So Moses returned to the LORD, literally “And Moses returned to Yahweh,” means that he went back up the mountain again. The idea of going up, or ascending, is implied from verse 30. And said introduces Moses’ second intercessory prayer to Yahweh for the people.

Alas in English usually indicates that the speaker is discouraged. However, the Hebrew term is a word that usually comes before a request. It means “please,” or “I pray.” Good News Translation omits it entirely, but others render it as “Oh” (Revised English Bible), “Ah” (New American Bible), or “Please hear my prayer” (Translator’s Old Testament). This people have sinned a great sin uses the same words as verse 30. In verse 30 it is a strong rebuke; here it takes the form of a confession. They have made for themselves gods of gold uses ʾelohim, which is plural in form. But this may also be understood as singular, since only one bull-calf was made. (See the comment at verse 4.) Good News Translation adds the words “and worshiped it.”

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .