Antiguo Testamento

Exodus — Capítulo 32

What does it mean to be in a relationship with God, the ultimate being in the universe? How does one establish that relationship? What is that relationship like, and what does it take to stay in it? These are questions that people around the world have been asking since the beginning of time. The book of Exodus provided the ancient Israelites with answers to such questions, revealing not only w…

Versión

Texto — Reina-Valera 1960

1Viendo el pueblo que Moisés tardaba en descender del monte, se acercaron entonces a Aarón, y le dijeron: Levántate, haznos dioses que vayan delante de nosotros; porque a este Moisés, el varón que nos sacó de la tierra de Egipto, no sabemos qué le haya acontecido.

2Y Aarón les dijo: Apartad los zarcillos de oro que están en las orejas de vuestras mujeres, de vuestros hijos y de vuestras hijas, y traédmelos.

3Entonces todo el pueblo apartó los zarcillos de oro que tenían en sus orejas, y los trajeron a Aarón;

4y él los tomó de las manos de ellos, y le dio forma con buril, e hizo de ello un becerro de fundición. Entonces dijeron: Israel, estos son tus dioses, que te sacaron de la tierra de Egipto.

5Y viendo esto Aarón, edificó un altar delante del becerro; y pregonó Aarón, y dijo: Mañana será fiesta para Jehová.

6Y al día siguiente madrugaron, y ofrecieron holocaustos, y presentaron ofrendas de paz; y se sentó el pueblo a comer y a beber, y se levantó a regocijarse.

7Entonces Jehová dijo a Moisés: Anda, desciende, porque tu pueblo que sacaste de la tierra de Egipto se ha corrompido.

8Pronto se han apartado del camino que yo les mandé; se han hecho un becerro de fundición, y lo han adorado, y le han ofrecido sacrificios, y han dicho: Israel, estos son tus dioses, que te sacaron de la tierra de Egipto.

9Dijo más Jehová a Moisés: Yo he visto a este pueblo, que por cierto es pueblo de dura cerviz.

10Ahora, pues, déjame que se encienda mi ira en ellos, y los consuma; y de ti yo haré una nación grande.

11Entonces Moisés oró en presencia de Jehová su Dios, y dijo: Oh Jehová, ¿por qué se encenderá tu furor contra tu pueblo, que tú sacaste de la tierra de Egipto con gran poder y con mano fuerte?

12¿Por qué han de hablar los egipcios, diciendo: Para mal los sacó, para matarlos en los montes, y para raerlos de sobre la faz de la tierra? Vuélvete del ardor de tu ira, y arrepiéntete de este mal contra tu pueblo.

13Acuérdate de Abraham, de Isaac y de Israel tus siervos, a los cuales has jurado por ti mismo, y les has dicho: Yo multiplicaré vuestra descendencia como las estrellas del cielo; y daré a vuestra descendencia toda esta tierra de que he hablado, y la tomarán por heredad para siempre.

14Entonces Jehová se arrepintió del mal que dijo que había de hacer a su pueblo.

15Y volvió Moisés y descendió del monte, trayendo en su mano las dos tablas del testimonio, las tablas escritas por ambos lados; de uno y otro lado estaban escritas.

16Y las tablas eran obra de Dios, y la escritura era escritura de Dios grabada sobre las tablas.

17Cuando oyó Josué el clamor del pueblo que gritaba, dijo a Moisés: Alarido de pelea hay en el campamento.

18Y él respondió: No es voz de alaridos de fuertes, ni voz de alaridos de débiles; voz de cantar oigo yo.

19Y aconteció que cuando él llegó al campamento, y vio el becerro y las danzas, ardió la ira de Moisés, y arrojó las tablas de sus manos, y las quebró al pie del monte.

20Y tomó el becerro que habían hecho, y lo quemó en el fuego, y lo molió hasta reducirlo a polvo, que esparció sobre las aguas, y lo dio a beber a los hijos de Israel.

21Y dijo Moisés a Aarón: ¿Qué te ha hecho este pueblo, que has traído sobre él tan gran pecado?

22Y respondió Aarón: No se enoje mi señor; tú conoces al pueblo, que es inclinado a mal.

23Porque me dijeron: Haznos dioses que vayan delante de nosotros; porque a este Moisés, el varón que nos sacó de la tierra de Egipto, no sabemos qué le haya acontecido.

24Y yo les respondí: ¿Quién tiene oro? Apartadlo. Y me lo dieron, y lo eché en el fuego, y salió este becerro.

25Y viendo Moisés que el pueblo estaba desenfrenado, porque Aarón lo había permitido, para vergüenza entre sus enemigos,

26se puso Moisés a la puerta del campamento, y dijo: ¿Quién está por Jehová? Júntese conmigo. Y se juntaron con él todos los hijos de Leví.

27Y él les dijo: Así ha dicho Jehová, el Dios de Israel: Poned cada uno su espada sobre su muslo; pasad y volved de puerta a puerta por el campamento, y matad cada uno a su hermano, y a su amigo, y a su pariente.

