10496. Verses 30-35. And it came to pass on the day after, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto Jehovah, perchance I shall make expiation for your sin. And Moses returned unto Jehovah and said, I beseech Thee! This people hath sinned a great sin, and they have made them gods of gold. And now if Thou wilt forgive their sin! And if not, blot me I pray out of Thy book which Thou hast written. And Jehovah said unto Moses, He that hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. And now go, lead the people unto that which I said to thee; behold Mine angel shall go before thee, and in the day of My visitation I will visit their sin upon them. And Jehovah smote the people, because they had made the calf which Aaron made. "And it came to pass on the day after," signifies the duration of such worship even to the end of the church; "that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin," signifies a complete turning away and estrangement; "and now I will go up unto Jehovah," signifies the raising of the interiors to the Lord; "perchance I shall make expiation for your sin," signifies a possibility by virtue of the Divine power of the Lord with those who have so completely turned themselves away; "and Moses returned unto Jehovah," signifies conjunction; "and said, "I beseech Thee! This people hath sinned a great sin," signifies that although this nation has completely turned away and removed itself from the Divine; "and they have made them gods of gold," signifies, and they worship infernal delight; "and now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin," signifies that nevertheless this turning away from the Divine will not hinder; "and if not, blot me I pray out of Thy book which Thou hast written," signifies the internal of the Word, of the church, and of worship, that it will not perish; "and Jehovah said unto Moses, He that hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book," signifies the reply, that those will perish who turn themselves away from the Divine; "and now go, lead the people unto that which I said to thee," signifies that this nation is to represent the church, and not that the church is in it; "behold Mine angel shall go before thee," signifies that nevertheless Divine truth will lead; "and in the day of My visitation I will visit their sin upon them," signifies their last state in particular and in general, when is the Judgment; "and Jehovah smote the people," signifies the devastation of truth and of good with the Israelitish nation; "because they had made the calf," signifies on account of the worship from infernal love; "which Aaron made," signifies that this comes from the external things which alone they loved.
