Adam Clarke's Bible Commentary Verse 3. And all the people brake off the golden ear-rings] The human being is naturally fond of dress, though this has been improperly attributed to the female sex alone, and those are most fond of it who have the shallowest capacities; but on this occasion the bent of the people to idolatry was greater than even their love of dress, so that they readily stripped themselves of their ornaments in order to get a molten god. They made some compensation for this afterwards; see chap. xxxv. 22, and See the note on "chap. xxxviii. 9".
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - While Moses was in the mount, receiving the law from God, the people made a tumultuous address to Aaron. This giddy multitude were weary of waiting for the return of Moses. Weariness in waiting betrays to man temptations. The Lord must be waited for till he comes, and waited for though he tarry. Let their readiness to part with their ear-rings to make an idol, shame our niggardliness in the service of the true God They did not draw back on account of the cost of their idolatry; an shall we grudge the expenses of religion? Aaron produced the shape of an ox or calf, giving it some finish with a graving tool. They offere sacrifice to this idol. Having set up an image before them, and s changed the truth of God into a lie, their sacrifices were abomination Had they not, only a few days before, in this very place, heard the voice of the Lord God speaking to them out of the midst of the fire Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image? Had they no themselves solemnly entered into covenant with God, that they would d all he had said to them, and would be obedient? ch. 24:7. Yet befor they stirred from the place where this covenant had been solemnly made they brake an express command, in defiance of an express threatening It plainly shows, that the law was no more able to make holy, than it was to justify; by it is the knowledge of sin, but not the cure of sin Aaron was set apart by the Divine appointment to the office of the priesthood; but he, who had once shamed himself so far as to build a altar to a golden calf, must own himself unworthy of the honour of attending at the altar of God, and indebted to free grace alone for it Thus pride and boasting were silenced.
Original Hebrew ויתפרקו6561 כל3605 העם5971 את853 נזמי5141 הזהב2091 אשׁר834 באזניהם241 ויביאו935 אל413 אהרן׃175
