Interpreters dispute what the word “play” means in Exodus 32:6. The following examination of the Hebrew text of this verse in relation to other passages in the OT helps us determine its meaning.
Exodus 32:6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
WTT Exodus 32:6 וַיַּשְׁכִּ֙ימוּ֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיַּעֲל֣וּ עֹלֹ֔ת וַיַּגִּ֖שׁוּ שְׁלָמִ֑ים וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב הָעָם֙ לֶֽאֱכֹ֣ל וְשָׁת֔וֹ וַיָּקֻ֖מוּ לְצַחֵֽק׃ פ
In this verse צחק is rendered “to play.” What does “play” mean here?
We know that the playing of the people was playing that they engaged in after they had eaten and drunk what had been offered to the golden calf. Their playing was therefore idolatrous playing.
What did they do in their playing idolatrously? The only other activities of the people that the Spirit has revealed to us after Exodus 32:6 are their shouting, singing, and dancing:
Exodus 32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. 18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. 19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
Based on the flow of thought in the passage, we understand that the playing of the people consisted of their shouting, singing, and dancing. Examining the next occurrence of צחק in Scripture provides further biblical basis for this understanding of its meaning in Exodus 32 because it is the only other occurrence of the verb to speak of what people did in connection with idolatry.1
צחק in Judges 16
The next occurrence of צחק in Scripture speaks of what the Philistines did when they engaged in an idolatrous celebration:
Judges 16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand. 24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
Having offered a great sacrifice to their god, the people rejoiced in praising their god for delivering their enemy into their hand. Subsequently, “when their hearts were merry,” Samson “made them sport” (וַיְצַחֵק֙):
Judges 16:25 And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. And they called for Samson out of the prison house; and he made them sport: and they set him between the pillars.
WTT Judges 16:25 וַֽיְהִי֙ (כִּי) (טוֹב) [כְּט֣וֹב] לִבָּ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ קִרְא֥וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֖וֹן וִישַֽׂחֶק־לָ֑נוּ וַיִּקְרְא֙וּ לְשִׁמְשׁ֜וֹן מִבֵּ֣ית (הָאֲסִירִים) [הָאֲסוּרִ֗ים] וַיְצַחֵק֙ לִפְנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּעֲמִ֥ידוּ אוֹת֖וֹ בֵּ֥ין הָעַמּוּדִֽים׃
It is significant that here צחק (“made sport”) is used to signify exactly the same meaning as שׂחַק (“make sport”) with both verbs having the same subject (Samson) in close succession, which shows that these two verbs are exact synonyms in this verse. Because Scripture uses these two verbs as exact synonyms in this verse, we have warrant to examine other occurrences of שׂחַק for their possible relevance for interpreting the meaning of צחק in Exodus 32:6.
שׂחַק in Later Passages
Judges 16:25 and then Judges 16:27 (referring to the exact same actions by Samson as in 16:25) are the first two occurrences of שׂחַק in the Hebrew OT. In the next occurrence, this verb is used to speak of what the Israelite women did on an occasion of public celebration:
1 Samuel 18:6 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 7 And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
WTT 1 Samuel 18:6 וַיְהִי בְּבוֹאָם בְּשׁוּב דָּוִד מֵהַכּוֹת אֶת־הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי וַתֵּצֶאנָה הַנָּשִׁים מִכָּל־עָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (לָשׁוּר) [לָשִׁיר] וְהַמְּחֹלוֹת לִקְרַאת שָׁאוּל הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּתֻפִּים בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשָׁלִשִׁים׃ 7 וַתַּעֲנֶינָה הַנָּשִׁים הַמְשַׂחֲקוֹת וַתֹּאמַרְןָ הִכָּה שָׁאוּל (בְּאֲלָפָו) [בַּאֲלָפָיו] וְדָוִד בְּרִבְבֹתָיו׃
First Samuel 18:6 compared with 18:7 shows us that the playing of the women consisted of their singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.
In another passage, the same verb is again used to denote playing that consisted of the use of musical instruments:
2 Samuel 6:5 And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals.
WTT 2 Samuel 6:5 וְדָוִד וְכָל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל מְשַׂחֲקִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה בְּכֹל עֲצֵי בְרוֹשִׁים וּבְכִנֹּרוֹת וּבִנְבָלִים וּבְתֻפִּים וּבִמְנַעַנְעִים וּבְצֶלְצֶלִים׃
By examining the use of שׂחַק in 1 Samuel 18:6-7 and 2 Samuel 6:5, we know that verb denotes playing that involved singing, dancing, and the playing of musical instruments2 on more than one occasion of public celebration in Israel.
Conclusion
Given that Judges 16:25 has shown us that שׂחַק and צחק are used in Scripture synonymously to mean the exact same activity, our holding that צחק in Exodus 32:6 refers to the singing and dancing that took place in the GCI has biblical basis, both from the flow of thought in the passage and an examination of how צחק is used in its only other occurrence in the Hebrew OT to relate what sinful people did in a context of idolatrous celebration.3
Because Paul explicitly commands NT believers not to be idolaters (1 Cor. 10:7) and specifically cites Exodus 32:6 in doing so, heeding the correct understanding of what “to play” means in Exodus 32:6 is important for NT believers. There is idolatrous playing consisting of ungodly singing and dancing in which Christians must not engage.4
- צחק occurs 14 other times in the Hebrew Bible. None of the 12 occurrences prior to Exodus 32 are in a context connected to idolatry in any manner. Of the two occurrences after Exodus 32, only Judges 16 has this verb in a context connected to idolatry. ↩︎
- See my post Is Exodus 32 A Record of Singing and Dancing without Musical Instruments? for a treatment of evidence that shows that at least timbrels were also used in the singing and dancing recorded in Exodus 32. ↩︎
- Some argue that the playing in Exodus 32:6 should be understood as the people’s engaging in immorality. Evidence from both the NT and the OT shows that understanding is not right (see my post What Does “Play” Mean in 1 Corinthians 10:7 for a detailed explanation of that evidence). ↩︎
- See point 12 in my post Resources That Provide Answers to Key Issues concerning CCM for much more information about what Scripture reveals the importance of the Golden Calf Incident. ↩︎
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