The Meaning of Exodus 32:20 Explained

Exodus 32:20

KJV: And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

YLT: and he taketh the calf which they have made, and burneth it with fire, and grindeth until it is small, and scattereth on the face of the waters, and causeth the sons of Israel to drink.

Darby: And he took the calf that they had made, and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it on the water, and made the children of Israel drink it.

ASV: And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he took  the calf  which they had made,  and burnt  [it] in the fire,  and ground  [it] to powder,  and strawed  [it] upon  the water,  and made the children  of Israel  drink  [of it]. 

What does Exodus 32:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 32:15-24 - Moses Breaks The Tables And Burns The Calf
There was no weak compromise on the part of Moses. He cast the tables from his hands as though he felt that the covenant between God and the Hebrew race was hopelessly broken. He remonstrated with Aaron, destroyed the calf, and appointed the tribe of Levi as the executors of divine justice. How striking the act that forced the people to drink the dust of the golden calf! Men always have to drink the dust of their idolatries. You cannot make an idol without growing into the likeness of your idol and becoming, some day, nauseated with it.
As Israel turned from the splendors that shone on the summit of Sinai to fashion the calf, and found that the end of those things was misery, so those who turn from the Savior, who is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His Person, pierce themselves through with many sorrows and perish. See Hebrews 12:25. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 32

1  The people in the absence of Moses, caused Aaron to make a calf
7  God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and prevails
15  Moses comes down with the tablets
19  He breaks them
20  He destroys the calf
22  Aaron's excuse for himself
25  Moses causes the idolaters to be slain
30  He prays for the people

What do the individual words in Exodus 32:20 mean?

And he took - the calf which they had made and burned [it] in the fire and ground [it] to as powder and he scattered [it] over the face the water and made drink [it] the sons of Israel
וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־ הָעֵ֨גֶל אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשׂוּ֙ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֣ף בָּאֵ֔שׁ וַיִּטְחַ֖ן עַ֣ד אֲשֶׁר־ דָּ֑ק וַיִּ֙זֶר֙ עַל־ פְּנֵ֣י הַמַּ֔יִם וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיִּקַּ֞ח  And  he  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הָעֵ֨גֶל  the  calf 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵגֶל  
Sense: calf, bull-calf.
עָשׂוּ֙  they  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וַיִּשְׂרֹ֣ף  and  burned  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
בָּאֵ֔שׁ  in  the  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וַיִּטְחַ֖ן  and  ground  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: טָחַן 
Sense: (Qal) to grind, crush.
דָּ֑ק  powder 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּקַק  
Sense: to crush, pulverise, thresh.
וַיִּ֙זֶר֙  and  he  scattered  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: זָרָה 
Sense: to scatter, fan, cast away, winnow, disperse, compass, spread, be scattered, be dispersed.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
פְּנֵ֣י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמַּ֔יִם  the  water 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
וַיַּ֖שְׁקְ  and  made  drink  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁקָה  
Sense: to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water.
בְּנֵ֥י  the  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.