Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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1 The people brought in their ear-rings to Aaron, whose demand of them, instead of discouraging the motion, perhaps did rather gratify their superstition, and beget in them a fancy that the gold taken from their ears would be the most acceptable, and would make the most valuable god. Let their readiness to part with their rings to make an idol of shame us out of our niggardliness in the service of the true God. Did they not draw back from the charge of their idolatry? And shall we grudge the expenses of our religion, or starve so good a cause?
2. Aaron melted down their rings, and, having a mould prepared for the purpose, poured the melted gold into it, and then produced it in the shape of an ox or calf, giving it some finishing strokes with a graving tool. Some think that Aaron chose this figure, for a sign or token of the divine presence, because he thought the head and horns of an ox a proper emblem of the divine power, and yet, being so plain and common a thing, he hoped the people would not be so sottish as to worship it. But it is probable that they had learnt of the Egyptians thus to represent the Deity, for it is said (Eze 20:8), They did not forsake the idols of Egypt, and (Ex 23:8), Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt. Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox (Ps 106:20), and proclaimed their own folly, beyond that of other idolaters, who worshipped the host of heaven.
4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving
tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, these be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
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.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings,
and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
Having made the calf in Horeb, they worshipped the graven image, Ps 106:19. Aaron, seeing the people fond of their