Exodus 32:18
New International Version
Moses replied: “It is not the sound of victory, it is not the sound of defeat; it is the sound of singing that I hear.”

New Living Translation
But Moses replied, “No, it’s not a shout of victory nor the wailing of defeat. I hear the sound of a celebration.”

English Standard Version
But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.”

Berean Standard Bible
But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
But he said: “It is not the noise of the shout of victory, Nor the noise of the cry of defeat, But the sound of singing I hear.”

New American Standard Bible
But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of victory, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But I hear the sound of singing.”

NASB 1995
But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear.”

NASB 1977
But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But he said, “It is not the sound of the cry of triumph, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But the sound of singing I hear.”

Amplified Bible
But Moses said, “It is not the sound of the cry of victory, Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat; But I hear the sound of singing.”

Christian Standard Bible
But Moses replied, It’s not the sound of a victory cry and not the sound of a cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But Moses replied: It’s not the sound of a victory cry and not the sound of a cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
But Moses replied, "It doesn't sound like they are shouting because they have won or lost a battle. It sounds more like a wild party!"

English Revised Version
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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses replied, "It's not the sound of winners shouting. It's not the sound of losers crying. It's the sound of a wild celebration that I hear."

Good News Translation
Moses said, "That doesn't sound like a shout of victory or a cry of defeat; it's the sound of singing."

International Standard Version
Moses said, "It is not the sound of a victory shout, and it's not the sound of a shout of defeat, but it's the sound of singing that I hear."

Majority Standard Bible
But Moses replied: ?It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!?

NET Bible
Moses said, "It is not the sound of those who shout for victory, nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome, but the sound of singing I hear."

New Heart English Bible
He said, "It isn't the voice of those who shout for victory, neither is it the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear."

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
He said, “It isn’t the voice of those who shout for victory. It is not the voice of those who cry for being overcome; but the noise of those who sing that I hear.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And he says, “It is not the voice of the crying of might, nor is it the voice of the crying of weakness—I am hearing a voice of singing.”

Young's Literal Translation
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.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say, Not the voice of the shouting of victory, and not the voice of the shouting of defeat: the voice of shouting I heard.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he answered: It is not the cry of men encouraging to fight, nor the shout of men compelling to flee: but I hear the voice of singers.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But he responded: “It is not the clamor of men being exhorted to battle, nor the shout of men being compelled to flee. But I hear the voice of singing.”

New American Bible
But Moses answered, “It is not the noise of victory, it is not the noise of defeat; the sound I hear is singing.”

New Revised Standard Version
But he said, “It is not the sound made by victors, or the sound made by losers; it is the sound of revelers that I hear.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Moses said to him, It is not the sound of the cry of mighty men, neither is it the sound of the cry of weak men; but it is the sound of sin that I hear.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Yeshua heard the sound of people when fighting and he said to Moshe, “The sound of war is in the camp.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Moses says, It is not the voice of them that begin the battle, nor the voice of them that begin the cry of defeat, but the voice of them that begin the banquet of wine do I hear.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Moses Descends with the Tablets
17When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.” 18But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”

Cross References
Deuteronomy 9:12-16
And the LORD said to me, “Get up and go down from here at once, for your people, whom you brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten image.” / The LORD also said to me, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. / Leave Me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. Then I will make you into a nation mightier and greater than they are.” ...

1 Kings 19:11-13
Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. / After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. / When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Nehemiah 9:18
Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,

Psalm 106:19-23
At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. / They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. / They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt, ...

Isaiah 22:2
O city of commotion, O town of revelry? Your slain did not die by the sword, nor were they killed in battle.

Jeremiah 7:9-10
Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’?

Ezekiel 20:8
But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

Hosea 4:12
My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God.

Acts 7:39-41
But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. / They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ / At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 10:7
Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

Ephesians 5:5
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Philippians 3:19
Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.


Treasury of Scripture

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.

being overcome.

