a genuine explanation, but expressing shock and placing blame) reveals his deep distress and sense of betrayal.
• This verse sets the stage for the narrative's tension between divine justice and mercy, as Moses must subsequently intercede tirelessly for the very people Aaron enabled to sin.
• The severity implied by "great sin" would have been particularly understood by the original audience, who had just experienced the giving of the Mosaic Law, emphasizing purity and the worship of Yahweh alone.
• Aaron's later attempts to minimize his culpability (Exo 32:22-24) stand in stark contrast to Moses' unwavering commitment and willingness to sacrifice for the people (Exo 32:32).

Exodus 32 21 Commentary

Exodus 32:21 is a powerful indictment of a leader's moral and spiritual failure under duress. Moses' direct query to Aaron strips away any pretense, exposing the high priest's immense responsibility for Israel's grievous sin of idolatry. Aaron, who should have defended God's covenant, instead capitulated to popular demand, compromising divine holiness for fear of the people. This act of "bringing a great sin upon them" highlights how leadership misdirection not only involves personal sin but actively imposes spiritual burden and divine disfavor upon the entire community. It teaches that true leadership is marked by unwavering commitment to God's standards, especially when faced with societal pressure or the threat of reprisal, rather than by appeasement. The magnitude of this "great sin" underscores the gravity of idolatry in God's eyes, an act of direct rebellion against the Almighty's exclusivity, with severe ramifications for the collective spiritual health and physical well-being of the covenant people. It stands as a timeless lesson on the high cost of spiritual compromise by those in positions of authority.