Exodus 32:20
New International Version
And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

New Living Translation
He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it.

English Standard Version
He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it.

New American Standard Bible
Then he took the calf which they had made and completely burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

NASB 1995
He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

NASB 1977
And he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

Amplified Bible
Then Moses took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it on the surface of the water and made the Israelites drink it.

Christian Standard Bible
He took the calf they had made, burned it up, and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder over the surface of the water and forced the Israelites to drink the water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then he took the calf they had made, burned it up, and ground it to powder. He scattered the powder over the surface of the water and forced the Israelites to drink the water.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And when he came to the encampment he saw the calf and castanets and Moshe was angered, and he cast the tablets from his hand and he shattered them at the base of the mountain.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And having taken the calf which they made, he consumed it with fire, and ground it very small, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel to drink it.

Contemporary English Version
He melted the idol the people had made, and he ground it into powder. He scattered it in their water and made them drink it.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And laying hold of the calf which they had made, he burnt it, and beat it to powder, which he strowed into water, and gave thereof to the children of Israel to drink.

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then he took the calf they had made, burned it, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

Good News Translation
He took the bull-calf which they had made, melted it, ground it into fine powder, and mixed it with water. Then he made the people of Israel drink it.

International Standard Version
He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, and ground it into powder. He scattered it on the water and made the Israelis drink it.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
and he takes the calf which they have made, and burns [it] with fire, and grinds [it] until [it is] small, and scatters [it] on the face of the waters, and causes the sons of Israel to drink.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
Taking the calf they had made, he burned it in the fire and then ground it down to powder, which he scattered on the water and made the Israelites drink.

NET Bible
He took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, poured it out on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

New Revised Standard Version
He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it.

New Heart English Bible
He took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, ground it to powder, and scattered it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

World English Bible
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.

Young's Literal Translation
and he taketh the calf which they have made, and burneth it with fire, and grindeth until it is small, and scattereth on the face of the waters, and causeth the sons of Israel to drink.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Breaks the Tablets
19As 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. 20Then 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?”…

Cross References
Exodus 32:21
"What did this people do to you," Moses asked Aaron, "that you have led them into so great a sin?"

Deuteronomy 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.

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.

1 Kings 15:13
He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

2 Chronicles 34:4
Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.


Treasury of Scripture

And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

took the calf.

Exodus 9:21
And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.

Deuteronomy 7:5,25
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire…

Deuteronomy 9:21
And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

made the

Proverbs 1:31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

Proverbs 14:14
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

Jump to Previous
Burned Burneth Burning Burnt Calf Children Crushing Drink Face Fire Ground Israel Israelites Ox Powder Scattered Scattereth Small Strewed Surface Water Waters
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Burned Burneth Burning Burnt Calf Children Crushing Drink Face Fire Ground Israel Israelites Ox Powder Scattered Scattereth Small Strewed Surface Water Waters
Exodus 32
1. The people in the absence of Moses, caused Aaron to make a calf
7. God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and prevails
15. Moses comes down with the tablets
19. He breaks them
20. He destroys the calf
22. Aaron's excuse for himself
25. Moses causes the idolaters to be slain
30. He prays for the people














(20) He took the calf.--To suppress the idolatry, the first step was to destroy the idol. Moses, who must have rallied to his side at once a certain number of the people, laid hold of the calf, and ordered its immediate destruction. He had it submitted to the action of fire, whereby its form was destroyed, and the material, as it would seem, calcined. This calcined material he reduced to a fine powder by rubbing or pounding, and then had the powder sprinkled on the surface of the stream which supplied the camp with water, that so the people might seem, at any rate, to swallow their own sin. Compare the action of Josiah (2Kings 23:6; 2Kings 23:12). No doubt, the process of destruction took some time. It is not meant that it was completed, but only that it was commenced, before Moses turned to other matters.

Verse 20. MOSES DESTROYS THE GOLDEN CALF. The first vengeance which Moses took was upon the idol. It was probably hollow, and possibly of no great size. He might easily break it to pieces and subject the pieces to the action of fire, whereby they would be calcined, and might then be easily reduced to powder. This powder he caused to be mixed with the stream of the brook that flowed from Sinai, so that the Israelites were obliged to swallow with their drink particles of their own idol. Compare the action of Josiah with respect to the "grove" set up in the temple precincts by Manasseh (2 Kings 23:6), which was not identical, but still was similar. It has been suggested that this portion of the narrative is out of proper chronological order; and this may be so far true that the calcining and mixing with the water were at this point commanded rather than executed; but the destruction of the idol would naturally be the first thing which Moses would take in hand, and provide for, before proceeding to anything else. Only when the "abomination" was removed and. its destruction commenced, would he turn his attention to other points. Verse 20. - Burnt it and ground it to powder. Silver and gold subjected for a short time to a white heat, which may be easily produced by bellows, readily calcine, and are then easily crushed to a fine powder. Silver becomes detonating. I am not aware whether the case is the same with gold also. Strawed it - i.e., "sprinkled it." We need not suppose Moses to have done the whole - or even any part - himself. It was enough that he directed it to be done. The water. The article shows some particular water to be meant. We learn from Deuteronomy that it was the water of "the brook that descended out of the mount." Made the children of Israel drink of it. The brook being the only water readily accessible, the Israelites, if they drank at all, were compelled to risk swallowing particles of their "god."

CHAPTER 32:21-24

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then he took
וַיִּקַּ֞ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

the calf
הָעֵ֨גֶל (hā·‘ê·ḡel)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5695: A, calf, one nearly grown

they had made,
עָשׂוּ֙ (‘ā·śū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

burned it
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֣ף (way·yiś·rōp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8313: To be, on fire

in the fire,
בָּאֵ֔שׁ (bā·’êš)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

ground [it]
וַיִּטְחַ֖ן (way·yiṭ·ḥan)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2912: To grind meal, to be a, concubine

to
עַ֣ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

powder,
דָּ֑ק (dāq)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1854: To crush, pulverize, thresh

and scattered [the powder]
וַיִּ֙זֶר֙ (way·yi·zer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2219: To toss about, to diffuse, winnow

over
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the face
פְּנֵ֣י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of the water.
הַמַּ֔יִם (ham·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

Then he forced
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

the Israelites
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

to drink
וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ (way·yašq)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8248: To quaff, to irrigate, furnish a, potion to

it.
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case


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OT Law: Exodus 32:20 He took the calf which they had (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 32:19
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