21 And Moses saith unto Aaron, 'What hath this people done to thee, that thou hast brought in upon it a great sin?' 22 and Aaron saith, 'Let not the anger of my lord burn; thou—thou hast known the people that it 'is' in evil; 23 and they say to me, Make for us gods, who go before us, for this Moses—the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt—we have not known what hath happened to him; 24 and I say to them, Whoso hath gold, let them break 'it' off, and they give to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf cometh out.' 25 And Moses seeth the people that it 'is' unbridled, for Aaron hath made it unbridled for contempt among its withstanders, 26 and Moses standeth in the gate of the camp, and saith, 'Who 'is' for Jehovah?—unto me!' and all the sons of Levi are gathered unto him; 27 and he saith to them, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Put each his sword by his thigh, pass over and turn back from gate to gate through the camp, and slay each his brother, and each his friend, and each his relation.' 28 And the sons of Levi do according to the word of Moses, and there fall of the people on that day about three thousand men, 29 and Moses saith, 'Consecrate your hand to-day to Jehovah, for a man 'is' against his son, and against his brother, so as to bring on you to-day a blessing.'
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.