And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
And I told them, 'Anyone who has gold, take it off and give it to me.' So they gave me their gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.
Aaron is trying to minimize his responsibility by making it sound like the golden calf just magically appeared from the fire, rather than admitting he actively shaped it.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Exodus, the Israelites were waiting at the base of Mount Sinai while Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, and they grew impatient in his absence. They pressured Aaron to create an idol as a substitute for God's presence, leading him to collect gold from the people and fashion it into a calf. When Moses returned and confronted Aaron, he offered this weak explanation to avoid full accountability for his role in the idolatry.
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