- took the calf:
- How truly contemptible must the object of their idolatry appear, when they were obliged to drink their god, reduced to powder, and strewed on the water! Some have asked, how gold, the most ductile and ponderous of all metals, could have been stamped into dust, and strewed on the water. In "And I tookª° your sin,ª¹ the calfª which¹ ye had made,ª° and burntª° it with fire,ª and stampedª° it, [and] groundª° [it] very small,ª° [even] until¹ it¹ was as smallª° as dust:ª and I castª°¹ the dustª thereof into¹ the brookª that descended¹ out²° of¹ the mount.ª" {Deu 9:21}, this is fully explained. I took, says Moses, your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire; that is, melted it down, probably into ingots or gross plates, and stamped it, beat it into thin lamine, something like our gold leaf, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust, which might be very easily done by the action of the hands, when beat into thin plates or leaves as the original words ekkoth, and dak, imply. "But¹¹ thus¹ shall ye dealª° with them; ye shall destroyª° their altars,ª and break downª° their images,ª and cut downª° their groves,ª and burnª° their graven imagesª with fire.ª" {Deu 7:5} + "The graven imagesª of their godsª shall ye burnª° with fire:ª thou shalt not¹ desireª° the silverª or goldª [that is] on¹ them, nor takeª° [it] unto thee, lest¹ thou be snaredª° therein: for¹ it¹ [is] an abominationª to the LORDª thy God.ª" {Deu 7:25} + "And I tookª° your sin,ª¹ the calfª which¹ ye had made,ª° and burntª° it with fire,ª and stampedª° it, [and] groundª° [it] very small,ª° [even] until¹ it¹ was as smallª° as dust:ª and I castª°¹ the dustª thereof into¹ the brookª that descended¹ out²° of¹ the mount.ª" {Deu 9:21} + "And he brought outª°¹ the groveª from the houseª¹ of the LORD,ª withoutª¹ Jerusalem,ª unto¹ the brookª Kidron,ª and burnedª° it at the brookª Kidron,ª and stamped [it] smallª° to powder,ª and castª°¹ the powderª thereof upon¹ the gravesª of the childrenª of the people.ª" {2Kg 23:6} + "Moreover¹¹ the altarª that¹ [was] at Bethel,ª [and] the high placeª which¹ Jeroboamª the sonª of Nebat,ª who¹ made¹ Israelª to sin,ª° had made,ª° both¹¹ that¹ altarª and the high placeª he brake down,ª° and burnedª°¹ the high place,ª [and] stamped²° [it] small¹ to powder,ª and burnedª° the grove.ª" {2Kg 23:15}
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