Exodus 32:25 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

When Moses saw, &c.— Some expositors understand by this passage, not only their being divested of their virtue and piety, which was their ornament and defence, but also their being unarmed, dispersed up and down the plain at their sports; nay, and even guilty of acts of abominable conduct in the midst of their idolatrous mirth. But if this had been implied, one should have conceived, that the same word would have been used here as in Genesis 3:7 where Adam's loss of his original virtue is spoken of. A different word is here used, פרע parung, which signifies to apostatize, to break loose from the true religion and worship; a sense, which seems better adapted to this place, than that which our translation gives. Houbigant, however, gives another interpretation to the word; which, he says, signifies, to be free from business, to hold a feast: (see ch. Exodus 5:4.) and he gives also a different interpretation to the word that we render amongst their enemies: we subjoin his translation of the verse; which, as he observes very justly, is an introduction to the slaughter by the Levites, mentioned in the next verse. But Moses, when he saw the people feasting, (for, by the command of Aaron, they held a feast, Exodus 32:5.) and easy to be slain, if any one should fall upon them, Exodus 32:26 stood in the gate of the camp, and said, &c. The gate of the camp was the place where the courts of judgment were held, a custom which seems derived from the patriarchal times; (Genesis 10:18; Genesis 34:20.) and was continued under the commonwealth of Israel; see Ruth 1:11.Deuteronomy 17:5. See the Abbe Fleury's history of the Israelites, ch. 22: