And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text highlights that the Israelites offered both "burnt offerings" and "peace offerings." This is significant because peace offerings were meant to be shared in a communal meal, underscoring how quickly their religious rituals were twisted from communion with God to a celebratory feast with their idol. The transition from eating and drinking to "playing" (which likely involved sensual dancing and revelry) shows a rapid descent from a perverted religious act into outright debauchery.
And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Moses' prolonged absence on Mount Sinai, where God was giving the Ten Commandments, the people grew impatient and demanded Aaron make them gods. Aaron complied, fashioning a golden calf from their jewelry, and proclaimed a feast to "the Lord." The next morning, they offered sacrifices to the idol and then proceeded to feast and engage in revelry, completely disregarding the direct commands they had just heard from God.
The Israelites offered burnt and peace offerings. What was the purpose of these sacrifices, and how did they relate to their immediate actions?
The people, eager to engage in their new form of worship, were quick to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Burnt Offerings:
These were entirely consumed on the altar, symbolizing complete devotion and the appeasement of God's wrath. They were a way to offer everything to the divine.
Peace Offerings:
These were unique because a portion was burned on the altar, but the rest was shared between the priests and the people in a sacred meal. This meal was a sign of fellowship and communion with God and with each other.
However, in this context, these offerings were directed towards an idol, turning a sacred act of connection into a ritual of misguided devotion.
The people 'sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.' What did this 'play' really entail?
The phrase 'rose up to play' signifies much more than innocent recreation. It describes a descent into revelry and potentially immoral behavior.
A Feast Gone Wrong:
The peace offerings were meant to be part of a sacred meal, fostering fellowship. However, for the Israelites, this meal became excessive, leading to indulgence.
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The Danger of Misplaced Worship:
This 'play' is understood by scholars to be akin to the unrestrained dancing and singing associated with pagan worship, as seen in Egyptian rituals. It also carried connotations of sexual license, as indicated by other biblical uses of the word.
This turn from sacrifice to 'play' demonstrates how quickly a focus on an idol, rather than the true God, can lead to corrupted worship and destructive behavior.
Understand the original words
ʿōlâ · Hebrew Noun
Animal sacrifices consumed entirely by fire, symbolizing total dedication, surrender, and atonement for sin before God.
šelem · Hebrew Noun
Sacrifices offered to God to maintain or restore fellowship and communion between God and His people, often involving a communal meal.
Paul directly references this event, calling it 'idolatry' and associating it with 'licentiousness,' highlighting the spiritual danger of mixing true worship with pagan practices.
Psalm 106:19-20This psalm recounts the golden calf incident, describing how the Israelites 'made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image, thus changing the glory of God into the likeness of an ox that eats grass,' emphasizing the blasphemy of their act.
Romans 1:21-23This passage describes how people, knowing God, 'did not honor him as God or give thanks but became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened,' which reflects the Israelites' rejection of God's visible presence for a man-made idol.
Judges 17:6This verse describes a similar situation where 'in those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes,' mirroring the chaos and self-will that led to the golden calf incident, where people acted according to their own desires rather than God's commands.
cambridgeExodus 32:6: "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play."
6 . burnt offerings and peace offerings ] Cf. on Exodus 20:24 . to eat and to drink ] i.e. to take part in the sacred meal accompanying the peace-offering; cf. on Exodus 18:12 . to play ] to amuse themselves, e.g. by singing and dancing, vv. 18, 19. Comp. the quotation in 1 Corinthians 10:7 .
gillExodus 32:6: "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play."
And they rose up early in the morning,.... Being eager of, and intent upon their idol worship: and offered burnt offerings; upon the altar Aaron had made, where they were wholly consumed: and brought peace offerings: which were to make a feast to the Lord, and of which they partook: and the people sat down to eat and to…
The text highlights that the Israelites offered both "burnt offerings" and "peace offerings." This is significant because peace offerings were meant to be shared in a communal meal, underscoring how quickly their religious rituals were twisted from communion with God to a celebratory feast with their idol. The transition from eating and drinking to "playing" (which likely involved sensual dancing and revelry) shows a rapid descent from a perverted religious act into outright debauchery.
After Moses' prolonged absence on Mount Sinai, where God was giving the Ten Commandments, the people grew impatient and demanded Aaron make them gods. Aaron complied, fashioning a golden calf from their jewelry, and proclaimed a feast to "the Lord." The next morning, they offered sacrifices to the idol and then proceeded to feast and engage in revelry, completely disregarding the direct commands they had just heard from God.
After Moses' prolonged absence on Mount Sinai, where God was giving the Ten Commandments, the people grew impatient and demanded Aaron make them gods. Aaron complied, fashioning a golden calf from their jewelry, and proclaimed a feast to "the Lord." The next morning, they offered sacrifices to the idol and then proceeded to feast and engage in revelry, completely disregarding the direct commands they had just heard from God.
"And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." — The text highlights that the Israelites offered both "burnt offerings" and "peace offerings." This is significant because peace offerings were meant to be shared in a communal meal, underscoring how…
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Last reviewed October 2026