The fellow laborer of Moses, who was left with the solemn charge of the people in his absence, heard them uttering complaints that Moses had left them, and expressing a desire to return to Egypt; yet, through fear of offending the people, he was silent. He did not stand up boldly for God, but to please the people he made a golden calf. He seemed to be asleep to the beginning of the evil. When the first rebellious word was spoken, Aaron might have checked it; but so fearful was he of offending the people that he apparently united with them and was finally persuaded to make a golden calf for them to worship. {4T 514.2}

Moses' medarbejder, som var overladt folkets alvorlige tarv under hans fravær, hørte at de beklagede sig over at Moses havde forladt dem og udtrykte ønske for at vende tilbage til Ægypten; dog, af frygt for at fornærme folket, sagde han ikke noget. Han stod ikke frimodigt frem for Gud, men for at behage folket gjorde han en guldkalv. Det var som om han sov fra dette begyndende onde. Da det første oprørske ord blev sagt, kunne Aron have standset det; men så bange var (515) han for at fornærme folket at han tilsyneladende gjorde sig enig med dem og blev til sidst overtalt til at lave en guldkalv, de kunne dyrke.