Exodus 32:20
18 But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”
19 As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain.
Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
21 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
22 “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.
- KJV
- And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
- WEB
- He took the calf which they had made, and burned it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.
- ASV
- And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
- DARBY
- And he took the calf that they had made, and burned [it] with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed [it] on the water, and made the children of Israel drink [it].
- BLB
- And he took the calf that they had made, and he burned [it] in the fire, and he ground [it] until it [was] powder, and he scattered [it] over the face of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink [it].
- ÅB
- Og han tok kalven som de hadde gjort, og kastet den på ilden og knuste den til den ble til støv, og støvet strødde han ovenpå vannet og gav Israels barn det å drikke.
- OTB
- Han tok kalven de hadde laget, brente den med ild, malte den til pulver, spredte det på vannet og fikk israelittene til å drikke det.
- B1930
- Og han tok kalven som de hadde gjort, og kastet den på ilden og knuste den til den blev til støv, og støvet strødde han ovenpå vannet og gav Israels barn det å drikke.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 9:21
And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain.
Read in context2 Kings 23:6
He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 7:25
You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God.
Read in contextProverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 7:5
Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
Read in context2 Kings 23:15
He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.
Read in contextProverbs 1:31
So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
Read in context