Exodus 15:1
Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

Daniel 5:4,23
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone…

Jump to Previous
Cry Crying Defeat Ear Fight Hear Hearing Mastery Moses Noise Overcome Overcoming Shout Shouting Sing Singing Songs Sound Triumph Victory Voice Weakness
Jump to Next
Cry Crying Defeat Ear Fight Hear Hearing Mastery Moses Noise Overcome Overcoming Shout Shouting Sing Singing Songs Sound Triumph Victory Voice Weakness
Exodus 32
1. The people in the absence of Moses, caused Aaron to make a calf
7. God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and prevails
15. Moses comes down with the tablets
19. He breaks them
20. He destroys the calf
22. Aaron's excuse for himself
25. Moses causes the idolaters to be slain
30. He prays for the people














But Moses replied
The phrase begins with Moses, the central human figure in the Exodus narrative, responding to a situation. The Hebrew root for "replied" (עָנָה, 'anah) often implies a thoughtful or deliberate response. Moses, as a leader chosen by God, is portrayed as discerning and wise, able to interpret the events around him with divine insight. This sets the stage for his role as an intercessor and mediator between God and the Israelites.

It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat
Here, Moses distinguishes between two types of cries: victory (תְּשׁוּעָה, teshuah) and defeat (חֲלוּשָׁה, chalushah). The context is crucial; the Israelites have just created a golden calf, and Moses is descending from Mount Sinai. The cries of victory and defeat are typically associated with battle, suggesting that Moses initially perceives the noise as related to conflict. However, his discernment reveals a deeper understanding that the noise is neither of these, indicating a spiritual battle rather than a physical one. This highlights the importance of spiritual discernment in leadership and the need to look beyond the surface of events.

I hear the sound of singing!
The "sound of singing" (קוֹל עֲנָה, qol anah) is identified by Moses as the true nature of the noise. The Hebrew word for "singing" can also imply revelry or celebration, often associated with idolatrous practices. This revelation is significant because it underscores the Israelites' departure from their covenant with God. The singing is not a joyful worship of the Lord but rather a misguided celebration of the golden calf. This moment is pivotal, as it marks a turning point where Moses must confront the sin of the people. It serves as a reminder of the constant vigilance required to maintain faithfulness to God and the ease with which people can be led astray.

(18) Shout . . . cry . . . sing.--The Hebrew verb is the same in all three clauses. Translate: It is not the voice of them that cry for victory, nor is it the voice of them that cry for defeat; the voice of them that cry do I hear. Moses' sense of hearing conveys to him no positive result. We must remember that the camp was still distant, and that the sound was conveyed circuitously, since the descent from the Ras Sufsafeh is by a side valley, from which the sight of the plain is shut out (Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p. 44).

Verse 18. This verse is difficult to translate, being markedly antithetical and at the same time idiomatic. Perhaps it would be best to render - "It is not the voice of them who raise the cry of victory, nor is it the voice of them who raise the cry of defeat - the voice of them who raise a cry do I hear." The verb is the same in all the three clauses; and it would seem that Moses simply denied that there was any sound of war without making any clear suggestion as to the real character of the disturbance.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But Moses replied:
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“It is neither
אֵ֥ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

the cry
קוֹל֙ (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of victory
גְּבוּרָ֔ה (gə·ḇū·rāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1369: Force, valor, victory

nor
וְאֵ֥ין (wə·’ên)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

the cry
ק֖וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of defeat;
חֲלוּשָׁ֑ה (ḥă·lū·šāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2476: Weakness, prostration

I
אָנֹכִ֖י (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

hear
שֹׁמֵֽעַ׃ (šō·mê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the sound
ק֣וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of singing!”
עַנּ֔וֹת (‘an·nō·wṯ)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond


Links
Exodus 32:18 NIV
Exodus 32:18 NLT
Exodus 32:18 ESV
Exodus 32:18 NASB
Exodus 32:18 KJV

Exodus 32:18 BibleApps.com
Exodus 32:18 Biblia Paralela
Exodus 32:18 Chinese Bible
Exodus 32:18 French Bible
Exodus 32:18 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Exodus 32:18 He said It isn't the voice (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 32:17
Top of Page
Top of Page