I{rael, which brought chee up out of the land of Egypt. - The meaning of this Tranſlation is, That 4aron, to wit, by Artificers, did firit melt the Gold into one maſs, and then by the Graving-tool form it into the ſhape of a Calf, and poliſh it; or as others render the words, He formed it in a type or mould,made in the ſhape of a Calf, into which he caſt the molten Gold, and fo made it a molten Calf. But the words may be Tranſlated thus, He put ir, or them," into a purſe ; for ſo the Hebrew Verb and Noun are both uſed 2 Kings 5+ 23: and in like manner Gideon diſpoſed. the Ear-rings given him for the like uſe, Judg: 8: 24. and atterwards, he made of them a molten calf. Now the people deſired, and Azron in com- pliance with them made this in the form of a calf, or an Ox ( for the word ſignihes both ) in imitation of the Egyprians, as Philo the Jew exprelly affirms, and the learned generally agree ; and it may thus appear, 1. The great Idols of the Egyptians, Apis, Seraphus and Tfs, were Oxen and Cows, as is confeſſed. 2. The Egyptians, be- ſides thoſe Creatures which they adored as gods, did alſo make, and keep, and worſhip their Images, as even the Heathen writers Mela and Strabo affirm. 3. The Iſraelites, whileſt they were in Egypr, were many of them infe&ed with the Egyprian Idolatry, as it ap- pears from Jof: 24: 14: Ezek: 20: 7,8. and 23: 3: A#57:39, And it 1s not unlikely divers of them hankered no leſs after the Idols, than after the Garlick and Onions of Egypt. And, being now, as they thought, forſaken by Moſes, they might think of returning to Egypr, as afterwards, they did, and therefore choſe a god of the Egyptian Mode, that they might more willingly receive them again. » (7.e.) This 1s thy God, the plural Number "_ put for the Singular, as it is uſual in this caſe, The meaning is, T his is the Sign, or Sym- bol, or Image of thy God ; for ſuch expreſſions are very frequent: Thus this Image of a Calf is called z calf frequently,and the Images of the Temple of Dana are called ſhrines or little temples, Atts 19, So they intended to worſhip the true God by this Image, as after- wards Jeroboam did by the ſame Image,as we ſhall plainly fee when wecome to that place of Scripture. And it is abſolutely incredible 'that the generality of the 7/raelites ſhould be ſo void of all Senſe and Reaſon, as to think that this new-made calf did bring them our of Ezypt before its own Creation, & that this was the ſame Jehovah who had even now ſpoken tothem from Heaven with an audible Voice, ſaying, 1am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypr.
5 And when Aaron ſaw oz, he builr an altar before
it, and Aaron made proclamation, and ſaid, To mor-
row is a feaſt to the LORD p.
0 ( 5. e. ) Obſerved with what applauſe they received it,and with what fury and reſolution they proſecuted their former defire, he was born down with the {tream, and, as it is probable, by the
| peoples inſtigation, built an altar to it. p Heb: 7o Jehovah. Which Title being peculiar to the true God, nd being here given by Aaron to the Calf, with the approbation of the people, makes it more than probable that the people deſigned to worſhip the true God in this Calf, which they made only as a viſible token of God's Preſence with them, and an image by which they might convey their wor- ſhip to God.
6 And they roſe up early on the morrow, and offer- ed burnt-offerings, and brought peace-ofterings q : and the * people ſat down to eat and to drink r, and roſe up to play 5. |
q But no ſm-offerings, which-they moſt needed. r For the Sacri- fices were accompanied with Feaſting, both among the Worſhippers of the true God, and among Idolaters. See Exod: 18: 12: and 24. 117. 5 By ſhouting, and ſinging, and dancing, as it appears from verſe 19, 18, 19. :
7 4 And the LORD {ſaid unto Moſes, * Go, get thee down : for thy people t which thou broughteſt out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themſelves.
: No longer wy people. as God had called them hitherto, Exod: 3.7. _ 5. 1, &c. they have forſaken me, and I do hereby renounce them,
8 They have turned aſide quickly out of the way
which I commanded them 3 they have made them a 4
EXODUS.
to be fixed upon the Mount ; and they | molten calf, and have worſhipped it, and have ſacrificed * 1 King.
thereunto, and ſaid, * Theſe be thy gods, O Iſrael, 17::* - 9 , Chap: which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; 33: 3: '9 And the LORD faid unto Moſes, * I have ſeen Deur.g, this peeple, and behold, it is a ſtift-necked people v. 13: #, Untra&able, wilful and ſtubborn, incorrigible by my Judge- Ifa: 48:4; ments, ungovernable by mine, or by any Laws. A metaphor from _ Beaſts that will not bend their Necks to receive the Yoke or ridle.
10 Now therefore let me alone x that my wrath may wax hot againſt them, and that I may conſume them ; and * I will make of thee y a great nation. * Numb:
x Do not hinder me by thy Prayers, which I ſee thou art now 14: 12. about to make on their behalf. y To come out of thy Loins.
11 * And Moſes beſought F the LORD his God z, * Deur: qt and faid, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot @ 18. Pfal: againſt thy people b, which thou haſt brought forth 726:23:
out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with gs ok a mighty hand? $ , facesf th
z Emphartically ſo called, q: 4: Moſes had not loſt his intereſt in God, though 1/rael had. a So hot as to conſume them utterly. For though he 1faw reaſon enough why God ſhould be angry with them, yet he humbly expoſtulates with God whether it would be for his Honour utterly to deſtroy them. Or this is a Petition delivered in form of an interrogation or expoſtulation, as Matrh: 8: 29. compare with Luke 8: 28. b An ingenious retortion, q. 4. They are not my people, as thou calledſt them, werſe 7, but thy people, which he proves 1n the following words. *Numb
12 * Wherefore ſhould the Egyptians ſpeak, and ,,.... . . - o 4: T3:
ſay, For miſchief did he bring them out, to ſlay them Deur 9:
in the mountains c, and to conſume them from the face 28: and
of the earth 2 Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent 3* 27*
of this evil againſt thy people.
c (7.e.) In or at Mount Sinai, the pluralnumber for the fingular ; or, in this mountainous Deſert.