Exodus 32:12
ESV
Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.
NIV
Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.
NASB
Why should the Egyptians talk, saying, ‘With evil motives He brought them out, to kill them on the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent of doing harm to Your people.
CSB
Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and eliminate them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for your people.
NLT
Why let the Egyptians say, ‘Their God rescued them with the evil intention of slaughtering them in the mountains and wiping them from the face of the earth’? Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!
KJV
Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
NKJV
Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.
What does Exodus 32:12 mean?
Some sentences end with question marks but are not really questions. Some statements are not plans, but reminders of what that person is capable of. In this conversation, both God and Moses use these techniques. The Lord is justly angry with Israel for committing idolatry (Exodus 32:1–6). While no longer calling them "my people" (Exodus 3:7; 6:7; 12:31; 32:7, 9), the Lord also said that He could wipe them out.Here, Moses replies with the same rhetorical device. Destroying Israel would make everything God did in Egypt nearly pointless. Rather than Israel being an example of divine power, and His clearly chosen instrument (Deuteronomy 14:2), theirs would be a strange story with no meaning. As did Abraham (Genesis 18:27–33), Moses "asks" the Lord if He plans to break His prior promise. He does so knowing that the answer is "no."
