Discovery BoxExodus 32:8 
Context32:8 They have quickly turned aside 1 from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”
Exodus 32:24
Context32:24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, break it off.’ So they gave it 2 to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out.” 3
1 tn The verb is a perfect tense, reflecting the present perfect nuance: “they have turned aside” and are still disobedient. But the verb is modified with the adverb “quickly” (actually a Piel infinitive absolute). It has been only a matter of weeks since they heard the voice of God prohibiting this.
2 tn Here “it” has been supplied.
3 sn Aaron first tried to blame the people, and then he tried to make it sound like a miracle – was it to sound like one of the plagues where out of the furnace came life? This text does not mention it, but Deut 9:20 tells how angry God was with Aaron. Only intercession saved his life.
