15 And Moses turneth, and goeth down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony 'are' in his hand, tables written on both their sides, on this and on that 'are' they written; 16 and the tables are the work of God, and the writing is the writing of God, graven on the tables. 17 And Joshua heareth the voice of the people in their shouting, and saith unto Moses, 'A noise of battle in the camp!' 18 and he saith, 'It is not the voice of the crying of might, nor is it the voice of the crying of weakness—a voice of singing I am hearing.' 19 And it cometh to pass, when he hath drawn near unto the camp, that he seeth the calf, and the dancing, and the anger of Moses burneth, and he casteth out of his hands the tables, and breaketh them under the mount; 20 and he taketh the calf which they have made, and burneth 'it' with fire, and grindeth until 'it is' small, and scattereth on the face of the waters, and causeth the sons of Israel to drink.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 32:15-20
Commentary on Exodus 32:15-20
(Read Exodus 32:15-20)
What a change it is, to come down from the mount of communion with God, to converse with a wicked world. In God we see nothing but what is pure and pleasing; in the world nothing but what is sinful and provoking. That it might appear an idol is nothing in the world, Moses ground the calf to dust. Mixing this powder with their drink, signified that the backslider in heart should be filled with his own ways.