golden calf

n.1. In the Bible, a golden image of a calf fashioned by Aaron and worshiped by the Israelites while Moses was on Mount Sinai.2. a. Money as an object of worship; mammon.b. The subject of intense veneration: "We create a golden calf ... every time we take something of the earth and declare it exempt from the laws of history" (James Carroll).

golden calf

n 1. (Bible) Old Testament a. an idol made by Aaron and set up for the Israelites to worship (Exodus 32)b. either of two similar idols set up by Jeroboam I at Dan and Bethel in the northern kingdom (I Kings 12:28–30) 2. informal the pursuit or idolization of material wealth

gold′en calf′

n. 1. a golden idol set up by Aaron. Ex. 32. 2. either of the two similar idols set up by Jeroboam. I Kings 12:28, 29. 3. money or material goods.

Thesaurus

Noun

golden calf - (Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship; destroyed by Moses; it is now used to refer to anything worshipped undeservedlygraven image, idol, god - a material effigy that is worshipped; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god"Old Testament - the collection of books comprising the sacred scripture of the Hebrews and recording their history as the chosen people; the first half of the Christian Bible

golden calf

That which is given inordinate or unworthy praise, worship, or reverence. A reference to an idol mentioned in Exodus 32:4 of the Bible, created and worshipped by the Israelites in the absence of Moses, which was considered blasphemous in God's eyes. It has become apparent that wealth and power have become the golden calves of this country, the attainment of which people prioritize with slavish devotion.See also: calf, golden

a golden calf

something, especially wealth, as an object of excessive or unworthy worship. In the Bible, the golden calf was a statue of gold in the shape of a calf, made by Aaron in response to the Israelites' plea for a god while they awaited Moses' return from Mount Sinai, where he was receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus, chapter 32).See also: calf, golden

golden calf

golden calf,

in the Bible, an idol erected by the Israelites on several occasions. AaronAaron
, in the Bible, the brother of Moses and his spokesman in Egypt, and the first high priest of the Hebrews. He is presented as the instrument of God in performing many signs, such as the turning of his rod into a serpent and causing the rod to bud, blossom, and bear almonds.
..... Click the link for more information. made one while MosesMoses
, Hebrew lawgiver, probably b. Egypt. The prototype of the prophets, he led his people in the 13th cent. B.C. out of bondage in Egypt to the edge of Canaan. The narrative in the Bible is the chief source of information on his life.
..... Click the link for more information. was on Mt. Sinai. Jeroboam IJeroboam I
, in the Bible, first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He was an Ephraimite and led a revolt against Solomon, inspired probably by the restlessness of N Palestine under southern rule.
..... Click the link for more information. made two, and HoseaHosea
, prophetic book of the Bible. It relates something of the career of the prophet Hosea who preached against the sins of the northern kingdom of Israel in the third quarter of the 8th cent. B.C.
..... Click the link for more information. denounced a calf in Samaria. A bull cult was widespread in CanaanCanaan
. 1 According to biblical ethnography, Canaan was the son of Ham and the ancestor for whom the Canaanites were named. 2 Territory, the same as ancient Palestine, lying between the Jordan, the Dead Sea, and the Mediterranean and sometimes including
..... Click the link for more information. at the time of the Israelite invasion.

calf, golden,

erected by the Israelites on several occasions, as related in the Bible and the Qur'an. Aaron made one while Moses was on Mt. Sinai. Jeroboam placed one at Bethel and another at Dan. Hosea denounced one in Samaria. Archaeological evidence suggests that bull images functioned as representations of the gods or as bearers of them. Bull cults were widespread in Canaan at the time of the invasion of the Israelites.

Golden Calf

Mephisto’s cynical and demoniacal tarantella. [Fr. Opera: Gounod, Faust, Westerman, 187]See: Evil

golden calf

idol made by Aaron in Moses’s absence. [O.T.: Exodus 32:2–4]See: Idolatry

golden calf

golden calf

golden calf

gold′en calf′

golden calf

golden calf

a golden calf

golden calf

golden calf,

calf, golden,

Golden Calf

golden calf

golden calf

Words related to golden calf

noun (Old Testament) an idol made by Aaron for the Israelites to worship

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