John Calvin Commentary Exodus 32:7

"And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:" — Exodus 32:7 (ASV)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down. This was a violent temptation intended to shake the faith of Moses. He thought that his own and the people’s happiness was absolutely complete when God’s covenant was engraved on the tablets to secure its permanence. However, he now hears that this covenant was violated and almost nullified by the treachery and rebellion of the people, while its annulment involved the loss of salvation and all other blessings.

Moreover, so that God might more deeply wound the mind of the holy man, He addresses him exactly as if part of the disgrace fell upon Moses himself. For there is an indirect reproach implied in the words, “thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt.” Yet Moses had only taken this charge upon himself by God’s command and, indeed, unwillingly. How, then, is this deliverance thrown in his face, in which he had only obeyed God? And why is his devotedness spoken of in mockery, as if he had misapplied his labor, when no part of the blame belongs to him?

I have already said that God sometimes pierces the hearts of the godly to the quick in this way, in order to test their patience, as if their well-directed zeal had been the cause of the evils that occur.

Some³³⁵ offer too subtle an interpretation of this, namely, that they are called the people of Moses because they had ceased to be the people of God. They suppose that there is an antithesis here, as if it were said—‘your people, and not mine’; but I fear this is not well-founded, for since they had broken the covenant, they were not more alienated from God than from Moses, the minister of the Law.

I do not deny that this is an implied renunciation of them. However, we must bear in mind that design of God, to which I have already referred: that Moses was, in a way, implicated in their crime, so that his patience might be tested, and also that he might be more grieved at its enormity.

Meanwhile, it is obvious that God refers to His recent grace, because it was a monstrous and incredible thing that those who had been lately delivered by this amazing power, and with whom He had just renewed His covenant, should be so suddenly drawn away into rebellion. He adds also, in aggravation of their crime, that they had immediately turned aside from the way which was pointed out to them.

Forty days had not yet elapsed since Moses left them, when they were impelled by their depravity to such madness as this. A short time ago, they had manifested a wonderful zeal for God’s service by abundantly contributing what was required; the glory of the tabernacle was presented to their eyes to restrain them; and yet they burst through all these barriers and rush impetuously after their own lust, when scarcely six months had passed since the promulgation of the Law.

The verb שחת shicheth, being in the Pihel conjugation, is active; yet it is used without being intensive. I have, therefore, translated it as corrupted themselves, though it might be appropriately taken passively, namely, that the people had been corrupted.

³³⁵ This seems to be a very general opinion of the Commentators, from Jerome downwards. “Though Calvin mislikes this sense, yet it is warranted by that place, Deuteronomy 32:5. They have corrupted themselves, not being his children.” — . They have corrupted themselves, not being his children.” — Junius in Willet. in Willet.