Tag Archives: Exodus 32:9-10

Fear – Exodus, Part 7

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When he approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses became extremely angry.  He threw the tablets [of the law] from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.[1]  Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies.[2]

King James’ translators painted a more vivid picture of how out of control the people were running wild.  Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies).[3]  Even in this translation Aaron’s role seems potentially passive.  By conceding to their demands for a golden calf Aaron made them naked (euphemistically speaking) unto their shame among their enemies.  John Nelson Darby[4] gave this verse a different twist in his translation: Moses saw the people how they were stripped; for Aaron had stripped them to [their] shame before their adversaries.  This sounds more like Aaron as officiating priest commanded the people to strip for πορνεία,[5] the ritualized sexual worship they had practiced in Egypt.[6]

The translators of the NET do not believe that the Israelites engaged in such worship[7] in Exodus 32 (nor that the Greek word πορνεία[8] refers to it, as far as I can tell).  The note on the word translated running wild and completely out of control reads: “The word is difficult to interpret. There does not seem to be enough evidence to justify the KJV’s translation ‘naked.’ It appears to mean something like ‘let loose’ or ‘lack restraint’ (Prov 29:18). The idea seems to be that the people had broken loose, were undisciplined, and were completely given over to their desires.”  In 1 Corinthians 10:7, however, Paul’s quotation of Exodus 32:6—The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play—the note reads: “The term ‘play’ may refer to idolatrous, sexual play here, although that is determined by the context rather than the meaning of the word itself (cf. BDAG 750 s.v. παίζω).”

Whoever is for the Lord, come to me, Moses said.  All the Levites gathered around him, and he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’”[9]

I have seen this people, the Lord had said to Moses on the mountain.  Look what a stiff-necked people they are [Table]!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them [Table]…[10]  With these words in his mind, though he had pleaded with the Lord to turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people,[11] when he saw their sin with his own eyes Moses formed an ad hoc militia or national guard.  Here I can see the ministry that produced death (θανάτου, a form of θάνατος)[12] – carved in letters on stone tablets[13] functioning as the ministry that produced condemnation (κατακρίσεως, a form of κατάκρισις).[14]

Though I have considered whether Moses had a change of heart, I think it was the same Spirit, who through Moses’ words caused the Lord to relent over the evil that he had said he would do to his people,[15] who spoke the words through him, Each man fasten his sword on his side, and go back and forth from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.  And He did this for the very same reason, to spare most of the people of Israel, to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.”[16]

The Levites did what Moses ordered, and that day about three thousand men of the people died.[17]  The Levites were not included in the census of males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army.[18]  Whether their number was comparable to the other clans (50,000) or half the size of the smallest clan (16,000), their campaign was not exceptionally ruthless.  Apparently these deaths served no other purpose than to restore order, to bring a halt to the people’s play.

The deaths of three thousand men had provided no atonement (Exodus 32:30-32 NET).

The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very serious sin, but now I will go up to the Lord – perhaps I can make atonement on behalf of your sin.”  So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold [Table].  But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written” [Table].

In fact, Moses was unable to make atonement for those who sinned.  And the deaths of three thousand men were not sufficient punishment (Exodus 32:33-35 NET).

The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me – that person I will wipe out of my book.  So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about.  See, my angel will go before you.  But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.” And the Lord sent a plague on the people because they had made the calf – the one Aaron made.

This is law.  This is fear-based righteousness.  It is not the fear of witnessing the catastrophic destruction of the Egyptian army.  It is not the fear of hearing a voice from something like a volcano in full ash eruption.  It is the fear of leaders (Moses and the Levites) using lethal force to uphold the law, and the fear of God as a potential enemy.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’  I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.  Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey.”[19]

It sounds wonderful.  The Lord will lead and guide them into a land of plenty.  But the fear must be ever present.  But I will not go up among you, the Lord continued, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.[20]

Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting.  Anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.

And when Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent.  And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.  When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship.  The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, the way a person speaks to a friend.[21]

It may not have occurred to Moses to consider his exalted position the ministry that produced death or the ministry that produced condemnation, though he seemed to recognize it in respect to the Levites who followed him.  “You have been consecrated today for the Lord,” he said to them, “for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.”[22]  But it did occur to him to seek something more from God, something we might call a ministry of the Spirit[23] or a ministry that produces righteousness.[24]

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.  But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’  Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight.  And see that this nation is your people.”[25]

“All things have been given to me by my Father,” Jesus said.  “No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.”  Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!  For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”[26]

And the Lord said [to Moses], “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  And Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here.  For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people?  Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”[27]

[1] Exodus 32:19 (NET)

[2] Exodus 32:25 (NET)

[3] Exodus 32:25 (KJV)

[7] Note 22

[9] Exodus 32:26, 27 (NET)

[10] Exodus 32:9, 10a (NET)

[11] Exodus 32:12b (NET) Table

[13] 2 Corinthians 3:7 (NET)

[14] 2 Corinthians 3:9 (NET)

