The Meaning of Exodus 32:27 Explained

Exodus 32:27

KJV: And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

YLT: and he saith to them, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Put each his sword by his thigh, pass over and turn back from gate to gate through the camp, and slay each his brother, and each his friend, and each his relation.'

Darby: And he said to them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his hip; go and return from gate to gate through the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour.

ASV: And he said unto them, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto them, Thus saith  the LORD  God  of Israel,  Put  every man  his sword  by his side,  [and] go  in and out  from gate  to gate  throughout the camp,  and slay  every man  his brother,  and every man  his companion,  and every man  his neighbour. 

What does Exodus 32:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 32:25-35 - Moses Punishes Idolaters And Prays For The People
The heart of Moses was full of that wonderful new word, atonement. For many days Jehovah had been speaking to him about it. But he seemed to feel that on this occasion, the blood of goats and bulls could not avail to put away the black transgression of His people. Then there arose within him the noble resolve to which he gave expression, when he returned by the well-worn path to the summit of Sinai.
His voice was very broken as he commenced to plead. Mark that unfinished sentence, "If thou wilt forgive their sin-I." It was arrested by a burst of uncontrollable emotion. Can we finish it? "If thou wilt forgive, thou wilt act worthily of thyself and bind us to thee forever; but if not, and if the blood of beasts does not avail, let me be their atoning sacrifice, and blot me from thy book!" See Romans 9:1-3, r.v. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 32

1  The people in the absence of Moses, caused Aaron to make a calf
7  God informs Moses, who intercedes for Israel, and prevails
15  Moses comes down with the tablets
19  He breaks them
20  He destroys the calf
22  Aaron's excuse for himself
25  Moses causes the idolaters to be slain
30  He prays for the people

What do the individual words in Exodus 32:27 mean?

And he said to them thus says Yahweh God of Israel let put every man his sword on his side go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp and let kill every man - his brother and every man his companion his neighbor
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שִׂ֥ימוּ אִישׁ־ חַרְבּ֖וֹ עַל־ יְרֵכ֑וֹ עִבְר֨וּ וָשׁ֜וּבוּ מִשַּׁ֤עַר לָשַׁ֙עַר֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְהִרְג֧וּ אִֽישׁ־ אֶת־ אָחִ֛יו וְאִ֥ישׁ רֵעֵ֖הוּ קְרֹבֽוֹ

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָהֶ֗ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
שִׂ֥ימוּ  let  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אִישׁ־  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
חַרְבּ֖וֹ  his  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
יְרֵכ֑וֹ  his  side 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרֵךְ  
Sense: thigh, side, loin, base.
עִבְר֨וּ  go  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
וָשׁ֜וּבוּ  and  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
מִשַּׁ֤עַר  from  entrance 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
לָשַׁ֙עַר֙  to  entrance 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה  throughout  the  camp 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: מַחֲנֶה  
Sense: encampment, camp.
וְהִרְג֧וּ  and  let  kill 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
אִֽישׁ־  every  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אָחִ֛יו  his  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
וְאִ֥ישׁ  and  every  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
רֵעֵ֖הוּ  his  companion 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
קְרֹבֽוֹ  his  neighbor 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרֹוב  
Sense: near.