Exodus 32

Moses had been on the mountain “40 days and 40 nights” (Exodus 24:18).

In Hebrew, this is literally “these are your gods.” Some scholars speculate that an editor may have turned the singular “god” in the original story into plural “gods.” Scholars say the editor may have done this to show a connection with something that happened later in Israel’s history. King Jeroboam of the northern kingdom of Israel, after the nation split in two, made two calves for the people to worship in two locations (1 Kings 12:28). He did this because he wanted to provide places of worship for people in the northern kingdom, since he did not want them going to worship in the southern kingdom of Judah, at the Jerusalem Temple. He did not want to see the two divided kingdoms reunited into a single Jewish nation. If that happened, he probably feared he would be out of a job, since he was not related to King David. God had promised David that the future kings of Israel would come from his family “forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

It gets confusing here. It looks as if they’ve built an idol, yet Aaron is talking about honoring the LORD. Is Aaron trying to cover his bets by giving the people an idol while trying to placate God? Some scholars speculate that Aaron’s intention was not to build an idol of another god, but to build either a representation of the LORD, or perhaps something that would draw the LORD to the spot. Archaeologists have uncovered images of gods standing on the back of bulls. This apparently illustrated the god’s power—power enough to ride on the back of one of the strongest animals the people knew. So, some speculate Aaron built the golden calf as a pedestal, or a stage, on which the LORD would stand.

Burnt offerings involved sacrifices to atone for sinful behavior. The entire animal was burned on an altar. See Leviticus 1.

A peace offering, described in Leviticus 3, is one of several prescribed offerings in Jewish tradition. When Jewish people wanted to give thanks to God for something, such as good health or safety, they would sacrifice a sheep, goat, cow, or bull. They would burn part of the animal, including the kidneys and fat covering the intestines. They would eat the rest in celebration, often with family and friends. It takes a fair number of hungry people to eat a cow. But people were eager to eat meat because it was rare in Bible times for common folks to eat meat, many Bible scholars say.

The Hebrew word is sahaq. It can mean “caressing,” as in making out or engaging in sex or in sexual rituals associated with some ancient religions. Some taught that people having sex could entertain the gods, and get rewarded for it. The word can also simply mean to laugh or joke or have fun or make fun of someone.

The Hebrew word is qāšeh. It can mean: difficult, troubled, obstinate, intransigent, stiff-necked.

Literally “Israel.” That’s a name God gave Jacob when Jacob returned to Canaan (Israel and Palestinian Territories today) from his years in Haran, a city in what is now Turkey (Genesis 35:10).

Genesis 17:2, 7-8.

This sounds a bit like the “test of the bitter waters” in Numbers 5:11-31. Women accused of adultery had to drink a dirty cocktail of water mixed with dirt from the floor of the worship center. Getting sick or miscarrying suggested guilt. Here, perhaps, the people were being tested for spiritual adultery. But it’s just an educated guess, intriguing though it is.

The command is more literally, “Kill your own brother, friend, and neighbor.” In the context, some presume the intention is to kill only those who were guilty of worshiping the golden bull and partying too paganly hearty.

Levi’s tribe became responsible for Israel’s worship practices. They provided the priests and their associates who helped operate and maintain the tent worship center and, later, the Jerusalem Temple. They became known as Levites.

More literally, “make atonement.”

The original text mentions only the “book.” But in the context, it sounds like shorthand for “the book of life” (Psalm 69:28). There seemed to be a widespread belief throughout what is now the Middle East there that there was a book with the names of people who were alive. Christians later adopted the idea to talk about people headed for eternal life.

We’re left to wonder why God seemed to kill all the sinful people except Aaron, the high priest who actually made the gold calf, or at least ordered someone to make it. Perhaps Aaron wasn’t as guilty as those who bowed down and worshiped the calf. Others, it seems, took part in in pagan rituals that included having sex. If that’s what happened, the Israelites later became repeat offenders. Numbers 25 says some women from Moab, in what is now the Arab country of Jordan, seduced some of the Hebrew men on the exodus out of Egypt to engage in ritual sex. Some scholars say the idea was to entertain Baal so he would make it rain. It’s a tad gross, but some taught that the rain was Baal’s semen. So, if the sex of worshipers got Baal stimulated enough, he would make it rain. Baal was considered god of fertility in family, flocks, and fields.