21 Then Moses said to Aaron , "What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?" 22 Aaron said , "Do not let the anger of my lord burn ; you know the people yourself , that they are prone to evil . 23 "For they said to me, 'Make a god for us who will go before us; for this Moses , the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt , we do not know what has become of him.' 24 "I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold , let them tear it off .' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire , and out came this calf ." 25 Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control -for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies - 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp , and said , "Whoever is for the Lord , come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. 27 He said to them, "Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel , 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh , and go e back and forth from gate to gate in the camp , and kill every man his brother , and every man his friend , and every man his neighbor .' " 28 So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed , and about three thousand men of the people fell that day . 29 Then Moses said , "Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord -for every man has been against his son and against his brother -in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 32:21-29
Commentary on Exodus 32:21-29
(Read Exodus 32:21-29)
Never did any wise man make a more frivolous and foolish excuse than that of Aaron. We must never be drawn into sin by any thing man can say or do to us; for men can but tempt us to sin, they cannot force us. The approach of Moses turned the dancing into trembling. They were exposed to shame by their sin. The course Moses took to roll away this reproach, was, not by concealing the sin, or putting any false colour upon it, but by punishing it. The Levites were to slay the ringleaders in this wickedness; yet none were executed but those who openly stood forth. Those are marked for ruin who persist in sin: those who in the morning were shouting and dancing, before night were dying. Such sudden changes do the judgments of the Lord sometimes make with sinners that are secure and jovial in their sin.