[15] Exodus 32:14b (NET)

[16] Exodus 32:13 (NET) Table

[17] Exodus 32:28 (NET)

[19] Exodus 33:1-3a (NET)

[20] Exodus 33:3b (NET)

[21] Exodus 33:7-11a (NET)

[22] Exodus 32:29 (NET)

[23] 2 Corinthians 3:8 (NET)

[24] 2 Corinthians 3:9 (NET)

[25] Exodus 33:12, 13 (NET)

[26] Luke 10:22-24 (NET)

[27] Exodus 33:14-16 (NET)

Fear – Exodus, Part 6

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The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly [Table].  They have quickly turned aside 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 [Table].’”[1]

What follows is the classic story of the jealous Jehovah dissuaded by the brave hero Moses from carrying out his “evil” wrath on the descendants of Israel.  Moses seems to me like a man who would be horrified by this reading of his story.  I think his matter-of-fact writing style doesn’t convey tone or some of the nuance that a more artful writer (Luke, for instance) might convey.

I have seen this people, the Lord continued.  Look what a stiff-necked people they are [Table]!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation[Table].[2]  In his response, O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, Moses’ writing style paints himself as clueless as it paints Jehovah vengeful.  Yet the provocation for Jehovah’s anger is clearly stated in the rest of Moses’ rhetorical question.  O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?[3]

Who wouldn’t be angry if his or her beneficence was credited by its recipients to their own work?  How angry should Jehovah be when we claim that his gift of righteousness through his bearing of our sins by his death on a cross and his resurrection is by our own efforts or our own intrinsic goodness?

As I read this I heard Jehovah shouting angrily, Look what a stiff-necked people they are!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.  But would Moses have disobeyed Jehovah’s direct command—leave me alone—spoken in anger?  Or did he hear the lamentation in Jehovah’s voice and understand that Jehovah was asking leave of Moses to stand aside and allow Jehovah’s anger to follow its natural course and burn against them and destroy them?

Why should the Egyptians say, “For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth” Moses continued.  Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.[4]  Again, the writing here leaves the impression that Moses didn’t understand the covenant the people agreed to, Whoever sacrifices to a god other than the Lord alone must be utterly destroyed.[5]  They had violated the covenant.  Did Moses expect Jehovah to violate it, too?

Moses had told the people all the Lord’s words and all the decisions.  All the people answered together, “We are willing to do all the words that the Lord has said,” and Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.[6]  He took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people, and they said, “We are willing to do and obey all that the Lord has spoken.”[7]  By what authority did Moses declare the Lord Jehovah’s intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it evil?

I am not saying that Jehovah did wrong by declining to carry out the punishment demanded by the covenant.  Jehovah never bound Himself to that, but said to Moses, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.[8]  What I am saying is, though the collection of writings known as the Old Testament continues for many volumes, the Old Covenant as an agreement between Jehovah and the descendants of Israel to keep his commandments and receive his blessing came to its crashing conclusion right here.  When Jehovah declined to exact his vengeance on Israel according to the covenant they agreed to, when He did not purge[9] the evil from Israel by executing them but showed them mercy, He consigned all [Israel] to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.[10]

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, Moses pleaded, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.”[11]  And Paul wrote the Romans (Romans 4:13-17 NET):

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith [Table].  For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.  For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either.  For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”).  He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

Then the Lord relented over the evil that he had said he would do to his people.[12]  Moses was not as clueless as his writing style made him appear to be.  As for Jehovah—and I want to say this as reverently as possible—there is always a sense of theatricality in his interactions with human beings, for He knew this particular circumstance, this particular conversation and its particular outcome before the beginning, when He created the heavens and the earth.[13]  For many years I declined to tell Him about my day, my reactions to it, the ways I thought and felt about it all.  It seemed like a waste of time.  He knew me better than I knew myself.  Eventually I realized that fact alone made the retelling valuable—for me.  As I tell Him about it He points out things that I missed or didn’t understand, about me and the things that happened during the day.

As I turn my attention to the authority by which Moses declared the Lord Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it evil, I am confronted with three different instances.  All three however are the same word raʽ.[14]  Yes, the Hebrew word for evil sounds like the Egyptian word for sun god.  Allan Langner[15] wrote in the Jewish Bible Quarterly,[16] “in Exodus 32:12, when Moses pleads with God…The word for evil [b’raah] can also be taken as a reference to Ra.  The verse would then read: ‘Wherefore should the Egyptians say, Ra brought them out to slay them in the mountains?’”[17]  Perhaps the Egyptians would have said that.  Perhaps Moses would have said that the Egyptians would say that.  Or, perhaps Moses said that the Egyptians would say that Jehovah had led Israel into, or for, an evil purpose.

None of this compels me to conclude that Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it was in fact evil.  But in the next instance—Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil (raʽ) against your people[18]—Moses called Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it evil.  This was more troubling.  The note in the NET reads: “The word ‘evil’ means any kind of life-threatening or fatal calamity. ‘Evil’ is that which hinders life, interrupts life, causes pain to life, or destroys it.”  In other words, Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it would only be apparently evil from a human perspective, not actually evil from Jehovah’s perspective.

