And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image.

DEUTERONOMY 9:12KJV
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Deuteronomy 9:12 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 9:12 mean?

Deuteronomy 9:12 records God telling Moses to go down quickly from the mountain because the people of Israel have corrupted themselves by turning away from God’s commands and making a molten (metal) image. The verse highlights how quickly the Israelites abandoned what God had commanded after being brought out of Egypt.

In this verse, Moses is recounting what happened at Mount Sinai when he received the law from God. God speaks directly to Moses, warning him that the Israelites have already strayed from the path He set for them. The “molten image” refers to the golden calf the people made and worshipped, showing their rapid disobedience after their deliverance from Egypt.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 9:12

  • "Corrupted" (שָׁחַת, shachath): This word means to ruin, spoil, or destroy. Here, it emphasizes that the people’s actions were not just mistakes, but a deep moral failure.
  • "Quickly" (מַהֵר, maher): The repetition of this word in the verse stresses how fast the people turned away, highlighting the swiftness and seriousness of their disobedience.
  • "Molten image" (מַסֵּכָה, massekhah): This term refers to something cast from metal, specifically the golden calf. It points to a deliberate act of idolatry, not just a lapse in judgment.

Why Deuteronomy 9:12 matters

  • Deuteronomy 9:12 clarifies that the people’s rebellion was not a slow drift but a rapid and deliberate turning away from God’s instructions.
  • The verse underscores the seriousness of idolatry in Israel’s early history, showing it as a direct violation of God’s commands right after their deliverance.
  • By recounting this event, Moses sets the stage for reminding the people of their need for humility and dependence on God, connecting their past failures to the lessons he wants them to remember.

Where else these words appear

“quickly” Hebrew H4118 · used in 17 verses

  • Exodus 32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
  • Deuteronomy 9:16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.
  • Psalms 69:17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

“image” Hebrew H4541 · used in 28 verses

  • Exodus 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
  • Judges 18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
  • Psalms 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

“corrupted” Hebrew H7843 · used in 136 verses

  • Genesis 6:11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
  • 2 Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
  • Jeremiah 6:5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.