And when the next day was come, Moses spoke to the people: You have sinned a very great sin: I will go up to the Lord, if by any means I may be able to entreat him for your crime.
וַיְהִי֙ מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם אַתֶּ֥ם חֲטָאתֶ֖ם חֲטָאָ֣ה גְדֹלָ֑ה וְעַתָּה֙ אֽ͏ֶעֱלֶ֣ה אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה אוּלַ֥י אֲכַפְּרָ֖ה בְּעַ֥ד חַטַּאתְכֶֽם׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
"I will therefore ascend to the Lord; will I not erase your transgression?" Peter countered his threefold denial with a threefold affirmation (John 18:17, 25, 27; John 21:15-17). Aaron’s sin and the creation of the golden calf were overshadowed by his brother's intercessions. The holy and humble David, despite his acts of murder and adultery, sought atonement through his seven days of fasting (2 Sam. 11:1-12:24).
Moses' journey to Mount Sinai and his forty days spent in fasting and prayer served to atone for the significant transgression committed by the people. He cautioned the people about his intentions in advance. This warning likely held great significance for both the populace and Moses. For the people, it stirred awareness and remorse for their wrongdoing, which in turn made it easier for the prophet to intercede on their behalf; the greater the number of individuals who sincerely repented, the quicker Moses' requests for forgiveness could be acknowledged.
In the beginning, Moses speaks to the people, encountering no resistance as he declares his intent to ascend to the Lord, stating he will not erase their sins. He then climbs the mountain and, in a subsequent prayer, articulates profound sentiments that reflect his deep love for his people. This sentiment echoes the Apostle Paul's expression in Romans 9:3, where he states, "I wish that I myself were accursed for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." Such love, exemplified by both Moses and Paul, grants them the courage to voice a willingness to fully sacrifice themselves for those entrusted to their care.
Calvin notes that while Moses may have exceeded the limits of what can be said to God in his fervent prayer, the prayers of the saints, when they lay bare their woes before the Lord, arise from an overflowing heart, where the essence lies not in the specific words, but in the emotion presented before the throne of the Almighty. Terms like "the book of the Lord" and "the book of life" can also be found in the New Testament, as seen in Revelation 3:5 and in Hebrews, as well as in Luke 10:20, which encourages believers to "rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS