“What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?”
Parallel translations
- WEB Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you, that you have brought a great sin on them?”
- KJV And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
- NKJV And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”
- NASB Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such a great sin upon them?”
- NLT Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses confronts Aaron, asking how the people led him into such a great sin. He holds Aaron accountable for his leadership failure.
Overview
As Israel's appointed priest and Moses' deputy, Aaron bore special responsibility for guarding the people from idolatry. Moses' question presses the issue of leadership and culpability. The confrontation shows that those in spiritual authority are gravely accountable for how they shepherd God's people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Gen 20:9Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
- Josh 7:19–26So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
- 2 Kgs 21:9–11But the people did not listen and Manasseh led them astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
- 1 Kgs 14:16So He will give Israel over on account of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
- 1 Kgs 21:22I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and like that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked My anger and caused Israel to sin.’
- Deut 13:6–8If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
- Gen 26:10“What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
- 1 Sam 26:19Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 32:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.