What does "the people rose up to play" mean in Exodus 32:6 in the Hebrew?
In Exodus 32:6, the Hebrew phrase “rose up to play” refers to the Israelites engaging in lascivious, seductive dances associated with pagan idolatrous worship. It denotes nakedness and abject immorality, not innocent recreation. This was part of their worship of the golden calf, brought out of Egypt.
Les explains that after the people sat down to eat and drink, they rose up to play. The Hebrew word behind “play” indicates they were actually naked and put on seductive dances. This was not worship of Jehovah but of a pagan idolatrous god. Les notes that paganism and idolatry were always steeped in the most abject immorality imaginable, and that was part of their worship. The Israelites brought this practice right out of Egypt, made the golden calf, and descended into that lower level of human depravity. Their lascivious dances were part of that idolatrous worship.
And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.