Or HaChaim on Exodus 32:2/אור החיים על שמות ל״ב:ב׳

1 ויאמר, "He said, etc." This means that what Aaron said was not what he meant in his heart.

2פרקו!, "remove!" Aaron referred to the males, i.e. it was an imperative.

3נזמי הזהב, golden rings; no other gold.

4אשר באזני נשיכם, "which are in the ears of your wives." They were only to bring the golden earrings actually being worn by their wives at the time, not any rings lying in a box, etc. They were not even to put on these rings in order for their husbands to remove them. Aaron spoke of both "your wives, your sons and your daughters;" Aaron did not want the men to leave their family members while the latter were wearing any golden jewelry at all. He intended to delay the menfolk bringing him all that gold as he expected the wearers to put up resistance. When Aaron said: והביאו, "and bring it," he meant that they should bring him the gold personally, not by means of messengers. He added: אלי, "to me," i.e. not to anyone else. Aaron's reasoning in all this was to prevent a collection of these gold rings which could be accomplished more rapidly than if everybody had to personally bring all the gold rings of his family members to Aaron personally. The people complied with all that Aaron had told them except that they did not bring the earrings of their wives as the latter refused to part with them. The men brought Aaron their own earrings instead as they did not want to hold up the construction of the golden calf (Tanchuma).