Exodus 32:20 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.

◄ 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Literal Translations

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.

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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will take the calf which they made, and will burn it in fire, and which he will crush even to small dust, and will scatter upon the face of the water, and will give the sons of Israel to drink.

Catholic Translations

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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And seizing the calf, which they had made, he burnt it and crushed it, even to dust, which he scattered into water. And he gave from it to the sons of Israel to drink.

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.

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.

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And he took the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and filed it with a file until it was ground into dust, and he scattered it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
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.

OT Translations

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.

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.

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?”…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

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 Kings 23:6
He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people.

2 Chronicles 15:16
King Asa also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole, crushed it, and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

Isaiah 2:20
In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship.

Isaiah 30:22
So you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, “Be gone!”

Jeremiah 44:15-19
Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women standing by—a great assembly—along with all the people living in the land of Egypt and in Pathros, said to Jeremiah, / “As for the word you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you! / Instead, we will do everything we vowed to do: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to her, just as we, our fathers, our kings, and our officials did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and good things, and we saw no disaster. ...

Hosea 8:6
For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.

Hosea 13:2
Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

Acts 7:41
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.

1 Corinthians 10:7
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.

Psalm 106:19-20
At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. / They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox.

Nehemiah 9:18
Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,

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.

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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

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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

Berean Study Bible

Then he took the calf they had made
This phrase marks a pivotal moment of confrontation and judgment. The "calf" refers to the golden idol that the Israelites crafted during Moses' absence. The Hebrew word for "calf" is עֵגֶל (egel), which signifies a young bull, often associated with strength and fertility in ancient Near Eastern cultures. The Israelites' creation of this idol was a direct violation of the first two commandments, highlighting their spiritual infidelity. This act of idolatry was not just a cultural misstep but a profound spiritual betrayal, as they turned from the God who delivered them from Egypt to a man-made image.

burned it in the fire
The act of burning the calf symbolizes the total destruction of the idol. Fire, in biblical terms, often represents purification and judgment. By burning the calf, Moses was not only physically destroying the idol but also symbolically purifying the camp from the sin of idolatry. This act serves as a reminder of God's holiness and the seriousness of turning away from Him. The Hebrew word for "burned" is שָׂרַף (saraph), which conveys the idea of consuming completely, leaving nothing behind.

ground it to powder
Moses' grinding of the calf into powder further emphasizes the complete obliteration of the idol. The Hebrew root טָחַן (tachan) means to crush or pulverize, indicating that Moses left no trace of the idol's former glory. This action underscores the futility of idol worship; what was once revered is reduced to nothing. It serves as a powerful visual lesson to the Israelites about the impotence of false gods compared to the living God.

scattered it on the water
By scattering the powdered remains on the water, Moses ensures that the idol is not only destroyed but also dispersed beyond recovery. Water, often a symbol of life and cleansing in Scripture, here becomes a medium for the final eradication of the idol. This act can be seen as a symbolic cleansing of the community, washing away the sin that had infiltrated their midst. The Hebrew verb זָרָה (zarah) means to scatter or winnow, suggesting a thorough dispersal.

and made the Israelites drink it
This final act of making the Israelites drink the water mixed with the idol's remains is both a physical and spiritual lesson. It forces the people to internalize the consequences of their sin, literally and figuratively. The Hebrew verb שָׁקָה (shaqah) means to give to drink, indicating an action that is imposed upon them. This act serves as a humbling reminder of their transgression and the bitter taste of turning away from God. It is a call to repentance and a return to faithfulness, illustrating that sin has tangible consequences that must be confronted and dealt with.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(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.

Pulpit Commentary

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)