Exodus 32:4-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 He received their offering, and fashioning it with a tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you[a] up from the land of Egypt.”(A) 5 On seeing this, Aaron built an altar in front of the calf and proclaimed, “Tomorrow is a feast of the Lord.” 6 Early the next day the people sacrificed burnt offerings and brought communion sacrifices. Then they sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.(B)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 32:4–5 Who brought you…a feast of the Lord: it seems that the golden calf was intended as an image, not of another god, but of the Lord, whose strength was symbolized by the strength of a young bull. The Israelites, however, had been forbidden to represent the Lord under any visible form. Cf. 20:4. In the tenth century Jeroboam made golden calves for the shrines at Bethel and Dan, presumably to function as thrones for the Lord as the ark did in Jerusalem (see 1 Kgs 12:27–30).
Exodus 32:4-6
New International Version
4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol(A) cast in the shape of a calf,(B) fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[a](C) Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”(D)
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival(E) to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings.(F) Afterward they sat down to eat and drink(G) and got up to indulge in revelry.(H)
Footnotes
- Exodus 32:4 Or This is your god; also in verse 8
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