28Y los hijos de Leví lo hicieron conforme al dicho de Moisés; y cayeron del pueblo en aquel día como tres mil hombres.

29Entonces Moisés dijo: Hoy os habéis consagrado a Jehová, pues cada uno se ha consagrado en su hijo y en su hermano, para que él dé bendición hoy sobre vosotros.

30Y aconteció que al día siguiente dijo Moisés al pueblo: Vosotros habéis cometido un gran pecado, pero yo subiré ahora a Jehová; quizá le aplacaré acerca de vuestro pecado.

31Entonces volvió Moisés a Jehová, y dijo: Te ruego, pues este pueblo ha cometido un gran pecado, porque se hicieron dioses de oro,

32que perdones ahora su pecado, y si no, ráeme ahora de tu libro que has escrito.

33Y Jehová respondió a Moisés: Al que pecare contra mí, a este raeré yo de mi libro.

34Ve, pues, ahora, lleva a este pueblo a donde te he dicho; he aquí mi ángel irá delante de ti; pero en el día del castigo, yo castigaré en ellos su pecado.

35Y Jehová hirió al pueblo, porque habían hecho el becerro que formó Aarón.

TYNDALE OPEN STUDY NOTES

Versículo 1

I. 32:1-35 At the foot of Mount Sinai, after Moses had been absent for many days, the people felt th…

32:1-35 At the foot of Mount Sinai, after Moses had been absent for many days, the people felt the need for protection, guidance, and a tangible way to express their worship. God knew this and was eager to meet these needs (chs 25–31). The Israelites, however, tried to meet their needs for themselves. Fellowship with God requires depending on him (see John 15:5; 2 Cor 3:5). 32:1-6 The people were not willing to wait and see what God had been saying to Moses on the mountain for the forty days while he was there (see 24:18). 32:1 The Israelites’ actions were motivated by fear, disrespect for this fellow Moses, disbelief in God’s leadership, and denial of responsibility. They were unwilling to wait for God to reveal his plans of care for them. Refusal to wait on God is often a cause of sin (see 1 Sam 13:7-13; Isa 30:15-18).

Versículo 2

II. 32:2-4 The religious professional, Aaron, demanded a specific contribution of gold rings and then…

32:2-4 The religious professional, Aaron, demanded a specific contribution of gold rings and then excluded the people from any further involvement in the process. This is very different from what God had commanded regarding the construction of the Tabernacle, where the people were invited to bring many different kinds of things as they felt led (25:1-9; 35:4–36:7) and to share in the work under the guidance of a Spirit-filled layperson (31:1-6; 36:1-2).

Versículo 4

III. 32:4 the shape of a calf: The idol might actually have been an image of a bull, like the images o…

32:4 the shape of a calf: The idol might actually have been an image of a bull, like the images of the Egyptian god Amon-Re that the people had known in Egypt. The bull represented power, domination, and fertility. The writer would then be using the term calf as a way of expressing contempt for the idol. Alternatively, Aaron might have made a calf, feeling that this sin was not as serious as if the idol were a full-sized bull. • these are the gods who brought you out: The people attributed to the idol what they had just said that Moses had done (32:1). Idolatry expresses the belief that the divine realm and the visible world are continuous with one another. This worldview sees it as possible to lay hold of divine power through ritual manipulation of the god by means of the idol. God had been insisting that the very opposite is true: God is not contained in or restrained by his creation, and his blessings cannot be procured by manipulating creation, either ritually or otherwise. The blessings of God are for those who surrender their own efforts to make themselves secure and come to him using the ways and means that he has decreed.

Versículo 5

IV. 32:5 Aaron attempted to control the process, but he was actually abdicating leadership by simply …

32:5 Aaron attempted to control the process, but he was actually abdicating leadership by simply doing what he thought the people wanted. • Although the idol was referred to as “the gods” (32:4), Aaron also implied that it was a physical manifestation of the Lord.

Versículo 6

V. 32:6 The Hebrew term translated pagan revelry is traditionally rendered they got up to play. As i…

32:6 The Hebrew term translated pagan revelry is traditionally rendered they got up to play. As in English, the Hebrew word for play can have sexual overtones (see Gen 26:8, “caressing”), which is likely the case here. Worship of a fertility symbol such as a bull was often accompanied by sexual activities on the part of the worshipers (see 1 Cor 10:7-8).

Versículo 7

VI. 32:7 Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt: God here attributes his own work to Mos…

32:7 Your people whom you brought from the land of Egypt: God here attributes his own work to Moses, which suggests that he was testing Moses, giving him an opportunity to make the same mistake the people had made (32:1). God was not “tempting” Moses in the sense of “seducing him to do evil” (see Jas 1:13-14), but he was putting Moses into a situation where he was faced with a clear choice that could take him in opposing directions (cp. 1 Kgs 22:19-23).

Versículo 9

VII. 32:9-10 God was apparently prepared to disown his people, since they had broken their covenant wi…

32:9-10 God was apparently prepared to disown his people, since they had broken their covenant with him.