I did entertain the idea that Moses meant trouble as opposed to evil.  The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble (raʽ) when they were told, “You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks.”[19]  Moses used a different word (albeit the root verb) when he complained to Jehovah about it.  Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Lord, why have you caused trouble (râʽaʽ)[20] for this people?  Why did you ever send me?  From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused trouble (râʽaʽ) for this people, and you have certainly not rescued them!”[21]  But the third instance was the kicker, if you will.

Then the Lord relented over the evil (raʽ) that he had said he would do to his people.[22]  It is simply a statement of fact, like, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[23]  Here the Holy Spirit declared that Jehovah’s apparent intent to honor the covenant by destroying the people who violated it would have been evil from Jehovah’s perspective.  And here for Moses Jehovah Himself modeled the behavior of repentance, giving up his right of vengeance by covenant (by law) for a higher righteousness.  Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me, He said later, troubled by his own death.  Yet not my will but yours be done.[24]

This brings me back to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (raʽ).  We may eat of the fruit from the trees of the orchard, Eve replied to the serpent, but concerning the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the orchard God said, “You must not eat from it, and you must not touch it, or else you will die.”[25]  Adam’s gezerah—and you must not touch it—and the alteration (whether Adam’s or Eve’s) of you will surely die[26] to or else you will die seems to imply that Adam and Eve thought the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (raʽ) was poisonous or contained some intrinsic property that caused death.

This opened the door for the serpent to say, Surely you will not die.[27]  And Eve handled and tasted the fruit with impunity.  She didn’t die.  Of course, her eyes weren’t opened and she didn’t become like a divine being knowing good and evil (raʽ) either.  But when she approached her husband with the forbidden fruit she had at least part of the assurance of the shrewdest of any of the wild animals that the Lord God had made,[28] and (with every breath she took) a rapidly increasing quantity of empirical proof that Adam, too, would not die from eating forbidden fruit.  Adam had only his memory of God’s word.  When he ate the forbidden fruit, the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked…[29]  It was unpleasant no doubt, but was it death?

My point here is that God did not give Adam knowledge of forbidden fruit when He said, You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard [Table], but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die [Table].[30]  He gave Adam knowledge of God, what God would do; namely, the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken [Table].  When he drove the man out, he placed on the eastern side of the orchard in Eden angelic sentries who used the flame of a whirling sword to guard the way to the tree of life.[31]

I think it is important not to miss that distinction here as well.  When the Holy Spirit says, Then the Lord relented over the evil (raʽ) that he had said he would do to his people, He is teaching me knowledge of God rather than moral philosophy.  After this interaction with Moses, He said, I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.[32]  There is a sense here that He said to Moses my new name is, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.

It is repeated when the event occurred: The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with [Moses] there and proclaimed the Lord by name.  The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.”[33]  And for those who might rightly protest, “But the Lord is not a jolly old soul, an easy-going, devil-may-care sort of fellow,” Jehovah continued proclaiming his name: “But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, responding to the transgression of fathers by dealing with children and children’s children, to the third and fourth generation.”[34]

Granted, it is a long name, but it does me good from time to time to remember Him by name and repeat it aloud.  It is knowledge of God, who He is, what He is doing and will accomplish—and it is eternal life.[35]

[1] Exodus 32:7, 8 (NET)

[2] Exodus 32:9, 10 (NET)

[3] Exodus 32:11 (NET) Table

[4] Exodus 32:12 (NET) Table

[5] Exodus 22:20 (NET)

[6] Exodus 24:3, 4a (NET)

[7] Exodus 24:7 (NET)

[8] Exodus 33:19b (NET) Table

[9] Deuteronomy 13:5 (NET)

[10] Romans 11:32 (NET)

[11] Exodus 32:13 (NET) Table

[12] Exodus 32:14 (NET)

[13] Genesis 1:1 (NET)

[15] From the footnote in “THE GOLDEN CALF AND RA”: Allan M. Langner was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1948. He was Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El, Mt. Royal, Quebec, Canada, for 40 years, and is now Rabbi Emeritus.

[16] 31:1 January – March 2003, Vol. XXXI:1 (121), “THE GOLDEN CALF AND RA”

[18] Exodus 32:12b (NET)

[19] Exodus 5:19 (NET)

[21] Exodus 5:22, 23 (NET)

[22] Exodus 32:14 (NET)

[23] Genesis 1:1 (NET)

[24] Luke 22:42 (NET)

[25] Genesis 3:2, 3 (NET)

[26] Genesis 2:17 (NET)

[27] Genesis 3:4 (NET) Table

[28] Genesis 3:1 (NET)

[29] Genesis 3:7 (NET) Table

[30] Genesis 2:16, 17 (NET)

[31] Genesis 3:23, 24 (NET)

[32] Genesis 33:19 (NET)

[33] Exodus 34:5-7a (NET)

[34] Exodus 34:7b (NET)

Jephthah’s Religious Mind

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When Jephthah sacrificed his daughter to justify himself he became the least like Moses as a leader.  After God spoke the law1 to all the Israelites assembled at Mount Sinai, Moses went up the mountain to learn from God about the construction of, and worship in, the Tabernacle.2

When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods that will go before us.  As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!”  So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”  So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.  He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf.  Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”  When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord.”  So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.3

The Lord spoke to Moses (Exodus 32:7, 8 NET):  Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.  They have quickly turned aside 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.”  Then God offered Moses the kind of deal that tries the souls of men (Exodus 32:9, 10 NET).

