Sin of the Golden Calf in Shemot and Devarim

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Introduction

The events surrounding the Sin of the Golden Calf are first recounted in Shemot 32-34 and then reviewed by Moshe in his farewell address to the nation in Devarim 9-10. In general, Moshe's retelling is quite close to the original, though he omits certain aspects of the story and emphasizes others. Exploring these differences can help us discern the specific messages Moshe hoped to convey when recounting the episode.

Points of Contrast

There are several differences between the accounts (for a full comparison of the two accounts, open the comparison table and expand to full screen):

Context – Sefer Shemot places the story in the context of all the events which took place after the Exodus. In Devarim, in contrast, the sin is not mentioned as part of a historical review, but rather as part of a discussion regarding the nation's "lack of righteousness". In this retelling, Moshe brings the sin as just one example of many such sins, pointing to it as evidence that it is not due to the people's upright behavior that they are to inherit the land.¹
Opening of the story – Shemot 32 opens with a description of the people's request: "עֲשֵׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים" and the subsequent creation of the calf and its worship. In Devarim, Moshe skips this initial scene, starting the story with Hashem telling him of His desire to destroy the nation for their sin. Moshe includes no details regarding the actual worship of the calf.
Moshe's prayers – While Sefer Shemot presents Moshe as praying for the nation while still on the mountain, from Sefer Devarim it would seem that Moshe prayed only afterwards.² Additionally, Devarim speaks of Moshe praying for forty days and forty nights and even repeats this fact three distinct times (in Devarim 9:18,25 and 10:10),³ while Sefer Shemot says nothing about the duration of the prayer. On the other hand, only Sefer Shemot details the content of Moshe's second prayer (Shemot 32:30-35).
Yehoshua – Moshe's discussion with Yehoshua at the foot of the mountain is found only in Sefer Shemot.
Chastisement of Aharon – Sefer Shemot tells how Moshe questioned Aharon regarding his actions and how Aharon attempted to defend himself. In Devarim, Moshe omits this conversation, but instead describes how he prayed for Aharon so that Hashem would not wipe him out.
Role of the Levites – In Devarim, Moshe makes no mention of the Levites' killing of those who worshiped the calf, but he does say that "at that time" ("בָּעֵת הַהִוא") Hashem separated the Levites to serve him.⁴

Analysis

In the Sefer Devarim retelling, Moshe's main goal is to convince the people that it is not due to their righteousness that they have inherited the land, but rather that they are a stiff necked and rebellious people⁵ whose sins almost led to their annihilation. Had it not been for Moshe's prayers on their behalf, not only would they not have inherited the land, they would have been completely destroyed. Moshe implies that the people must change their ways in the future since, after they enter the land, Moshe will no long be around to intercede on their behalf. In light of this, many of the variations between the accounts can be readily explained:

Context – Though Moshe's account in Devarim focuses on the Sin of the Golden Calf (as it was one of the nation's most egregious sins), he does not limit himself to it, but rather mentions the people's complaints in Tav'era, Massa, Kivrot HaTa'avah, and Kadesh Barnea (Devarim 9:22-23) as well.⁶ This is logical, as Moshe's point is to emphasize the people's constant transgressions and the need for his repeated intervention.
Opening – Moshe opens with Hashem's decision to wipe out the nation (rather than a description of the nation's idolatry) because this is part of the point he wants the nation to take home – the potential repercussions of their deeds. The details of the sin are less important than the fact that the nation's rebelliousness constantly merits them destruction.
Prayers – In Devarim, Moshe focuses less on the content of his prayers to Hashem and more on the duration of those prayers and the fact that he needed to implore God repeatedly (וָאֶתְנַפַּל לִפְנֵי י"י כָּרִאשֹׁנָה, וַיִּשְׁמַע י"י אֵלַי גַּם בַּפַּעַם הַהִוא ). Though the original arguments Moshe made to convince Hashem might no longer be relevant, the nation needed to be reminded of the intensity of the effort required to attain forgiveness. Moshe stresses how vital his prayers were in keeping them alive, reminding them that when he dies, they will no longer have his intercession to rely upon.
Change in placement of the prayer – Commentators disagree regarding whether Shemot 32:11-14 and Devarim 9:25-29 describe the same prayer, and if so, when it was actually said (before or after the destruction of the calf).⁷ If the two sets of verses refer to the same prayer and if the order of events is as presented in Shemot, one might suggest two possible explanations for the change:

In Devarim, Moshe might have wanted to juxtapose the prayer with mentions of other sins of the nation.⁸ In so doing, Moshe implied that such a prayer was required after each sin (and not just after this one).⁹
Y. Grossman¹⁰ further suggests that the fact that the prayers appear at the conclusion of the story (right before the receiving of the second Tablets), highlight that they were effective in attaining forgiveness. [In Shemot, in contrast, the prayer is followed by slaughter of the worshipers and Divine plague, suggesting that it did not accomplish its goal.]

Aharon – Moshe speaks of his intervention on behalf of Aharon for the same reason, emphasizing that even Aharon would have been killed had it not been for Moshe's interceding on his behalf.
Role of the Levites – Moshe might not have desired to remind the people how they were killed at the hands of their brethren, preferring only to hint to the fact that the Levites' role merited them reward.¹¹
Conversation with Yehoshua – As this conversation was not germane to the message Moshe was trying to impart, he omitted it from his account.