John Calvin Commentary Exodus 32:22

"And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are [set] on evil." — Exodus 32:22 (ASV)

And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my Lord wax hot. Aaron minimizes his crime as much as he can. The gist, however, is that the people, whom Moses himself knew to be depraved and perverse, had riotously assailed him and compelled him against his will.

Now, although the beginning of his speech has an appearance of modesty, his excuse is still frivolous. Aaron, though the elder, rightly submits himself with reverence to his brother, since he acknowledges him as God’s minister and trembles at his reproof. However, it would have been better to confess his guilt ingenuously than to escape the ignominy of condemnation by subterfuge.

For it was the chief's responsibility to guide the whole body and to quiet the tumult by authority and firmness. Indeed, if their excesses had even advanced to madness, it would have been better to die ten times over than to yield such base and servile compliance.

But from the outcome, it appears that while we, in our anxiety for our reputation, strive to conceal or excuse our faults, our hypocrisy will eventually appear ridiculous. It is obvious that when Aaron says he cast the gold into the fire and the calf came out, he endeavors, at any rate, to cover the fault—which he cannot altogether erase—with this poor and flimsy tale. But by this childish trifling, he only reveals his impudence, so that such foolish confidence only completes his condemnation.

This is the just reward of our ambition when we take refuge in disguises and set our hypocrisy against God’s judgment.