Matthew Poole and continuators on Exodus 32:4

4 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.

The meaning of this Translation is, That Aaron, to wit, by Artificers did first melt the gold, into one mass, and then by the graving tool form it into the shape of a calf and polish it; or as others render the words, he formed it in a type or mould, made in the shape of a calf, into which he cast the molten gold, and▪ so made it a molten calf. But the words may be translated thus, he put it or them into a purse, for so the Hebrew verb and noun both are used 2 King. 5. 23. and in like manner Gideon disposed the ear-rings given him for like use, Iudg. 8. 24. and afterwards he made of them a molten calf. Now the people desired and Aaron in compliance with them made this in the form of a calf or an ox (for the word signifies both) in imitation of the Egyptians, as Philo the Iew expressely affirms, and the learned generally agree, and it may thus appear, 1. the great idols of the Egyptians, Apis, Serapis and Isis were oxen and cows, as is confessed. 2. the Egyptians besides those creatures which they adored as Gods did also make and keep and worship their images, as even the heathen writers, Mela and Strabo, affirm. 3. the Israelites whilest they were in Egypt, were many of them infected with the Egyptian Idolatry, as it appears from Ios. 24. 14. Ezik. 20. 7, 8. and 23. 3. Act. 7. 39. And it is not unlikely divers of them hanker'd no less after the Idols than after the garlick and onions of Egypt. And, being now, as they thought, forsaken by Moses, they might think of returning to Egypt, as afterwards they did, and therefore chose a God of the Egyptian mode, that they might more willingly receive them again.

(i. e.) This is thy God, the plural number being put for the singular as it is usual in this case. The meaning is, this is the sign or symbol or image of thy God: for such expressions are very frequent: thus this image of a calf is called a calf frequently, and the images of the temple of Diana are called shrines or little temples, Act. 19. So they intended to worship the true God by this image, as afterwards Ieroboam did by the same image, as we shall plainly see when we come to that place of Scripture. And it is absolutely incredible that the generality of the Israelites should be so void of all sence and reason as to think that this new-made calf did bring them out of Egypt before its own creation, and that this was the same Jehovah, who had even now spoken to them from heaven with an audible voice, saying, I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

Marginal references: 1 King. 12. 28. Ps. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]6. 19.