Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 32:28
And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
Verse 28. There 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 Ex 32:27); for though, through his intercession, the people were spared so as not to be exterminated as a nation, yet the principal transgressors, those who were set on mischief, Ex 32:22, were to be put to death.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And no more, for it is probable they slew only those whom they knew to have been the ringleaders to others in this mischief.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
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, Ex 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 r; 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.
r See the Bishop of Clogber’s Chronology of the Hebrew Bible, p. 360, 362.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The approbation of this deed, in the house of Levi, Moses records in the close of his life. Deu 33:9 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 32:28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
Ver. 28. About three thousand. ] Chieftains and ringleaders.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
children = sons.
three thousand men. These 3,000 were the “men” slain by “the sons of Levi. “The 23,000 of 1Co 10:8 includes those who died of the “plague” which followed. See verse Exo 32:35, below.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
children: Deu 33:9, Mal 2:4-6
there fell: Num 16:32-35, Num 16:41, 1Co 10:8, Heb 2:2, Heb 2:3
Reciprocal: Num 25:5 – Slay ye Num 35:8 – possession 1Sa 30:16 – eating 2Ch 15:16 – he removed Zec 13:3 – and his
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 32:28. And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men Probably these were but few in comparison with the many that were guilty; but these were the men that headed the rebellion, and were therefore picked out to be made examples of, for terror to others.