Following on from Exodus 32:12,in which Moses had interceded for the LORD’s chosen people, in Exodus 32:14 here is another instance of God who repented. Again, this word repented is translated in the Hebrew as 5162 nacham.
5162 nacham
nacham: to be sorry, console oneself
Original Word: נָחַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nacham
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-kham’)
Definition: to be sorry, console oneself
And the Lord repented (5162): of the evil which he thought to do unto his people – Exodus 32:14
Exodus 32:14 in context
11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12 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. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. 14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people – Exodus 32:11-14
The LORD was angry with His chosen people, who were worshipped and sacrificed toward a molten calf. The LORD calls them stiffnecked (Hebrew 7186 qasheh which translates from 7185 as severe (in various applications):–churlish, cruel, grievous, hard((-hearted), thing), heavy, + impudent, obstinate, prevailed, rough(-ly), sore, sorrowful, stiff((necked)), stubborn, + in trouble).
The LORD God tells Moses to leave him alone as He is full of wrath and would consume (Hebrew 3615 kalah which translates as to be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent) them. Moses spoke to the LORD reminding Him that He had brought them out of the land of Egypt with great power, and a mighty hand, and now because they were causing mischief, did He save them to slay them in the mountains and off the face of the earth. Moses intercedes and reminds GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Israel (Jacob), who were the seed whom God would multiply, unto an eternal inheritance and tells God to repent of this evil against His people. In Exodus 32:14, the LORD is sorry (repented) about the evil which he thought to do unto His people.
