Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 32:5
And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow [is] a feast to the LORD.
5. Seeing the impression which the image made upon Israel, Aaron at once builds an altar before it, and proclaims a feast to Jehovah. The calf is thus clearly regarded, not as exclusive of Jehovah, but as representing Him.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. To-morrow is a feast to the Lord] In Bengal the officiating Brahmin, or an appointed person proclaims, “To-morrow, or on — day of — , such a ceremony will be performed!”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When Aaron saw, i.e. observed with what applause they received it, and with what fury and resolution they prosecuted their former desire, he was borne down with the stream, and, as it is probable, by the peoples instigation, built an altar to it.
To the Lord, Heb. to Jehovah; which title being peculiar to the true God, and being here given by Aaron to the calf, with the approbation of the people, makes it more than probable that the people designed to worship the true God in this calf, which they made only as a visible token of Gods presence with them, and an image by which they might convey their worship to God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5, 6. Aaron made proclamation, andsaid, To-morrow is a feast to the Lorda remarkablecircumstance, strongly confirmatory of the view that they had notrenounced the worship of Jehovah, but in accordance with Egyptiannotions, had formed an image with which they had been familiar, to bethe visible symbol of the divine presence. But there seems to havebeen much of the revelry that marked the feasts of the heathen.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when Aaron saw it,…. In what form it was, and what a figure it made, and how acceptable it was to the Israelites. The Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem paraphrase it,
“and Aaron saw Hur slain before him;”
for reproving them for their idolatry, as the Midrash e, quoted by Jarchi, says: and Aaron fearing they would take away his life if he opposed them,
he built an altar before it; that sacrifice might be offered on it to it:
and Aaron made proclamation, and said, tomorrow [is] a feast to the Lord; that is, he gave orders to have it published throughout the camp, there would be solemn sacrifices offered up to the Lord, as represented by this calf, and a feast thereon, which was a public invitation of them to the solemnity: though some think this was a protracting time, and putting the people off till the morrow, who would have been for offering sacrifice immediately, hoping that Moses would come down from the mount before that time, and prevent their idolatry.
e So Pirke Eliezer, c. 45.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
5. And, when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. When he sees the people so infuriated, that he despairs of being able to resist their conspiracy, in perfidious cowardice he gives way to compliance. And this end awaits all those who do not dare ingenuously and firmly to maintain what is right, but who bargain, as it were, and descend to compromises; for, after they have vacillated for a while, (332) they at length succumb altogether, so as to shrink from nothing, however unworthy and disgraceful. He seems, indeed, by his proclamation to uplift their minds to the worship of the true God; but, when he is violating the law just given, it is a wretched quibble to shield their offensive and degenerate worship under God’s sacred name.
(332) Addition in Fr. , “Et nage entre deux eaux;” and swam between two waters.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Aaron . . . built an altar before it.Having once yielded to the popular cry. Aaron was carried on from one compliance to another. He caused the mould to be made for the idol, and the gold to be melted and run into it; and now he constructed, perhaps with his own hands, an altar of rough stones or turf (Exo. 20:24-25), and placed it directly in front of the Image, thus encouraging the offering of sacrifice to it. Perhaps he flattered himself that by heading the movement he could control it, and hinder it from becoming downright apostacy from Jehovah. In his view no doubt the calf was an emblem of Jehovah, and the worship paid it was the worship of Jehovah. Hence the festival which he proclaimed was to be a feast to Jehovah. But how little able he was to guide events, or to hinder the worst evils of idolatry from speedily manifesting themselves, appears from Exo. 32:6; Exo. 32:25.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. When Aaron saw No object of the verb saw is expressed, and we do best to understand what is implied in the words immediately preceding . When he saw the excitement and enthusiasm of the people, and their acceptance of the image as a symbol of their God, he was carried away by the scene, and proceeded further to erect an altar before it, and announce that on the morrow they would celebrate a feast to the Lord. Thus this man, so highly honoured of God, became a culpable partaker in the people’s sin .
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 32:5. When Aaron saw it, &c. Whatever may be urged in behalf of Aaron, there can be no doubt that his conduct was extremely blameable: nor have we any need to attempt his vindication, as there can be no room for it, when we are informed, that the Almighty was so indignant at him for it, that he would have destroyed him, had it not been for the intercession of Moses. See Deu 9:20 and had not Moses entertained a greater regard for truth than for the honour of his brother, we should have lost this among many other noble testimonies of his sincerity.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Compare this account with what is said, Exo 24:7 . then read that scripture, which can never be too often read, Jer 17:9 . Observe how the Psalmist remarks this sin, being so highly aggravated, in that it was done in Horeb, that memorable spot, where the people had such evidences of the divine presence. Psa 106:19 . Observe also, the Apostle’s remark upon it, 1Co 10:6-7 . Reader! remark, that at the very moment the Lord, in the mount, was ordaining Aaron with peculiar honors to the priesthood, Aaron was aiding the Israelites to idolatry. Well might the Apostle say, the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity. Heb 7:28 . Sweet are those verses concerning it. Heb 7:26-27 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 32:5 And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow [is] a feast to the LORD.
Ver. 5. A feast to Jehovah. ] Whom these idolators pretended to worship in the golden calf; as did also Jehu, 2Ki 10:16 ; 2Ki 10:29 2Ch 11:15 and as the Papists at this day. But with what face can some of their Rabbis excuse this people from idolatry? or the Jesuits their image worshippers?
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
a feast to the LORD. All done under cover of “religion”.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Aaron: 1Sa 14:35, 2Ki 16:11, Hos 8:11, Hos 8:14
made proclamation: Lev 23:2, Lev 23:4, Lev 23:21, Lev 23:37, 1Ki 21:9, 2Ki 10:20, 2Ch 30:5
a feast: Exo 32:4, Exo 10:9, Exo 12:14, 1Ki 12:32, 1Ki 12:33, 1Co 5:8
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 32:5. Aaron built an altar Being borne down with the stream; and proclaimed a feast Namely, of dedication; yet he calls it a feast to Jehovah By which it is still more evident that the people did not intend to terminate their adoration in the image, but designed to worship the true God in and by this calf, which they meant to consider as only a visible token of Gods presence with them, and a medium by which to convey their worship to him. And yet this did not excuse them from the sin of gross idolatry any more than it will excuse the Papists, whose plea it is that they do not worship the images which they use, but God, or Christ, by the images, so making themselves just such idolaters as the worshippers of the golden calf, whose feast was a feast to Jehovah, and proclaimed to be so, that the most ignorant and unthinking might not mistake it.