I have seen this people.  Look what a stiff-necked people they are [See Table below]!  So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God4 is the next statement in the text.  If I stopped there I might ask how much more favor the man could possibly want.  God just offered to destroy all of the people of Israel and make Moses not merely a leader but the literal patriarch of a whole new race of the chosen people of God!  But then Moses wasn’t seeking favor for himself, was he?  Moses said (Exodus 32:11b, 12 NET):

O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?  Why should the Egyptians say, “For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth”?  Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.

Moses’ first concern was God’s glory rather than his own, how the proposed turn of events would play out among the Lord’s enemies.  Jephthah cared very little for these things and was apparently quite content to portray God as one who would require the life of a young girl for the foolish oath spoken by an insecure man.  Moses continued (Exodus 32:13 NET):

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.”

Moses’ concern here was for the long term integrity and reliability of God’s promise.  Jephthah showed more concern for the words that came out of his own mouth.  Moses spoke again to God (Exodus 32:31, 32 NET):

Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold.  But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.

Moses identified himself with the people he led before God.  There is no record that Jephthah ever petitioned God for his daughter’s life, instead he sacrificed hers to save himself.  The sacrifice God required of Jephthah was not grievous—in one sense (Leviticus 5:6-13 NET):

…he must bring his penalty for guilt to the Lord for his sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, whether a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering.  So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin [Table].

If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.  He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering.  The priest must pinch its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body.  Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar – it is a sin offering.  The second bird he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation.  So the priest will make atonement on behalf of this person for his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering.  He must not place olive oil on it and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.  He must bring it to the priest and the priest must scoop out from it a handful as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord – it is a sin offering.  So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven.  The remainder of the offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.

Prior to any of this it was necessary that Jephthah judge for himself that his oath was a thoughtless one,5 he must confess how he has sinned,6 and come to the priest as to the Lord with the attitude of the righteous prayer of the tax collector, God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!7  But this has proven over and over again to be an insurmountable obstacle to the religious mind of human beings apart from the grace of God.  So Jephthah’s story gives me a relative measure of how far the religious mind will go to justify itself rather than God.

 

Addendum: August 17, 2021
Tables comparing Exodus 32:1; 32:2; 32:3; 32:4; 32:5; 32:6; 32:7; 32:8; 32:9; 32:10; 32:11; 32:12; 32:13; 32:31; 32:32; Leviticus 5:7; 5:8; 5:9; 5:10; 5:11; 5:12 and 5:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and the Greek of Exodus 32:1; 32:2; 32:3; 32:4; 32:5; 32:6; 32:7; 32:8 (32:8, 9); 32:9; 32:10 (32:9. 10); 32:11; 32:12; 32:13; 32:31; 32:32; Leviticus 5:7; 5:8; 5:9; 5:10; 5:11; 5:12 and 5:13 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Exodus 32:1 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:1 (KJV)

Exodus 32:1 (NET)
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him: ‘Up, make us a god who shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him.’ And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Get up, make us gods that will go before us.  As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him!”

Exodus 32:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδὼν ὁ λαὸς ὅτι κεχρόνικεν Μωυσῆς καταβῆναι ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους συνέστη ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ Ααρων καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ἀνάστηθι καὶ ποίησον ἡμῗν θεούς οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ ΚΑΙ ἰδὼν ὁ λαὸς ὅτι κεχρόνικε Μωυσῆς καταβῆναι ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, συνέστη ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ ᾿Ααρὼν καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ἀνάστηθι καὶ ποίησον ἡμῖν θεούς, οἳ προπορεύσονται ἡμῶν· ὁ γὰρ Μωυσῆς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὃς ἐξήγαγεν ἡμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, οὐκ οἴδαμεν τί γέγονεν αὐτῷ

Exodus 32:1 (NETS)

Exodus 32:1 (English Elpenor)
And when the people saw that Moyses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered together before Aaron and say to him, “Get up, and makes us gods who will go before us.  For this Moyses, the man who brought us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.” And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people combined against Aaron, and said to him, Arise and make us gods who shall go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt– we do not know what is become of him.

Exodus 32:2 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:2 (KJV)

Exodus 32:2 (NET)
And Aaron said unto them: ‘Break off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.’ And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. So Aaron said to them, “Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”

Exodus 32:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῗς Ααρων περιέλεσθε τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῗς ὠσὶν τῶν γυναικῶν ὑμῶν καὶ θυγατέρων καὶ ἐνέγκατε πρός με καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ᾿Ααρών· περιέλεσθε τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσὰ τὰ ἐκ τοῖς ὠσὶ τῶν γυναικῶν ὑμῶν καὶ θυγατέρων καὶ ἐνέγκατε πρός με

Exodus 32:2 (NETS)

Exodus 32:2 (English Elpenor)
And Aaron says to them, “Remove the gold earrings in the ears of your wives and daughters, and bring them to me.” And Aaron says to them, Take off the golden ear-rings which are in the ears of your wives and daughters, and bring them to me.

Exodus 32:3 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:3 (KJV)

Exodus 32:3 (NET)
And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. So all the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears and brought them to Aaron.

Exodus 32:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ περιείλαντο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῗς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤνεγκαν πρὸς Ααρων καὶ περιείλαντο πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἤνεγκαν πρὸς ᾿Ααρών

Exodus 32:3 (NETS)

Exodus 32:3 (English Elpenor)
And all the people removed the gold earrings in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And all the people took off the golden ear-rings that were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

Exodus 32:4 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:4 (KJV)

Exodus 32:4 (NET)
And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: ‘This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’ And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. He accepted the gold from them, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf.  Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”

Exodus 32:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐδέξατο ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπλασεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ γραφίδι καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ μόσχον χωνευτὸν καὶ εἶπεν οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ισραηλ οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ἐδέξατο ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν καὶ ἔπλασεν αὐτὰ ἐν τῇ γραφίδι καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ μόσχον χωνευτὸν καὶ εἶπεν· οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου, ᾿Ισραήλ, οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Exodus 32:4 (NETS)

Exodus 32:4 (English Elpenor)
And he received from their hands and formed them with an engraving tool and made them a molten calf and said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” And he received them at their hands, and formed them with a graving tool; and he made them a molten calf, and said, These [are] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 32:5 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:5 (KJV)

Exodus 32:5 (NET)
And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said: ‘To-morrow shall be a feast to HaShem.’ And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD. When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it, and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow will be a feast to the Lord.”

Exodus 32:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἰδὼν Ααρων ᾠκοδόμησεν θυσιαστήριον κατέναντι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκήρυξεν Ααρων λέγων ἑορτὴ τοῦ κυρίου αὔριον καὶ ἰδὼν ᾿Ααρὼν ᾠκοδόμησε θυσιαστήριον κατέναντι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκήρυξεν ᾿Ααρὼν λέγων· ἑορτὴν τοῦ Κυρίου αὔριον

Exodus 32:5 (NETS)

Exodus 32:5 (English Elpenor)
And when Aaron saw, he built an altar before it, and Aaron proclaimed, saying, “The Lord’s feast tomorrow!” And Aaron having seen it built an altar before it, and Aaron made proclamation saying, To-morrow [is] a feast of the Lord.

Exodus 32:6 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:6 (KJV)

Exodus 32:6 (NET)
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 make merry. 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. So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.

Exodus 32:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὀρθρίσας τῇ ἐπαύριον ἀνεβίβασεν ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ προσήνεγκεν θυσίαν σωτηρίου καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῗν καὶ πιεῗν καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν καὶ ὀρθρίσας τῇ ἐπαύριον ἀνεβίβασεν ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ προσήνεγκε θυσίαν σωτηρίου, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ὁ λαὸς φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν καὶ ἀνέστησαν παίζειν.

Exodus 32:6 (NETS)

Exodus 32:6 (English Elpenor)
And early the next day, he brought up whole burnt offerings and offered a sacrifice of deliverance, and the people sat down to eat and drink, and they arose to play. And having risen early on the morrow, he offered whole burnt-offerings, and offered a peace-offering; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:7 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:7 (KJV)

Exodus 32:7 (NET)
And HaShem spoke unto Moses: ‘Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou broughtest up out of the land of Egypt, have dealt corruptly; And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: The Lord spoke to Moses, “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly.

Exodus 32:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων βάδιζε τὸ τάχος ἐντεῦθεν κατάβηθι ἠνόμησεν γὰρ ὁ λαός σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου Καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν λέγων· βάδιζε τὸ τάχος, κατάβηθι ἐντεῦθεν· ἠνόμησε γὰρ ὁ λαός σου, ὃν ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Exodus 32:7 (NETS)

Exodus 32:7 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord spoke to Moyses, saying, “Go!  Descend quickly from here, for your people have acted lawlessly, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Go quickly, descend hence, for thy people whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have transgressed;

Exodus 32:8 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:8 (KJV)

