Exodus 32 23

Exodus 32:23 kjv

For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Exodus 32:23 nkjv

For they said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

Exodus 32:23 niv

They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.'

Exodus 32:23 esv

For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

Exodus 32:23 nlt

They said to me, 'Make us gods who will lead us. We don't know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.'

Exodus 32 verses

Exodus 32 23 Meaning

This verse recounts Aaron's defensive statement to Moses, shifting the blame for the golden calf's creation onto the impatience and demands of the Israelite people. Aaron portrays himself as merely succumbing to their insistence for tangible gods and disclaiming knowledge of Moses' fate, thereby justifying his actions as a response to popular pressure rather than a failure of leadership and faith.

Exodus 32 23 Context

Exodus chapter 32 describes the immediate and dramatic aftermath of Israel receiving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. While Moses was on the mountain for forty days receiving further divine instructions and the tablets of the Law, the people became impatient and fearful, doubting Moses' return and, by extension, God's immediate presence. This spiritual and physical void prompted them to demand that Aaron make them visible "gods" to "go before" them. Aaron, in a moment of grave failure, collected their gold, fashioned the calf, and declared a feast to the Lord (Yahweh) using the idol, misleading the people into blatant idolatry. Upon descending the mountain, Moses witnesses the idolatry and expresses profound anger, breaking the stone tablets of the covenant. The specific verse (Exod 32:23) comes during Moses' direct confrontation with Aaron, who is questioned about his complicity and provides this self-exculpatory defense. It highlights Aaron's moral weakness and the people's spiritual immaturity, serving as a pivotal moment revealing the fragile state of their newly established covenant with God.

Exodus 32 23 Word analysis

• For they said to me, (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלַי - vayyomeru elay): Aaron uses this phrase to establish that his actions were a direct response to the people's initiative, positioning himself as merely a facilitator rather than the instigator or main agent of the idolatry. This highlights an attempt to evade responsibility.
• 'Make us gods' (עֲשֵׂה־לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים - `aseh-lanu elohim): The Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (elohim) here is used in a plural sense for false gods/idols, yet it is also the standard word for God. The demand was for visible, tangible representations of divinity. The people's cry for "gods" rather than "a God" reflects polytheistic influences from Egypt or a misunderstanding of the singular Yahweh.
• 'which shall go before us,' (אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ - asher yeleku l'faneinu): This phrase echoes the language of divine leadership and presence previously seen in the pillar of cloud and fire that guided them. The people desired a visible, accessible guide, mistakenly seeking it in a crafted object rather than trusting the unseen God and His appointed leader.
• 'for this Moses, the man (כִּי זֶה מֹשֶׁה הָאִישׁ - ki zeh Mosheh ha'ish): The use of the demonstrative "this" combined with "the man" has a slightly dismissive or even contemptuous tone, implying that Moses was just an ordinary human and had perhaps abandoned them. This trivializes his role as God's prophet and the divine appointment through which he led them.
• who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, (הֶעֱלָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם - he'elanu me'eretz Mitzrayim): This phrase acknowledges Moses' past role in their deliverance but frames it as a past, potentially concluded event. It minimizes the ongoing work of God through Moses and signals a failure to remember and trust God's continuous guidance.
• 'we do not know what has become of him.' (לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מַה־הָיָה לוֹ - lo yadanu mah-hayah lo): This statement presents a lack of knowledge as a justification for their demand. It signifies their impatience and unbelief, assuming the worst when Moses was delayed, rather than patiently awaiting God's timing and messenger. This serves as the direct excuse for their need for a new 'leader'.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "For they said to me, 'Make us gods, which shall go before us,'": This entire phrase encapsulates Aaron's deflection. He portrays himself as coerced, simply following orders, and presenting the demand as a necessity given the perceived absence of their true leader. It emphasizes the people's craving for immediate, tangible leadership, misinterpreting the very nature of the God who delivered them.
• "for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'": This section highlights the people's impatience, forgetfulness, and shallow faith. Their demeaning language ("this Moses, the man") demonstrates a severe lack of respect and trust. Their claim of not knowing Moses' fate is an excuse for taking matters into their own hands, indicating a short-term memory of God's power and Moses' role. They discount God's prior mighty acts of deliverance, performed through Moses, when faced with an unknown future.

Exodus 32 23 Bonus section

• Aaron's abdication of spiritual authority: As Moses' brother and a divinely appointed leader (and soon to be High Priest), Aaron held a position of significant spiritual authority. His failure to confront the people's idolatrous demand, and instead facilitate it, was a profound abdication of his sacred duty to uphold God's law. This weakness would later be contrasted by Moses' bold intercession on behalf of the very people who caused the sin.
• The irony of "gods that go before us": The desire for "gods which shall go before us" is deeply ironic. The true God, Yahweh, had literally been "going before them" in the pillar of cloud and fire since their exodus. Their demand for a physical idol demonstrates a profound misunderstanding or rejection of the invisible yet truly present God. The calf represented a human attempt to control or define God rather than worship Him on His own terms.
• The theological implications of Aaron's lie about the calf forming itself (implied from earlier verses): While not explicit in this specific verse, earlier in Exod 32:24 Aaron further compounds his guilt by claiming, "So I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!" This unbelievable story to Moses implies a miraculous, self-generating idol, attempting to absolve himself completely of agency. It highlights his desperation to avoid accountability, making his blame-shifting in verse 23 part of a larger pattern of deceit.

Exodus 32 23 Commentary

Exodus 32:23 is Aaron's weak and transparent attempt to minimize his culpability in the golden calf incident, revealing a classic case of blame-shifting and succumbing to popular pressure rather than standing firm in divine truth. Faced with Moses' righteous anger and divine judgment, Aaron presents himself as a helpless victim of the crowd's demands and impatience. His statement, "For they said to me, 'Make us gods...' ", casts the people as the primary instigators, conveniently overlooking his own active role in crafting the idol and declaring a "feast to the Lord." The people's fear and ignorance regarding Moses' absence on the mountain, expressed as "we do not know what has become of him," is used by Aaron as a justifiable reason for yielding to their idolatrous desires. This demonstrates the spiritual dangers of relying on human expediency over divine command and the subtle way an appointed leader can compromise faith for the sake of temporary appeasement. It serves as a stark warning against abandoning reliance on the invisible God for visible, human-made constructs in moments of uncertainty.