golden calf
Worshipped bovine statue
A golden calf is an idol or false god, from the biblical story of Israelites worshipping a gold statue while Moses received the Ten Commandments.
The phrase typically describes money or material wealth when pursued with religious fervor: They've made a golden calf of the stock market.
Any object of misplaced devotion qualifies.
Abundance of valuable resources
- moneyCurrency for transactions
- greedExcessive desire for wealth
- avariceExcessive desire for riches
- consumerismPreoccupation with acquiring goods
materialism · covetousness · mammon · prosperity · riches · possessions · acquisitiveness · hoarding
Hebrew prophet, liberator
- AaronOld Testament priest
- ExodusMass departure from a place
- SinaiEgyptian peninsula, biblical peak
- IsraelitesAncient Hebrew people
idol · worship · apostasy · Covenant · altar · Levites · Hebrews · Old Testament
Deity wrongly worshipped
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- idolObject of worship
- paganismNon-monotheistic religious practice
- apostasyRenunciation of former beliefs
heresy · blasphemy · sacrilege · iconoclasm · fetishism · cultism · heathenism · polytheism
Persistent, intrusive preoccupation
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- blind devotionUnwavering allegiance ignoring flaws
- fanaticismObsessive, unreasoning dedication
- cultFervent fringe group
distraction · temptation · seduction · corruption · waywardness
wealth
Abundance of valuable resources
consumerism · materialism · covetousness · mammon · prosperity · riches · possessions · acquisitiveness · hoarding · affluence
Moses
Hebrew prophet, liberator
Israelites · idol · worship · apostasy · Covenant · altar · Levites · Hebrews · Old Testament · Pentateuch
false god
Deity wrongly worshipped
- worshipReligious reverence and praise
- idolObject of worship
- paganismNon-monotheistic religious practice
apostasy · heresy · blasphemy · sacrilege · iconoclasm · fetishism · cultism · heathenism · polytheism · veneration
obsession
Persistent, intrusive preoccupation
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- blind devotionUnwavering allegiance ignoring flaws
- fanaticismObsessive, unreasoning dedication
cult · distraction · temptation · seduction · corruption · waywardness
- Hebrew BibleTanakh, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
- animal worshipsacred animals, cat worship, sacred cow, sacred cows, Anubis
- Biblical IdolsBaal, graven image, household gods, graven images, Beelzebub
- BibleOld Testament, New Testament, Holy Scriptures, Adam, Moses
- Biblical ReferencesAdam and Eve, ark, forbidden fruit, Garden of Eden, Ten Commandments
- Bible StoriesAdam and Eve, David and Goliath, Noah's Ark, Jonah and the whale, nativity
golden calfselflessness
Prioritizing others over oneself
asceticism · renunciation · simplicity · humility · contentment
golden calfsteadfast faith
Unshakeable religious devotion
Moses · obedience · repentance · perseverance
gold, golden, calf, calves, golds, gilded, goldenrod, goldsmith, calfskin