Exodus 32:8 (NET)
they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said: This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’ They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. They have quickly turned aside 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 32:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
παρέβησαν ταχὺ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἧς ἐνετείλω αὐτοῗς ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῗς μόσχον καὶ προσκεκυνήκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ τεθύκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπαν οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ισραηλ οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου παρέβησαν ταχὺ ἐκ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἧς ἐνετείλω αὐτοῖς· ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς μόσχον καὶ προσκεκυνήκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ τεθύκασιν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπαν· οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου, ᾿Ισραήλ, οἵτινες ἀνεβίβασάν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου

Exodus 32:8, 9 (NETS)

Exodus 32:8 (English Elpenor)
They have deviated quickly from the way that you commanded them.  They made for themselves a calf and did obeisance to it and offered sacrifices to it, and said, (9) ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’ they have quickly gone out of the way which thou commandedst; they have made for themselves a calf, and worshiped it, and sacrificed to it, and said, These are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 32:9 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:9 (KJV)

Exodus 32:9 (NET)
And HaShem said unto Moses: ‘I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people. And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people.  Look what a stiff-necked people they are!

Exodus 32:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)

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Exodus 32:9 (NETS)

Exodus 32:9 (English Elpenor)

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Exodus 32:10 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:10 (KJV)

Exodus 32:10 (NET)
Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation.’ Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. So now, leave me alone so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them, and I will make from you a great nation.”

Exodus 32:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:9, 10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐκτρίψω αὐτοὺς καὶ ποιήσω σὲ εἰς ἔθνος μέγα καὶ νῦν ἔασόν με καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ εἰς αὐτούς ἐκτρίψω αὐτοὺς (10) καὶ ποιήσω σε εἰς ἔθνος μέγα

Exodus 32:10 (NETS)

Exodus 32:10 (English Elpenor)
And now allow me, and, enraged with anger against them, I will destroy them and make you into a great nation.” And now let me alone, and I will be very angry with them and consume them, and I will make thee a great nation.

Exodus 32:11 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:11 (KJV)

Exodus 32:11 (NET)
And Moses besought HaShem his G-d, and said: ‘HaShem, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, that Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

Exodus 32:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐδεήθη Μωυσῆς ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἵνα τί κύριε θυμοῗ ὀργῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν σου οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν ἰσχύι μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ καὶ ἐδεήθη Μωυσῆς ἔναντι Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· ἱνατί, Κύριε, θυμοῖ ὀργῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν σου, οὓς ἐξήγαγες ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν ἰσχύϊ μεγάλῃ καὶ ἐν τῷ βραχίονί σου τῷ ὑψηλῷ

Exodus 32:11 (NETS)

Exodus 32:11 (English Elpenor)
And Moyses prayed before the Lord his God and said, “Why, Lord, are you enraged with anger against your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and an uplifted arm? And Moses prayed before the Lord God, and said, Wherefore, O Lord, art thou very angry with thy people, whom thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt with great strength, and with thy high arm?

Exodus 32:12 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:12 (KJV)

Exodus 32:12 (NET)
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?  Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people. Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?  Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Why should the Egyptians say, ‘For evil he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’?  Turn from your burning anger, and relent of this evil against your people.

Exodus 32:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μήποτε εἴπωσιν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι λέγοντες μετὰ πονηρίας ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῗναι ἐν τοῗς ὄρεσιν καὶ ἐξαναλῶσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς παῦσαι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ σου καὶ ἵλεως γενοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου μή ποτε εἴπωσιν οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι λέγοντες· μετὰ πονηρίας ἐξήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ ἐξαναλῶσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς. παῦσαι τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θυμοῦ σου καὶ ἵλεως γενοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου

Exodus 32:12 (NETS)

Exodus 32:12 (English Elpenor)
Lest the Egyptians should speak, saying, ‘With evil intent he led them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them utterly from the earth,’ stop the anger of your rage, and be propitious at the wickedness of your people, [Take heed] lest at any time the Egyptians speak, saying, With evil intent he brought them out to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from off the earth; cease from thy wrathful anger, and be merciful to the sin of thy people,

Exodus 32:13 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:13 (KJV)

Exodus 32:13 (NET)
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou didst swear by Thine own self, and saidst unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.’ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself and told them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken about I will give to your descendants, and they will inherit it forever.’”

Exodus 32:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μνησθεὶς Αβρααμ καὶ Ισαακ καὶ Ιακωβ τῶν σῶν οἰκετῶν οἷς ὤμοσας κατὰ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων πολυπληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἣν εἶπας δοῦναι τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῶν καὶ καθέξουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μνησθεὶς ῾Αβραὰμ καὶ ᾿Ισαὰκ καὶ ᾿Ιακὼβ τῶν σῶν οἰκετῶν, οἷς ὤμοσας κατὰ σεαυτοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησας πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγων· πολυπληθυνῶ τὸ σπέρμα ὑμῶν ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ταύτην, ἣν εἶπας δοῦναι τῷ σπέρματι αὐτῶν, καὶ καθέξουσιν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

Exodus 32:13 (NETS)

Exodus 32:13 (English Elpenor)
remembering Abraam and Isaak and Iakob, your domestics, to whom you swore by yourself and spoke to them, saying, ‘I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the sky in number,’ and all this land that you said you would give to their seed, and they will possess it forever.” remembering Abraam and Isaac and Jacob thy servants, to whom thou hast sworn by thyself, and hast spoken to them, saying, I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of heaven for multitude, and all this land which thou spokest of to give to them, so that they shall possess it for ever.

