Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 32:23
For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.
For they said unto me, make us gods, which shall go before us,…. Which was true, Ex 32:1 but then he should have told them, that gods were not to be made; that what were made with hands were no gods, and could not go before them; that the making of any image, similitude, or representation of God, was forbidden by him, as they had lately heard from his own mouth; he should have dissuaded from such idolatry, by showing them the evil nature of the sin, and the ruin they exposed themselves to by it:
for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him; their words he truly recites, and perhaps might choose the rather to mention them, because they carried in them some reflection on Moses for staying so long in the mount; and as if that contributed much to this affair, and which put the people on forming such a scheme, they concluding he must be dead through famine; or, as the Targum of Jonathan, be burnt with flaming fire from the Lord.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Exo 32:23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for [as for] this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Ver. 23. We wot not what, &c. ] See the danger of nonresidency.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
man. Hebrew ‘ish, App-14.
wot = know.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 32:1-4, Exo 32:8
Reciprocal: Exo 20:4 – General 1Sa 15:15 – for 1Sa 15:21 – the people
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 32:23. They said, Make us gods It is natural to us to endeavour thus to transfer our guilt. He likewise extenuates his own share in the sin, as if he had only bid them break off their gold, intending but to make a hasty essay for the present, and childishly insinuates that when he cast the gold into the fire, it came out either by accident, or by the magic art of some of the mixed multitude, (as the Jewish writers dream,) in this shape. This was all Aaron had to say for himself, and he had better have said nothing, for his defence did but aggravate his offence; and yet, as sin did abound, grace did much more abound.