Exodus 32:28

28 And the sons of Levi did by the word of Moses, and as three thousand of men felled down in that day. (And the Levites obeyed Moses, and three thousand men fell down dead that day.)

Exodus 32:28 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 32:28

And the children of Levi did according to the word of
Moses
They girded their swords by their sides, went through the camp, and slew their brethren, companions and neighbours, who were keeping holy day in honour of the idol:

and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men;
the Vulgate Latin version reads 23,000, very wrongly; now these being chiefly, if not altogether, of the tribe of Levi, the brethren, companions, and neighbours of the Levites, that were the slayers, together with the after plagues that came upon them, ( Exodus 32:35 ) account for the deficiency of males in this tribe, some few months after, when it was numbered; and the number of them from one month old and upwards amounted but to 22,000, which was but a very small one in proportion to the other tribes, who generally, one with another, numbered 40,000 each, and none so few as 30,000 ^F18; of this tribe Aaron was, and therefore used with severity, because of his concern in this sin; and even though it was the tribe of Moses, it was not spared.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 See the Bishop of Clogber's Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 360, 362.

Exodus 32:28 In-Context

26 And Moses stood in the gate of the tents (And Moses stood at the gate of the tents, or of the camp), and said, If any man is of the Lord, be he joined to me; and all the sons of Levi were gathered to him.

27 To which he said, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, A man put his sword upon his hip, go ye, and turn ye again from gate unto gate by the middle of the tents, and each man slay his brother, his friend, and [his] neighbour, which consented to this idolatry. (To whom he said, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, Each man put his sword on his hip, and then go ye through the midst of the camp, from one gate to the other, and back again, and each man kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbour, yea, all who consented to this idolatry.)

28 And the sons of Levi did by the word of Moses, and as three thousand of men felled down in that day. (And the Levites obeyed Moses, and three thousand men fell down dead that day.)

29 And Moses said, Ye have hallowed your hands today to the Lord, each man in his son, and [his] brother, that blessing be given to you. (And Moses said, Today ye have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, each man against his son, and against his brother, and so a blessing hath been given to you.)

30 Soothly when the tother day was made, Moses spake to the people, (and said,) Ye have sinned the most sin (Ye have sinned this very great sin); I shall go up to the Lord, if in any manner I shall be able to beseech him for your felony.