Exodus 32:31 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:31 (KJV)

Exodus 32:31 (NET)
And Moses returned unto HaShem, and said: ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold.

Exodus 32:31 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὑπέστρεψεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς κύριον καὶ εἶπεν δέομαι κύριε ἡμάρτηκεν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῗς θεοὺς χρυσοῦς ὑπέστρεψε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον καὶ εἶπε· δέομαι, Κύριε· ἡμάρτηκεν ὁ λαὸς οὗτος ἁμαρτίαν μεγάλην καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς θεοὺς χρυσοῦς

Exodus 32:31 (NETS)

Exodus 32:31 (English Elpenor)
Then Moyses turned to the Lord and said, “I beg, O Lord.  This people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gold gods. And Moses returned to the Lord and said, I pray, O Lord, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves golden gods.

Exodus 32:32 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 32:32 (KJV)

Exodus 32:32 (NET)
Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’ Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.”

Exodus 32:32 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 32:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ νῦν εἰ μὲν ἀφεῗς αὐτοῗς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἄφες εἰ δὲ μή ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου σου ἧς ἔγραψας καὶ νῦν εἰ μὲν ἀφεῖς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μή, ἐξάλειψόν με ἐκ τῆς βίβλου σου, ἧς ἔγραψας

Exodus 32:32 (NETS)

Exodus 32:32 (English Elpenor)
And now, if you shall forgive them the sin, forgive.  But if not, erase me from your book that you have written.” And now if thou wilt forgive their sin, forgive [it]; and if not, blot me out of thy book, which thou hast written.

Leviticus 5:7 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:7 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:7 (NET)
And if his means suffice not for a lamb, then he shall bring his forfeit for that wherein he hath sinned, two turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, unto HaShem: one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering. And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. “‘If he cannot afford an animal from the flock, he must bring his penalty for guilt for his sin that he has committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, to the Lord, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 5:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἰσχύσῃ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἱκανὸν εἰς τὸ πρόβατον οἴσει περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν δύο τρυγόνας ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν κυρίῳ ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα Εὰν δὲ μὴ ἰσχύῃ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἱκανὸν εἰς τὸ πρόβατον, οἴσει περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτε, δύο τρυγόνας, ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν Κυρίῳ, ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἕνα εἰς ὁλοκαύτωμα

Leviticus 5:7 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:7 (English Elpenor)
But if his hand does not have the capability for what is sufficient for a sheep, he shall bring for his sin which he has committed two turtledoves or two young doves to the Lord, one for sin and one for a whole burnt offering. And if he cannot afford a sheep, he shall bring for his sin which he has sinned, two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to the Lord; one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering.

Leviticus 5:8 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:8 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:8 (NET)
And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin-offering first, and pinch off its head close by its neck, but shall not divide it asunder. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: He must bring them to the priest and present first the one that is for a sin offering. The priest must pinch its head at the nape of its neck, but must not sever the head from the body.

Leviticus 5:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἴσει αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα καὶ προσάξει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πρότερον καὶ ἀποκνίσει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ σφονδύλου καὶ οὐ διελεῗ καὶ οἴσει αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ προσάξει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὸ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πρότερον· καὶ ἀποκνίσει ὁ ἱερεὺς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ σφονδύλου, καὶ οὐ διελεῖ

Leviticus 5:8 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:8 (English Elpenor)
And he shall bring them to the priest, and the priest shall bring the one for sin first.  And the priest shall snip off its head at the neck, and he shall not divide it. And he shall bring them to the priest, and the priest shall bring the sin-offering first; and the priest shall pinch off the head from the neck, and shall not divide the body.

Leviticus 5:9 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:9 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:9 (NET)
And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be drained out at the base of the altar; it is a sin-offering. And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. Then he must sprinkle some of the blood of the sin offering on the wall of the altar, and the remainder of the blood must be squeezed out at the base of the altar—it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ῥανεῗ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ τὸν τοῗχον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τὸ δὲ κατάλοιπον τοῦ αἵματος καταστραγγιεῗ ἐπὶ τὴν βάσιν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἁμαρτίας γάρ ἐστιν καὶ ῥανεῖ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, τὸ δὲ κατάλοιπον τοῦ αἵματος καταστραγγιεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν βάσιν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου· ἁμαρτία γάρ ἐστι

Leviticus 5:9 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:9 (English Elpenor)
And he shall sprinkle some blood of the one for sin against the wall of the altar, but what remains of the blood he shall squeeze out against the base of the altar, for it is for sin. And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin-offering on the side of the altar, but the rest of the blood he shall drop at the foot of the altar, for it is a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:10 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:10 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:10 (NET)
And he shall prepare the second for a burnt-offering, according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make atonement for him as concerning his sin which he hath sinned, and he shall be forgiven. And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him. The second bird he must make a burnt offering according to the standard regulation.  So the priest will make atonement on behalf of this person for his sin which he has committed, and he will be forgiven.

