How many people died in the plague after the golden calf according to Paul?
Paul fills in the account in Corinthians, stating that 23,000 died in the plague after the golden calf, rather than only the 3,000 mentioned earlier. The Exodus record simply says the Lord plagued the people, and Paul supplies the larger number.
Les teaches that Exodus 32 records Moses interceding after Israel sinned greatly by making gods of gold. The earlier account lists 3,000, but Scripture simply says the Lord plagued the people because they made the calf Aaron made. Les notes a seeming contradiction involving 20,000, then explains that Paul fills it in Corinthians, saying the number was 23,000 rather than just 3,000.
And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
More Questions
Why does Exodus 32 say 3,000 died but 1 Corinthians says 23,000?
The seeming contradiction between the 3,000 killed earlier in the chapter and the roughly 20,000 is resolved because Scripture only says God plagued them, and Paul fills in the number in Corinthians.