New Living Translation
Exodus 32:29
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.”
Exodus 32:29 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Moses said, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”
Context of Exodus 32:29
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.” 28The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day. Then 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.” 31So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a terrible sin these people have committed. They have made gods of gold for themselves.
Read all of Exodus 32Exodus 32:29 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה מִלְא֨וּ יֶדְכֶ֤ם הַיּוֹם֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י אִ֥ישׁ בִּבְנ֖וֹ וּבְאָחִ֑יו וְלָתֵ֧ת עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם הַיּ֖וֹם בְּרָכָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- For Mosesמֹשֶׁהmôsheh · MosesH4872
- had saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Consecrate yourselvesיָדyâd · hand: donateH3027
- Consecrate yourselvesמָלֵאmâlê' mâlâ' · to fillH4390
- to dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
- to the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- evenכִּיkîy · forH3588
- every manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- upon his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- and upon his brotherאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
- that he may bestowנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- upon you a blessingבְּרָכָהberâkâh · blessingH1293
Cross-references for Exodus 32:29
- Numbers 25:11“Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest has turned my anger away from the Israelites by being as zealous among them as I was. So I stopped destroying all Israel as I had intended to do in my zealous anger.
- Deuteronomy 13:6“Suppose someone secretly entices you—even your brother, your son or daughter, your beloved wife, or your closest friend—and says, ‘Let us go worship other gods’—gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known.
- 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.
- 1 Samuel 15:18And the Lord sent you on a mission and told you, ‘Go and completely destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, until they are all dead.’
- Proverbs 21:3The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices.
- Joel 2:12That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
- Zechariah 13:3If anyone continues to prophesy, his own father and mother will tell him, ‘You must die, for you have prophesied lies in the name of the Lord.’ And as he prophesies, his own father and mother will stab him.
- Matthew 10:37“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.
Commentaries on Exodus 32:29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 29For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves - Fill your hands to the Lord. See the reason of this form of speech in the note on Exodus 29:19; (note).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. 2929. Consecrate yourselves to-day to the Lord--or, "Ye have consecrated yourselves to-day." The Levites, notwithstanding the dejection of Aaron, distinguished themselves by their zeal for the honor of God and their conduct in doing the office of executioners on this occasion; and this was one reason that they were appointed to a high and honorable office in the service of the sanctuary.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 32:29
In the dictionaries
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
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