Leviticus 5:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ποιήσει ὁλοκαύτωμα ὡς καθήκει καὶ ἐξιλάσεται ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ δεύτερον ποιήσει ὁλοκάρπωμα, ὡς καθήκει. καὶ ἐξιλάσεται ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ

Leviticus 5:10 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:10 (English Elpenor)
And the second he shall prepare as a whole burnt offering, as is customary.  And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin that he has committed, and it shall be forgiven him. And he shall make the second a whole-burnt-offering, as it is fit; and the priest shall make atonement for his sin which he has sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

Leviticus 5:11 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:11 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:11 (NET)
But if his means suffice not for two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that wherein he hath sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; for it is a sin-offering. But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. “‘If he cannot afford two turtledoves or two young pigeons, he must bring as his offering for his sin which he has committed a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering.  He must not place olive oil on it, and he must not put frankincense on it, because it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρίσκῃ αὐτοῦ ἡ χεὶρ ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν καὶ οἴσει τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ περὶ οὗ ἥμαρτεν τὸ δέκατον τοῦ οιφι σεμίδαλιν περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐπιχεεῗ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ ἔλαιον οὐδὲ ἐπιθήσει ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸ λίβανον ὅτι περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἐστίν ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὑρίσκῃ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ζεῦγος τρυγόνων, ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν, καὶ οἴσει τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ, περὶ οὗ ἥμαρτε, τὸ δέκατον τοῦ οἰφὶ σεμιδάλεως περὶ ἁμαρτίας· οὐκ ἐπιχεεῖ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸ ἔλαιον, οὐδὲ ἐπιθήσει ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ λίβανον, ὅτι περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἐστί

Leviticus 5:11 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:11 (English Elpenor)
But if his hand does not find a brace of turtledoves or two young doves, then he shall bring his gift for that in which he sinned: one-tenth of an oiphi of fine flour for sin.  He shall not pour oil on it; neither shall he place frankincense on it, because it is for sin. And if he cannot afford a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons, then shall he bring as his gift for his sin, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall not pour oil upon it, nor shall he put frankincense upon it, because it is a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:12 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:12 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:12 (NET)
And he shall bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it as the memorial-part thereof, and make it smoke on the altar, upon the offerings of HaShem made by fire; it is a sin-offering. Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering. He must bring it to the priest, and the priest must scoop out from it a handful as its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar on top of the other gifts of the Lord—it is a sin offering.

Leviticus 5:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἴσει αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα καὶ δραξάμενος ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς πλήρη τὴν δράκα τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς ἐπιθήσει ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων κυρίῳ ἁμαρτία ἐστίν καὶ οἴσει αὐτὸ πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα. καὶ δραξάμενος ὁ ἱερεὺς ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς πλήρη τὴν δράκα, τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς ἐπιθήσει ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τῶν ὁλοκαυτωμάτων Κυρίῳ· ἁμαρτία ἐστί

Leviticus 5:12 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:12 (English Elpenor)
And he shall bring it to the priest, and after gripping from it a handful, the priest shall lay its memorial portion on the altar on the whole burnt offerings to the Lord.  It is for sin. And he shall bring it to the priest; and the priest having taken a handful of it, shall lay the memorial of it on the altar of whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord; it is a sin-offering.

Leviticus 5:13 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 5:13 (KJV)

Leviticus 5:13 (NET)
And the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in any of these things, and he shall be forgiven; and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as the meal-offering. And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering. So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven.  The remainder of the offering will belong to the priest like the grain offering.’”

Leviticus 5:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 5:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ ἧς ἥμαρτεν ἐφ᾽ ἑνὸς τούτων καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ τὸ δὲ καταλειφθὲν ἔσται τῷ ἱερεῗ ὡς ἡ θυσία τῆς σεμιδάλεως καὶ ἐξιλάσεται περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ, ἧς ἥμαρτεν, ἀφ᾿ ἑνὸς τούτων, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ. τὸ δὲ καταλειφθὲν ἔσται τῷ ἱερεῖ, ὡς ἡ θυσία τῆς σεμιδάλεως

Leviticus 5:13 (NETS)

Leviticus 5:13 (English Elpenor)
And the priest shall make atonement for him, for his sin that he has committed in respect of one of these things, and it will be forgiven him.  But what is left shall be for the priest like the offering of fine flour. And the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin, which he has sinned in one of these things, and it shall be forgiven him; and that which is left shall be the priest’s, as an offering of fine flour.