King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
Complete Jewish Bible:
Moshe went back to ADONAI and said, "Please! These people have committed a terrible sin: they have made themselves a god out of gold.
Berean Standard Bible:
So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.
American Standard Version:
And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Moses{H4872} returned{H7725} unto the LORD{H3068}, and said{H559}, Oh{H577}, this people{H5971} have sinned{H2398} a great{H1419} sin{H2401}, and have made{H6213} them gods{H430} of gold{H2091}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Exodus 20:23
- Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
Daniel 9:8
- O Lord, to us [belongeth] confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee.
Exodus 32:30
- ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
Daniel 9:11
- Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that [is] written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
Ezra 9:6
- And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.
Ezra 9:7
- Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, [and] our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as [it is] this day.
Deuteronomy 9:18
- And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Exodus 32:31
Exodus 32:31 is set within the broader narrative of the Israelites' worship of a golden calf while Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments from God. This event occurs after the Israelites' dramatic exodus from slavery in Egypt and is a pivotal moment in their journey towards the Promised Land. The verse captures Moses' intercession on behalf of the people after he discovers their idolatry.
In the historical context, the creation of the golden calf represents a grave breach of the covenant that the Israelites had recently entered into with God, who had explicitly commanded them not to make or worship idols. The people's actions are a direct violation of the first and second commandments, which forbid the worship of other gods and the making of graven images.
The themes present in this verse include idolatry, repentance, and intercession. Moses confronts the gravity of the people's sin, acknowledging that they have committed a "great sin" by creating gods of gold. Despite the Israelites' betrayal of their commitment to God, Moses demonstrates his role as a mediator between God and the people. He pleads with the Lord to forgive the people or to blot him out of God's book if necessary, showing his deep concern for the spiritual welfare of his people and his willingness to take personal responsibility for their actions. This act of intercession highlights Moses' leadership and his commitment to upholding the covenant relationship between God and Israel, setting a precedent for the prophetic tradition of advocacy and spiritual guidance.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H4872
There are 704 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: מֹשֶׁה
Transliteration: Môsheh
Pronunciation: mo-sheh'
Description: from מָשָׁה; drawing out (of the water), i.e. rescued; Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver; Moses. - Strong's Number: H7725
There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוּב
Transliteration: shûwb
Pronunciation: shoob
Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H3068
There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהֹוָה
Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה. - Strong's Number: H559
There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָמַר
Transliteration: ʼâmar
Pronunciation: aw-mar'
Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. - Strong's Number: H577
There are 339 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אָנָּא
Transliteration: ʼânnâʼ
Pronunciation: awn-naw'
Description: lemma אָנּאָ second vowel, corrected to אָנָּא; or אָנָּה; apparent contracted from אַהֲבָה and נָא; oh now!; I (me) beseech (pray) thee, O. - Strong's Number: H5971
There are 1654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עַם
Transliteration: ʻam
Pronunciation: am
Description: from עָמַם; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock; folk, men, nation, people. - Strong's Number: H2398
There are 220 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חָטָא
Transliteration: châṭâʼ
Pronunciation: khaw-taw'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemn; bear the blame, cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass. - Strong's Number: H1419
There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גָּדוֹל
Transliteration: gâdôwl
Pronunciation: gaw-dole'
Description: or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very. - Strong's Number: H2401
There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חֲטָאָה
Transliteration: chăṭâʼâh
Pronunciation: khat-aw-aw'
Description: feminine of חֵטְא; an offence, or a sacrifice forit; sin (offering). - Strong's Number: H6213
There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָשָׂה
Transliteration: ʻâsâh
Pronunciation: aw-saw'
Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. - Strong's Number: H430
There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. - Strong's Number: H2091
There are 336 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָהָב
Transliteration: zâhâb
Pronunciation: zaw-hawb'
Description: from an unused root meaning to shimmer; gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky; gold(-en), fair weather.