Psalm 106:19 Study Bible: They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image.

◄ Psalm 106:19 ►

At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image.

At Horeb
Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai, a significant location in the biblical narrative where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. The mention of Horeb immediately brings to mind the covenantal relationship between God and Israel. It is a place of divine revelation and law-giving, yet here it becomes a site of grave sin. The Hebrew root for Horeb can mean "desolate" or "dry," which may symbolize the spiritual barrenness of the Israelites' actions in this context.

they made a calf
The act of making a calf refers to the infamous incident of the Golden Calf, as recorded in Exodus 32. The Israelites, in Moses' absence, pressured Aaron to create a tangible representation of God, reverting to idolatrous practices reminiscent of Egyptian worship. The Hebrew word for "calf" (עֵגֶל, 'egel) suggests a young bull, a common symbol of strength and fertility in ancient Near Eastern cultures. This act of creating a calf was a direct violation of the commandment against idolatry, highlighting the Israelites' impatience and lack of faith.

and worshiped
Worship, in this context, indicates the Israelites' misguided devotion and reverence towards the calf. The Hebrew root for "worship" (שָׁחָה, shachah) means to bow down or prostrate oneself, signifying submission and honor. This act of worship was a profound betrayal of their covenant with Yahweh, who had explicitly commanded them to worship Him alone. It underscores the human tendency to seek tangible representations of the divine, often leading to spiritual adultery.

a molten image
The term "molten image" refers to an idol cast from metal, in this case, gold. The Hebrew word for "molten" (מַסֵּכָה, massekhah) implies something poured or cast, emphasizing the artificial and man-made nature of the idol. This phrase serves as a stark contrast to the living God who cannot be contained or represented by any physical form. The creation of a molten image was a direct affront to God's transcendence and a return to the idolatrous practices that the Israelites were meant to leave behind in Egypt.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Horeb
Also known as Mount Sinai, this is the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. It is a significant location in the history of Israel's covenant with God.

2. The Israelites
The people of God who were delivered from slavery in Egypt. Despite witnessing God's miracles, they fell into idolatry at Horeb.

3. The Golden Calf
An idol made by the Israelites while Moses was on Mount Sinai. It represents a significant act of rebellion and idolatry against God.

4. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God when the people made the golden calf.

5. Aaron
Moses' brother, who played a role in the creation of the golden calf, succumbing to the people's demands for an idol.

Teaching Points

The Danger of Impatience
The Israelites' impatience led them to idolatry. We must learn to wait on God's timing and trust His plans.

The Consequences of Idolatry
Idolatry leads to separation from God. We must guard our hearts against modern forms of idolatry, such as materialism or self-worship.

Leadership Responsibility
Aaron's failure to stand firm highlights the importance of godly leadership. Leaders must guide others in truth, even under pressure.

The Need for Repentance
The golden calf incident shows the need for repentance and turning back to God when we stray.

God's Faithfulness Despite Human Failure
Despite Israel's rebellion, God remained faithful to His covenant. This reassures us of His steadfast love and mercy.

Bible Study Questions

1. What does the incident at Horeb teach us about the dangers of impatience and the human tendency to seek tangible representations of God?

2. How can we identify and guard against modern forms of idolatry in our own lives?

3. In what ways can leaders today learn from Aaron's failure to stand firm against the people's demands?

4. How does the account of the golden calf illustrate the importance of repentance and returning to God?

5. Reflect on God's faithfulness in your life. How does His steadfast love encourage you to remain faithful to Him, even when you fail?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Exodus 32
This chapter provides the detailed account of the golden calf incident, including the people's demand for an idol and Aaron's compliance.

Deuteronomy 9
Moses recounts the incident at Horeb, emphasizing the people's rebellion and God's anger.

Acts 7
Stephen references the golden calf incident in his speech, highlighting Israel's history of resisting God's will.

1 Corinthians 10
Paul warns the Corinthians against idolatry, using the example of the Israelites' sin with the golden calf as a cautionary tale.

Sermons

The Nevertheless of God's Mercy	S. Conway	Psalm 106:1-48
The Sin of the Golden Calf	R. Tuck	Psalm 106:19, 20
The Idolatry of Man and the Indignation of Heaven	Homilist	Psalm 106:19-23

People

Aaron, Abiram, Baalpeor, Dathan, Ham, Phinehas, Psalmist

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Bow, Calf, Cast, Gold, Homage, Horeb, Idol, Image, Metal, Molten, Ox, Themselves, Worship, Worshiped, Worshipped

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Psalm 106:19

4303 metals

Psalm 106:13-39

8705 apostasy, in OT

Psalm 106:19-20

4618 calf
8780 materialism, and sin

Psalm 106:19-22

8764 forgetting God

Psalm 106:19-23

4269 Sinai, Mount
7324 calf worship

Library

June the Twelfth Waiting for the Spectacular
"The waves covered their enemies.... Then believed they His words." --PSALM cvi. 1-12. Their faith was born in a great emergency. A spectacular deliverance was needed to implant their trust in the Lord. They found no witness in the quiet daily providence; the unobtrusive miracle of daily mercy did not awake their song. They dwelt upon the "special" blessing, when all the time the really special blessing was to be found in the sleepless care which watched over them in their ordinary and commonplace …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Israel at the Red Sea
"A few more rolling years at most, Will land me on fair Canaan's coast.' And then I shall have no more warfare, no more fighting, no more disturbance; but I shall be at peace." "Not quite as thou desirest," says God. "Oh! thou little one; I have more to teach thee ere thou art prepared for my palace." Then he commences to lead us about, and bring us into straits and perils. The sins which we thought had utterly left us are hunting us behind, while impassible floods block up the way. Even trembling …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

Why are Men Saved?
"The hand that made us is Divine." If we listen to the rippling of the freshet at the mountain side, to the tumbling of the avalanche, to the lowing of the cattle, to the singing of the birds, to every voice and sound of nature, we shall hear this answer to the question, "God is our maker; he hath made us, and not we ourselves." The next question, as to design--Why were these things made?--is not so easy to answer, apart from Scripture; but when we look at Scripture we discover this fact--that as …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

Sin: Its Spring-Head, Stream, and Sea
It may help us to escape out of the meshes of our natural depravity, if we look back and see the causes of our fathers' sins. To confess our personal sin will tend to keep us humble; and in view of the Lord's mercy, which has spared and pardoned us, a sense of our guilt will make us grateful. The less we think of ourselves the more we shall think of him whose "mercy endureth for ever"; and if we see where our fathers' sins began, and how they grew, and what they came to, we may hope that the Spirit …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Waters of Meribah
'Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2. And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3. And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4. And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Fourteenth Day. The Holy one of God.
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.'--Luke i. 35. 'We have believed and know that Thou art the Holy One of God.'--John vi. 69. 'The holy one of the Lord'--only once (Ps. cvi. 16) the expression is found in the Old Testament. It is spoken of Aaron, in whom holiness, as far as it could then be revealed, had found its most complete embodiment. The title waited for its fulfilment in Him who alone, in His own person, could perfectly show forth …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

Man's Misery by the Fall
Q-19: WHAT IS THE MISERY OF THAT ESTATE WHEREINTO MAN FELL? A: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. 'And were by nature children of wrath.' Eph 2:2. Adam left an unhappy portion to his posterity, Sin and Misery. Having considered the first of these, original sin, we shall now advert to the misery of that state. In the first, we have seen mankind offending; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Our Status.
"And he believed in the Lord: and he counted it to him for righteousness." --Gen. xv. 6. The right touches a man's status. So long as the law has not proven him guilty, has not convicted and sentenced him, his legal status is that of a free and law-abiding citizen. But as soon as his guilt is proven in court and the jury has convicted him, he passes from that into the status of the bound and law-breaking citizen. The same applies to our relation to God. Our status before God is that either of the …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Twenty Second Sunday after Trinity Paul's Thanks and Prayers for Churches.
Text: Philippians 1, 3-11. 3 I thank my God upon all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every supplication of mine on behalf of you all making my supplication with joy, 5 for your fellowship in furtherance of the gospel from the first day until now; 6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 even as it is right for me to be thus minded on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Elucidations.
I. (Deadly Sins, cap. ix., p. 356.) To maintain a modern and wholly uncatholic system of Penitence, the schoolmen invented a technical scheme of sins mortal and sins venial, which must not be read into the Fathers, who had no such technicalities in mind. By "deadly sins" they meant all such as St. John recognizes (1 John v. 16-17) and none other; that is to say sins of surprise and infirmity, sins having in them no malice or wilful disobedience, such as an impatient word, or a momentary neglect of …
Tertullian—The Five Books Against Marcion

Rest for the Weary
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. W hich shall we admire most -- the majesty, or the grace, conspicuous in this invitation? How soon would the greatest earthly monarch be impoverished, and his treasures utterly exhausted, if all, that are poor and miserable, had encouragement to apply freely to him, with a promise of relief, fully answerable to their wants and wishes! But the riches of Christ are unsearchable and inexhaustible. If millions and millions …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Second Commandment
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6. I. Thou shalt not …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
A BRIEF AND FAITHFUL RELATION OF THE EXCEEDING MERCY OF GOD IN CHRIST TO HIS POOR SERVANT, JOHN BUNYAN; WHEREIN IS PARTICULARLY SHOWED THE MANNER OF HIS CONVERSION, HIS SIGHT AND TROUBLE FOR SIN, HIS DREADFUL TEMPTATIONS, ALSO HOW HE DESPAIRED OF GOD'S MERCY, AND HOW THE LORD AT LENGTH THROUGH CHRIST DID DELIVER HIM FROM ALL THE GUILT AND TERROR THAT LAY UPON HIM. Whereunto is added a brief relation of his call to the work of the ministry, of his temptations therein, as also what he hath met with …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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