Versículo 10

VIII. 32:10 Now leave me alone: This apparent command was in fact an invitation to Moses to intercede f…

32:10 Now leave me alone: This apparent command was in fact an invitation to Moses to intercede for his people. Although the people deserved destruction, God was willing not to destroy them if Moses continued to stand before him as an intercessor. • I will make you, Moses, into a great nation: If Moses were willing, God would start over again, abandoning the rest of the children of Abraham and beginning now with the children of Moses. This was apparently a test of Moses’ understanding of God.

Versículo 11

IX. 32:11-13 If a test was involved, Moses passed it. He refused to put himself in God’s place (32:11…

32:11-13 If a test was involved, Moses passed it. He refused to put himself in God’s place (32:11). He knew that God is just and faithful and that he would not deliver people only to destroy them (32:12). He refused to accept the invitation to become the father of a great nation, since that would involve God’s breaking his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (32:13). Moses had learned who God really is.

Versículo 14

X. 32:14 In response to Moses’ argument, the Lord changed his mind. This is not the picture of a rag…

32:14 In response to Moses’ argument, the Lord changed his mind. This is not the picture of a raging tyrant who is, with great difficulty, finally persuaded to back down. The Lord is much more inclined to be merciful than to insist on vengeance, and he invites those who are near him, like Moses, to give him an occasion for his mercy through faithful intercession.

Versículo 15

XI. 32:15-29 When Moses actually saw what was going on, he was much less calm than he had been on the…

32:15-29 When Moses actually saw what was going on, he was much less calm than he had been on the mountain. He smashed the tablets (32:15-19), destroyed the calf (32:20), confronted Aaron (32:21-25), and had the ringleaders killed (32:26-29).

Versículo 16

XII. 32:16 These tablets were God’s work: The covenant was not merely a human agreement.

32:16 These tablets were God’s work: The covenant was not merely a human agreement.

Versículo 19

XIII. 32:19 While the act of smashing the tablets might simply have been a reaction of fury, it might a…

32:19 While the act of smashing the tablets might simply have been a reaction of fury, it might also have been Moses’ way of saying that the covenant with God was now irrevocably broken. God later reminded Moses rather pointedly that Moses was the one who had smashed the tablets (see 34:1).

Versículo 20

XIV. 32:20 Passing the gold powder of the image through the bodies of the people effectively rendered …

32:20 Passing the gold powder of the image through the bodies of the people effectively rendered it unclean.

Versículo 21

XV. 32:21-25 Aaron denied responsibility even though he himself had made the molds and poured the gol…

32:21-25 Aaron denied responsibility even though he himself had made the molds and poured the gold (32:4). Aaron wanted Moses to believe that it all “just happened” (32:24) and that he had no choice because the people were so evil (32:22). Moses was not misled. He knew that Aaron could have led the people but had let them get completely out of control (32:25).

Versículo 25

16. 32:25 much to the amusement of their enemies: After the Israelites’ great show of worshiping the …

32:25 much to the amusement of their enemies: After the Israelites’ great show of worshiping the Lord as a different kind of God, their actions proclaimed that he was merely another of the idols that their enemies had been worshiping all along (see Ezek 36:19-20).

Versículo 26

17. 32:26-29 Moses had asked God to spare the people, but now he called on those who followed the Lor…

32:26-29 Moses had asked God to spare the people, but now he called on those who followed the Lord to kill those who had sinned. The Levites (32:26) were willing to confront the sin that Aaron had let loose. Although Moses commanded them to kill everyone (32:27), the number 3,000 (32:28) makes it clear that the word everyone had a restricted meaning. The reference to your own sons and brothers suggests that as Aaron had led in the idolatry, many of the Levites had led in the worship of the idol, and they were the ones that the rest of the Levites killed. Aaron may have escaped because God had already designated him as high priest (28:1).

Versículo 30

18. 32:30-35 This further intercession for the people may have been needed because of Moses’ new reco…

32:30-35 This further intercession for the people may have been needed because of Moses’ new recognition of how serious the sin really was.

Versículo 32

19. 32:32 As if underlining his earlier refusal of God’s invitation to become a great nation at the p…

32:32 As if underlining his earlier refusal of God’s invitation to become a great nation at the people’s expense, Moses here rather piously asked God to destroy him, too, if he chose not to forgive the people.

Versículo 33

20. 32:33 God dismissed Moses’ request. He would bring judgment only on those who had sinned in the i…

32:33 God dismissed Moses’ request. He would bring judgment only on those who had sinned in the incident.

Versículo 34

21. 32:34 the place I told you about: Canaan, which God had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants…

32:34 the place I told you about: Canaan, which God had promised to give to Abraham’s descendants (see 3:17; 32:13; 33:1). • when I come to call the people to account: Because of God’s mercy, judgment may not always come immediately (though in this instance God soon sent a plague, 32:35), but it will come for those who persist in sin (see Matt 13:24-30).

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Exodus — Capítulo 32