Exodus 32 · Verse 2

Exodus 32:2

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.
Exodus 32:2, King James Version

Exodus 32:2 in other translations

BSBSo Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.”
WEBAaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.”
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd Aaron saith unto them, ‘Break off the rings of gold which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring in unto me;'
DARBYAnd Aaron said to them, Break off the golden rings that are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.
BBEThen Aaron said to them, Take off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives and your sons and your daughters, and give them to me.
WebsterAnd Aaron said to them, Break off the golden ear-rings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.

What does Exodus 32:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2. Aaron said, ... Break off ... earrings--It was not an Egyptian custom for young men to wear earrings, and the circumstance, therefore, seems to point out "the mixed rabble," who were chiefly foreign slaves, as the ringleaders in this insurrection. In giving direction to break their earrings, Aaron probably calculated on gaining time; or, perhaps, on their covetousness and love of finery proving stronger than their idolatrous propensity. If such were his expectations, they were doomed to signal disappointment. Better to have calmly and earnestly remonstrated with them, or to have preferred duty to expediency, leaving the issue in the hands of Providence.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Golden ear-rings - Both men and women wore these ornaments, and we may suppose that these were a part of the spoils which they brought out of Egypt. How strange, that the very things which were granted them by an especial influence and providence of God, should be now abused to the basest idolatrous purposes! But it is frequently the case that the gifts of God become desecrated by being employed in the service of sin; I will curse your blessings, saith the Lord, Mal 2:2.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Exodus 32:1-6

While Moses was in the mount, receiving the law from God, the people made a tumultuous address to Aaron. This giddy multitude were weary of waiting for the return of Moses. Weariness in waiting betrays to many temptations. The Lord must be waited for till he comes, and waited for though he tarry. Let their readiness to part with their ear-rings to make an idol, shame our niggardliness in the service of the true God…

Read the full comment on Exodus 32:1-6 →

Exodus 32:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲלֵהֶם֙'a.le.Hemto themH413
אַהֲרֹ֔ן'a.ha.RonAaronH175
פָּֽרְקוּ֙pa.re.Kutear offH6561
נִזְמֵ֣יniz.Mei[the] rings ofH5141
הַזָּהָ֔בha.za.Hav<the> goldH2091
אֲשֶׁר֙'a.SherwhichH834
בְּאָזְנֵ֣יbe.'a.ze.Nei[are] on [the] ears ofH241
נְשֵׁיכֶ֔םne.shei.Khemwives yourH802
בְּנֵיכֶ֖םbe.nei.Khemsons yourH1121
וּבְנֹתֵיכֶ֑םu.ve.no.tei.Khemand daughters yourH1323
וְהָבִ֖יאוּve.ha.Vi.'uand bring [them]H935
אֵלָֽי\׃'e.Laito meH413

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Exodus 32:2

  • Judges 8:24-27

    And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks. And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

  • Exodus 12:35-36

    And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

  • Ezekiel 16:11-12

    I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

  • Ezekiel 16:17

    Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,

  • Hosea 2:8

    For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

  • Genesis 24:47

    And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands.

  • Exodus 35:22

    And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.

  • Genesis 24:22

    And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12:35,36; Ge 24:22,47; Jud 8:24-27; Eze 16:11,12,17; Ho 2:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Exodus 32:1

    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.

  • Exodus 32:2

    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.

  • Exodus 32:3

    And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

Read all of Exodus 32

Exodus 32:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Aarón les dijo: Apartad los zarcillos de oro que están en las orejas de vuestras mujeres, y de vuestros hijos, y de vuestras hijas, y traédmelos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Aaron leur dit: Brisez les pendants d’or qui sont aux oreilles de vos femmes, de vos fils et de vos filles, et apportez-les-moi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Aaron sprach zu ihnen: Reißet die goldenen Ringe ab, die in den Ohren eurer Weiber, eurer Söhne und eurer Töchter sind, und bringet sie zu mir.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixitque ad eos Aaron: Tollite inaures aureas de uxorum, filiorumque et filiarum vestrarum auribus, et afferte ad me.