Exodus 32 31

Exodus 32:31 kjv

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

Exodus 32:31 nkjv

Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!

Exodus 32:31 niv

So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold.

Exodus 32:31 esv

So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.

Exodus 32:31 nlt

So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves.

Exodus 32 verses

Exodus 32 31 Meaning

Exodus 32:31 reveals Moses returning to God, filled with a deep sense of anguish over Israel's grievous sin of idolatry. He starkly reports that the people have profoundly rebelled against the Lord by forging a golden calf and worshipping it, an act of unfaithfulness directly violating the covenant they had just received. This verse encapsulates Moses' shift from confronting the people to resuming his role as their advocate before divine judgment, expressing the profound rupture in the relationship between God and His chosen nation.

Exodus 32 31 Context

Exodus chapter 32 recounts Israel's gravest betrayal following their liberation from Egypt and the divine covenant established at Sinai. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God, including explicit prohibitions against idolatry, the people below became impatient. They compelled Aaron to fashion a golden calf, which they then declared to be the gods who brought them out of Egypt, engaging in idolatrous worship and revelry. God, angered by their swift apostasy, told Moses of His intent to destroy them. Moses interceded, then descended the mountain to confront the people. He broke the tablets of the law, destroyed the calf, and ordered the Levites to slay many of the idolaters. After this severe purification, Exodus 32:31 marks the pivotal moment when Moses returns to God, not in accusation of God's people, but as their advocate, lamenting their egregious sin before the Lord, and setting the stage for his subsequent plea for divine forgiveness. Historically, the scene at Sinai underscores the immediate failure to uphold the freshly established covenant and contrasts sharply with God's holiness and His expectations for exclusive worship. It also serves as a polemic against the animal worship and numerous deities prevalent in surrounding cultures like Egypt.

Exodus 32 31 Word analysis

• So Moses returned: Hebrew: וַיָּשָׁב מֹשֶׁה (wayyāšōḇ mōšeh). "Returned" indicates a turning back, a direct shift from dealing with the people (after breaking the tablets, destroying the calf, confronting Aaron) to confronting God about the sin. It signifies Moses reassuming his role as the mediator between God and the Israelites.

• to the Lord: Hebrew: אֶל־יְהוָה (ʾel-YHWH). Directly to Yahweh, emphasizing the personal and authoritative nature of this appeal to the covenant God.

• and said: Hebrew: וַיֹּאמֶר (wayyōʾmer). Introduces Moses' crucial statement, a solemn report and implicit intercession.

• 'Oh, this people: Hebrew: אָן נָא (ʾān nāʾ) for 'Oh,' combined with עַם (ʿam) for 'people.' The interjection ʾān nāʾ expresses deep distress, urgency, and a plea for attention. "This people" refers specifically to Israel, whom God had called "your people" in Exo 32:7, subtly shifting the burden back to Moses' people whom he has committed to serve.

• has committed a great sin: Hebrew: חָטְאָה חַטָּאָה גְדֹלָה (ḥāṭəʾâ ḥaṭṭāʾâ gəḏōlâ). "Has committed" (from ḥāṭāʾ) means "to miss the mark," "to go astray," "to sin." The repetition of the root ḥāṭāʾ ("sinned a sin") creates emphasis, underscoring the severity. "Great" (gāḏōl) signifies the profound magnitude of their transgression, specifically because it was a direct rebellion against the Giver of the law, soon after the covenant was established, involving a profound act of unfaithfulness and defilement.

• and have made for themselves gods of gold!: Hebrew: וְשָׁקָטוּ לֹהֵי זָהָב (vəšāqaṭû lōhēy zāhāḇ). "Have made for themselves" indicates their own willful and autonomous action, distinct from what God had commanded. "Gods of gold" (אֱלֹהֵי זָהָב – ʾĕlōhēy zāhāḇ) literally means "gods of gold" (plural) even though only one calf was made. This could mean they considered the calf representative of multiple divine powers, or it is a common Hebrew idiomatic plural of majesty, or simply emphasizes that it was an "idol" or "deity made of gold," contrasting with the living God. The use of "gold" also highlights the folly of worshiping a valuable but inanimate substance, mocking pagan practices where idols were often made of precious materials, implying a rejection of God for worthless, human-crafted substitutes.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "So Moses returned to the Lord": This phrase marks a pivot point in the narrative. Moses has concluded his actions among the people and now turns back to God, positioning himself as an intercessor rather than a judge. It highlights the unique mediation role Moses plays.
  • "'Oh, this people has committed a great sin": This declaration captures Moses' deep anguish and clear identification of the profound spiritual sickness of the nation. It acknowledges the catastrophic violation of their covenantal obligations. The "great sin" emphasizes its fundamental nature – an attack on God's unique identity and sovereignty.
  • "and have made for themselves gods of gold!": This is the precise nature of the "great sin" – idolatry. It signifies self-worship (they made "for themselves"), a preference for a visible, tangible, and man-made deity over the invisible, living God. The phrase inherently critiques the materialism and spiritual blindness of idol worship.

Exodus 32 31 Bonus section

The "great sin" mentioned here sets a precedent for understanding future acts of apostasy in Israel's history as equally grievous departures from God's covenant. The narrative implicitly warns against the persistent human inclination to reduce God to something controllable or visible, highlighting that true worship demands faith in the unseen God. Moses' distressed utterance here is deeply personal; he fully identifies with his people's failure even as he confronts it, showcasing compassionate leadership that resonates throughout the scriptures, foreshadowing the divine compassion. The scene illustrates the immediate and dire consequences of spiritual rebellion, demonstrating God's holy anger, yet it simultaneously unveils the space for intercession that His justice allows.

Exodus 32 31 Commentary

Exodus 32:31 serves as a poignant turning point in the aftermath of Israel's idolatry. Having dealt decisively with the visible manifestations of the sin among the people, Moses now carries the full weight of their rebellion back to the divine presence. His statement is not merely a report but an agonizing lament, recognizing the utter enormity of Israel's sin. The designation "great sin" is significant, indicating an act that fundamentally shatters the covenantal relationship, being a direct violation of the very first commands God had spoken to them: to have no other gods and to make no graven images. By crafting "gods of gold," Israel not only rejected the invisible God but chose a tangible, lifeless substitute that represented the corrupting influences they had witnessed in Egypt. Moses, burdened by this spiritual catastrophe, understands that this transgression demands divine judgment, but also sets the stage for his most profound intercession for a people who had proven themselves faithless yet again. This act solidifies his role as a compassionate and persistent mediator between a holy God and a rebellious humanity, anticipating the ultimate mediator, Christ.