Exodus 32:28

Exodus 32:28 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
• New International Version (NIV)The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

Context of Exodus 32:28

26So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. 27Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone—even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day. 29Then Moses told the Levites, “Today you have ordained yourselves for the service of the Lord, for you obeyed him even though it meant killing your own sons and brothers. Today you have earned a blessing.” 30The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a terrible sin, but I will go back up to the Lord on the mountain. Perhaps I will be able to obtain forgiveness for your sin.”

Exodus 32:28 word by word

וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֥וּ בְנֵֽי־לֵוִ֖י כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּפֹּ֤ל מִן־הָעָם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּשְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת אַלְפֵ֖י אִֽישׁ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of Leviלֵוִיlêvîy · LeviH3878
• didעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• according to the wordדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• of Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
• and there fellנָפַלnâphal · to fall: killH5307
• of the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• that dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• about threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376

Cross-references for Exodus 32:28

• Deuteronomy 33:9The Levites obeyed your word and guarded your covenant. They were more loyal to you than to their own parents. They ignored their relatives and did not acknowledge their own children.
• Malachi 2:4Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
• Numbers 16:32The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned.
• 1 Corinthians 10:8And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
• Hebrews 2:2For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.

Commentaries on Exodus 32:28

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28There fell about three thousand men - These were no doubt the chief transgressors; having broken the covenant by having other gods besides Jehovah, they lost the Divine protection, and then the justice of God laid hold on and slew them. Moses doubtless had positive orders from God for this act of justice, (see Exodus 32:27;); for though, through his intercession, the people were spared so as not to be exterminated as a nation, yet the principal…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7-35Verses 7-35 The faithfulness of Moses in the office that had been entrusted to him was now to be put to the test. It was to be made manifest whether he loved his own glory better than he loved the brethren who were under his charge; whether he would prefer that he should himself become the founder of a “great nation,” or that the Lord‘s promise should be fulfilled in the whole people of Israel. This may have been especially needful for Moses, in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-29Verses 21-29 Never did any wise man make a more frivolous and foolish excuse than that of Aaron. We must never be drawn into sin by any thing man can say or do to us; for men can but tempt us to sin, they cannot force us. The approach of Moses turned the dancing into trembling. They were exposed to shame by their sin. The course Moses took to roll away this reproach, was, not by concealing the sin, or putting any false colour upon it, but by punishing it…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-29Moses had asked God to spare the people, but now he called on those who followed the Lord to kill those who had sinned. The Levites (32:26) were willing to confront the sin that Aaron had let loose. Although Moses commanded them to kill everyone (32:27), the number 3,000 (32:28) makes it clear that the words each of you had a restricted meaning. The reference to his son and his brother suggests that as Aaron had led in the idolatry, many of the Levites…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2826-28. Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said--The camp is supposed to have been protected by a rampart after the attack of the Amalekites. Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me--The zeal and courage of Moses was astonishing, considering he opposed an intoxicated mob. The people were separated into two divisions, and those who were the boldest and most obstinate in vindicating their idolatry were put to death, while the rest, who withdrew…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 32:28

• Israel
• Levites
• Obedience
• Punishment
• Reproof
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Levi
• Moses
• Levi, Levite
• Matthew, Levi
• That Day
• Consume
• Corrupt
• Fashion
• Levite
• Mastery

Commentaries on Exodus 32

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings