Exodus 32 and 34:1-9, 29-35

Referred to in the Qur'an - Surahs 2 and 7.

The Material

• The narrative here is composite with most coming from the E source and verses 25-29 from the J source. It has been edited and the text gives only a broad sequence of events. The Golden Calf emphasises the themes of rebellion and intercession (verses 9-14). The Israelites are feeling lost with Moses on Mount Sinai and are demanding that a god leads them to the Promised Land. This is a direct rejection of the Covenant with God and God is shown as not pleased.

Historicity

• Exodus 26-31 contains a detailed set of instructions for Israel's worship which were composed late in Israel's history and therefore represent more of a reconstruction of what Israel's worship should have been like, probably based on the memories of actual worship within Israel and especially in the Jerusalem Temple. There was a realisation that much of what had passed for worship in its history had been pagan in character.
  
  
• There is an interruption in the instructions for the building of the Tent. Chapter 32 is a reflection on this pagan, apostate element in Israel's worship. However, there is a historical basis to this narrative, which is that a rebellion took place at Sinai.
  
  
• J tells how the rebellion led to civil war and the slaying of 3,000 Israelites by the Levites. The heart of the rebellion was a great sin with the people making themselves gods of gold (verses 25-34). E defines the sin as the making and worshipping of the golden calf, probably accompanied by licentious rites.
  
  
• Some scholars claim, that the golden calf is an importation into the narrative in order to denounce the much later setting up of Jeroboam's golden bulls as cult objects in the Northern Kingdom. Nevertheless, the basic facts of rebellion and idolatry remain. The remainder of the narrative would be pointless without this fact of Israel's rebellion.
  
  
• Stephen refers to this incident in his speech in Acts 7:39-43 so it was certainly remembered as a key episode in Israel's history.

Purpose

• The golden calf incident is an example of a warning lesson against the type of worship that continued to crop up throughout Israelite history and which became a major reason for believing that the Sinai covenant had been broken by Israel. It intended to highlight Israel's disloyal attitude to God, distrust of Moses, and readiness to return to the worship of the Canaanites (Ezekiel 20:8).