Exodus 32 6

Exodus 32:6 kjv

And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:6 nkjv

Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:6 niv

So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

Exodus 32:6 esv

And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:6 nlt

The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.

Exodus 32 verses

Exodus 32 6 Meaning

Exodus 32:6 describes the people of Israel’s activities the morning after creating the golden calf. They rose early to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings to this new idol, followed by a communal feast with eating and drinking. The celebration culminated in uncontrolled revelry and licentious "play," a complete departure from their covenant with God and a clear violation of His recently given commandments at Mount Sinai.

Exodus 32 6 Context

Exodus 32:6 follows immediately after the creation of the golden calf. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God, the Israelites, growing impatient, demanded that Aaron make them "gods" to go before them, as they assumed Moses had abandoned them (Ex 32:1). Aaron capitulated, collected their gold, and fashioned a calf (Ex 32:2-4). He then declared, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to YHWH," indicating an attempt to integrate worship of the true God with this newly made physical representation, creating a syncretistic religion (Ex 32:5). The actions in verse 6 demonstrate the Israelite people eagerly embracing this new, corrupted form of worship, marked by unauthorized rituals, excessive feasting, and degenerate "play." This event constitutes a profound and immediate breach of the first two commandments received on Sinai (no other gods, no idols), highlighting Israel's propensity for rebellion and spiritual infidelity directly after experiencing God's miraculous deliverance. Historically, such revelry, including licentious activities, was common in the fertility cults of surrounding pagan nations, making this act not merely spiritual disobedience but a culturally assimilated pagan practice.

Exodus 32 6 Word analysis

• And they rose up early: (וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤ימוּ wayyaškhîmû from שָׁכַם shakham).
  • Significance: This phrase indicates great eagerness and determination. The people did not hesitate; they were zealous and prepared themselves quickly for this illicit ceremony. This contrasts sharply with the diligent haste expected in faithful obedience.
  • Insight: It suggests that the desire for visible, tangible worship and self-gratification superseded their commitment to the invisible God and His commands.
• on the morrow: (מִֽמָּחֳרָת mimmāḥōrāth).
  • Significance: The immediacy emphasizes a lack of reflection or repentance following the calf's creation. They quickly moved to consecrate their idol.
• and offered burnt offerings: (וַיַּעֲל֤וּ עֹלֹת֙ wayyaʿălû ʿōlōṯ).
  • Significance: ʿOlot (burnt offerings) were a legitimate part of Israelite worship, signifying complete dedication and atonement for sin.
  • Perversion: Here, they are offered to a molten image, demonstrating a perversion of a sacred ritual, profaning God’s instituted worship. This was an attempt to appropriate holy acts for an unholy purpose.
• and brought peace offerings: (וַיַּגִּ֣שׁוּ שְׁלָמִ֑ים wayyaggîšū šĕlāmîm).
  • Significance: Shelamim (peace offerings) symbolized communion, fellowship, and thanksgiving, with a portion eaten by the worshippers.
  • Perversion: By offering these to the calf, the Israelites sought fellowship and peace with a false god, directly violating the very covenant that promised peace with YHWH. This highlights their desire for human-centered, rather than God-centered, worship and communal activity.
• and the people sat down to eat and to drink: (וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם לֶאֱכֹ֥ל וְשָׁתֹֽו wayyēšeḇ hāʿām leʾĕkhōl wəšātô).
  • Significance: Feasting was common in ancient religious contexts, often signifying celebration and communion, even in covenant ceremonies with YHWH (Ex 24:11).
  • Contextual meaning: In this instance, it's a feast dedicated to an idol. It symbolizes excessive indulgence and rebellion against God, demonstrating carnal pleasure over spiritual devotion. This public communal meal was an act of explicit participation in idolatry.
• and rose up to play: (וַיָּקֻ֙מוּ֙ לְצַחֵֽק wayyāqūmū ləṣaḥēq).
  • Significance: The Hebrew word ṣaḥaq can mean "to laugh," "to mock," or "to amuse oneself." However, its Septuagint translation as epaizon (ἔπαιζον) and Paul's reference in 1 Corinthians 10:7 point to a much deeper, more morally serious connotation of licentiousness or sexual revelry.
  • Insight: In the context of ancient Near Eastern cultic practices, such revelry often included ritual prostitution and other forms of immorality, designed to provoke fertility gods. Thus, "play" here implies unrestrained and morally degenerate behavior, consistent with the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21) and directly opposed to God’s holy standards.
  • Combined analysis (eat, drink, play): This sequence clearly depicts a progression from idolatrous worship to hedonistic excess. The ritual sacrifice leads directly into an uncontrolled communal party, ending in immoral activities. It showcases the downward spiral of idolatry leading to a complete breakdown of moral restraint.

Exodus 32 6 Bonus section

The immediate consequence of this unholy feast was YHWH's wrath, leading to Moses's intercession and the subsequent judgment, including the killing of approximately three thousand people by the Levites (Ex 32:7-10, 28). This swift and severe judgment underscores the absolute intolerance God has for idolatry and defiled worship, affirming His holiness and covenant demands. The episode serves as a foundational warning against compromising divine truth with human inclination or cultural practices, particularly those associated with false gods. It demonstrates that the path of rebellion and seeking an accessible, tangible "god" of one's own making ultimately leads to severe spiritual and physical consequences.

Exodus 32 6 Commentary

Exodus 32:6 powerfully encapsulates Israel's profound and immediate fall from grace at the foot of Mount Sinai. The enthusiasm with which they "rose up early" highlights a fervent, yet utterly misplaced, devotion directed towards a human-made idol. Their utilization of "burnt offerings" and "peace offerings"—rituals explicitly commanded by YHWH for true worship—demonstrates a perversion of the divine order, attempting to legitimize their false god with legitimate religious forms. This syncretism was a profound act of spiritual infidelity. The transition from cultic sacrifice to unbridled "eating and drinking" then into the morally suspect "play" reveals the corrupting trajectory of idolatry: it begins by reshaping God to human desires and quickly descends into carnal indulgence and moral depravity. The New Testament author Paul sternly references this very act as a warning against idolatry and immorality for Christians (1 Cor 10:7), affirming its timeless message: false worship inevitably leads to spiritual and moral decay, and believers must constantly guard against substituting God’s holiness with their own sinful desires and manufactured spiritual experiences.