�1: And you shall make an altar to burn incense upon: of acacia wood shall you make it.
�2: A cubit (aprox. 21") shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits (3 1/2') shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
�3: And you shall overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and you shall make unto it a crown of gold round about. (See 25:24)
�4: And two golden rings shall you make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shall you make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
�5: And you shall make the staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
�6: And you shall put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat (see 25:17) that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you.
�7: And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning (with fire taken from the brasen altar of atonement, implying that there could be no acceptable worship except on the ground of atonement made. All other fire was "strange fire", and all other worship strange worship, and therefore unacceptable): when he dresses the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
�8: And when Aaron lights the lamps at dusk, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahaveh throughout your generations.
�9: You all shall offer no strange incense thereon (incence different from and other than that which God had prescribed. See Lev.10:1), nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall you all pour drink offering thereon.
�10: And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year (namely the 10th day of the 7th month [our September 23-24th]. Lev. 16:18,29,30. Num.29:7) with the blood of the sin offering of atonements (see 29:14): once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy (see 3:5) to Yahaveh.
�11: And the Lord (Yahaveh) spoke to Moses, saying,
K4��S��1,2. The principal, Bezaleel. �����T��3. His qualification. ������U��4,5. His work. ����S��6-. His subordinates, Aholiab and others. �����T��-6-. Their qualification. ������U��-6. Their work (= L4, vv. 7-11).
�3: And I have filled him with the spirit (put for gifts of the Holy Spirit) of Elohim (The Creator ), in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
�4: To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in bronze, (Note vv.5 & 7, and see 26:1:
�����Cunning works.
������Gold, silver,
�������bronze, stones,
�������timber.
�����All workmanship.)
�5: And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
�6: And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab (Heb.=tent of his father), the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan:
and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom,
that they may make all that I have commanded you;
�18: And He gave to Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony (these first tables were "the work of God", 32:16; 24:12), tables of stone (Singular. The second tables were hewn by Moses, 34:1-4, and stones in plural. Both written by God), written (see 17:14) with the finger of God. (Fig. Anthropopatheia.)
F��V��f��1. Request of the People. �������g��2. Aaron's answer. ��������W��h��3,4-. Idolatry purposed. ������������i��-4. Yahaveh's rejection. ��������W��h��5,6. Idolatry practiced. ������������i��7-10. Yahaveh's wrath. ���V��f��11-13. Request of Moses. �������g��14. Yahaveh's answer.
�2: And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me."
�3: And the greater part of the People broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought it to Aaron.
�4: And he received it (i.e the gold) at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf (the chief Egyptian god, with which they were familiar in Egypt):
and they said, "These be your gods (expounded in Neh. 9:18 as meaning :This is your god". Cp. Ps.106:19-21), O Israel, which brought you 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 Yehovah." (All done under cover of "religion".)
�6: And they rose up early on the next day, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat (the sacrifices) and to drink (the libations), and rose up to play. (=to make sport. Cp. v.9. So 1 Cor.10:7: to dance: i.e. lasciviously. This was part of idolatrous worship.)
�7: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Moses (see 3:7; 6:10), "Go, get you down; for your people, which you brought out of the land of Egypt (as though disowning them. Cp. Moses' grand faith, in his reply, v.11), have corrupted themselves:
�8: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have offered slain sacrifices thereunto, and said, 'These be your gods, O Israel, which have brought you up out of the land of Egypt.' "
�9: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
�10: Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of you a great nation."
�11: And Moses besought God (Yahaveh) his God (Elohim) (Heb. "the face of Yehovah": i.e. before, or in the presence of Yehovah), and said, "Lord (Yahaveh), why does Your wrath wax hot against Your people, which You have brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? (This is the reply of Moses. He knows they were not "Cast off" [Rom.11:2], but only "cast aside" [Rom.11:15], for a little moment. See Rom.11:2,15)
�12: Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'For mischief (or wrong doing) did He bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?' Turn from Your fierce wrath, and repent (Fig. Anthropopatheia, ascribing to God what belongs to human) of this evil (=injury) against Your people.
�13: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (not Jacob, because this is the language of highest faith), Your servants, to whom You sware (Cp. Heb.6:13,17. Gen.22:16-18) by Your own Self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.' "
�14: And the Lord (Yahaveh) repented fig. ascibibing to God that which belongs to humans of the injury which He spoke of doing to His people.
Y4��X��14-24. The Sin of the People. ����Z��25-30. The Judgement of the People.
X��j��15,16. The Tables carried. ����k��l��17. Moses and Joshua. ��������m��18. Answer to Moses. ���j��19,20. Tables broken. ����k��l��21. Moses and Aaron. ��������m��22-24. Answer of Aaron.
23-24th July 1491 B.C.
�15: And Moses turned, and went down from the mount (Moses' 4th descent. See 19:3 [the 5th ascent was in 24:9]), and the two tables (see 31:18) of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
�16: And the tables were the work of God (Elohim), and the writing was the writing of God (Elohim), graven upon the tables. (The two figures together greatly emphasising the verse as a whole; and, combined = another Fig. Anadiplosis, namely "tables", "writing"-;-"writings", "tables" = the solemn or important writings. See 17:14.)
�17: And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."
�18: And he (Moses) said, "It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear." (All the same word in Hebrew, anah.)
�19: And it came to pass, as soon as he came near to the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing (cp. v.6, as in the worship of Aspis): and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.
�20: And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire (a secret known to the Egyptians), and ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water (cp. Deut.9:21. Ex.17:6), and made the sons of Israel drink of it.
�21: And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this People to you, that you have brought so great a sin upon them?"
�22: And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: you know the People, that they are ready for mischief.
�23: For they said to 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.'
�24: And I said to them, 'Whosoever has any gold, let them break it off'. So they gave it to me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."
Z��n��25. Idolatry. ����o��p��26-. Call of Moses. ��������q��-26. Levites' response. ����o��p��27. Command of Moses. ��������q��28. Levites' obedience. ���n��29,30. Atonement.
�25: And when Moses saw that the people were naked; {for Aaron had made them naked to their shame among their enemies:}
�26: Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Who is on the Lord's (Yahaveh's) side? let him come to me."
And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. (i.e. all who had not joined in the idolatry. Cp. Deut.33:9)
�27: And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord God (Yahaveh Elohim) of Israel, 'Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.' "
�28: And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the People that day about three thousand men. (These 3,000 were the "men" slain by "the sons of Levi". The 23,000 of 1 Cor.10:8 includes those who died of the "plague" which followed. See v.35.)
�29: For Moses had said, "Install yourselves to day to the Lord (Yehovah), even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day."
25-26th July
�30: And it came to pass on the next day, that Moses said to the People, "You all have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up to the Lord (Yehovah); perhaps I shall make an atonement for your sin."
X5��A���32:31-33. The Sin and its consequences. ������B��r��32:34-. Command to depart. ����������s��-34. Angel's guidance promised. ����A���32:35. The Sin and its consequences. ������B��r��33:1. Command to depart. ����������s��33:2,3-. Angel's guidance promised. ����A���33:-3. The Sin and its consequences.
26-27th July, a Sabbath
�31: And Moses returned to the Lord (Yahaveh) (Moses' 5th ascent, see 19:3), and said, "Oh, this People have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
�32: Yet now, if You will forgive their sin -- (Fig. Aposiopesis, Sudden Silence, some great promise, To emphasise the unspeakableness of the sin); and if not, blot me, I pray You, out of Your book (cp. Ps.69:2. Isa.4:3) which You have written."
�33: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Moses, "Whosoever has sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. (Under the Law, the sinner blotted out: under grace, sin blotted out.)
�34: Therefore now go, lead the People to the place of which I have spoken to you:
behold, My angel (probably an inferior angel, not that of Ex.23:20,21) shall go before you: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them." (See Gen.26:28; 50:24,25. This is to emphasise the fact that there is such a thing as postponed judgement. Cp. 34:7. Num.14:33. Ezek.18:1-3. Matt.23:32-36.)
�35: And the Lord (Yahaveh) plagued the People (see v.28), because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
lest I consume you in the way."
Y5��C��33:4-6. Stripping of ornaments. �����D��33:7-11. Yahaveh. Removal. �����D��33:12-23. Yahaveh. Manifestation. ����C��34:1-4-. Making of the second Tables.
�4: And when the People heard these evil tidings (this shows Moses had descended again), they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
�5: For the Lord (Yahaveh) had said to Moses, "Say to the sons of Israel, 'You all are a stiffnecked People (these have to be humbled; but an afflicted people is an object of Divine favor. Cp. 2:24,25; 3:7; 4:31): I will come up into the midst of you in a moment, and consume you: therefore now put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do to you.' "
�6: And the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
27-28th July to 1-2nd of August.
�7: And Moses took the tent (11 times called tent; Heb. �ohel. Not the Tabernacle, for this was not yet made, but a different building altogether, called �the tent of the assembly�), and pitched it outside the camp (in presence of corporate failure God withdraws Himself. Typical of our own day. Those who seek Him must "go forth to Him". Cp. Heb.13:13 ), afar off from the camp, and called it the tent of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought Yahaveh went out to the tent of the congregation, which was outside the camp.
�8: And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the People rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tent.
�9: And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tent, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and Yahaveh talked with Moses.
�10: And all the People saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tent door: and all the People rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
�11: And the Lord (Yahaveh) spoke to Moses face to face (to emphasise the communion in the presence of corporate failure; this must ever be individual and personal), as a man speaks to his friend. And he (Moses) turned again into the camp: but his servant (=personal attendant, as in 24:13. Heb. n�ar, rendered �servant� 2 Sam.19:17. 2 Kings 5:20. Neh.5:10, &c. = assistant) Joshua (see 17:9. He had not been in the camp; an when Moses went out Joshua remained in the tent), the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tent.
D��t���12,13. Request (Positive). ����u���14. Answer - Presence. ���t���15,16. Request (Negative). ����u���17. Answer - Grace. ���t���18. Request (Positive). ����u���19-23. Answer - Goodness.
�12: And Moses said to the Lord (Yahaveh), "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this People:' and You have not let me know whom You will send with me (as promised in 32:34). Yet You have said, 'I know you by name (cp. Isa.43:1; 49:1. In the presence of corporate failure all is individual, cp. 2 Tim.2:19.In 1 Tim. we see corporate rule, in 2 Tim. we see corporate ruin. Hence, 2 Tim. is individual throughout), and you have also found grace in My sight.' (or, favor. All is of grace, cp. 34:9 &c. Noah, Gen.6:8. Abraham, Gen.18:3. Moses, 34:9 &c.)
�13: Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way (different from Your works. Cp. Ps.103:7. "Ways" are esoteric, "acts" are exoteric; we must go "outside the camp" to learn "the ways" of Yehovah), that I may know You, that I may find grace in Your sight: and consider that this nation is Your people."
�14: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." (If this verse be punctuated as a question, then we can understand v.15, "shall My presence go with you, and shall I lead you into rest?" as much as to say, How can My presence go with you after this rejection of Me?)
�15: And he (Moses) said to Him, "If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up from this place.
�16: For wherein shall it be known here that I and Your People have found grace in Your sight? is it not in that You go with us? or by our being separated, I and Your People, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth." (=ground)
�17: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said to Moses, "I will do this thing also that you have spoken: for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
�18: And he (Moses) said, "I beseech You, show me Your glory."
�19: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you (the glory could not have been endured; grace comes first, glory is reserved for the future ), and I will proclaim the name of Yahaveh before you (this done in 34:5-7); and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will show mercy."
�20: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said, "You can not see my face (cp. 23:15 and 34:20): for there shall no man see Me, and live."
�21: And the Lord (Yahaveh) said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon the rock:
�22: And it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the hollow of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by:
�23: And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen."