Exodus 32:26 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Who is on the Lord's side?— See 2 Kings 9:32. The Chaldee renders this, who feareth the Lord, let him come to me: that is, whosoever abhorreth this idolatry, and is zealous for the honour of Jehovah: accordingly, all the sons of Levi joined themselves to him; an expression, which, as appears from the context, must mean, all those of the sons of Levi who had not joined in this defection. To them Moses, as, under God, their chief ruler, commits the execution of that dreadful sentence, which God, their uncontrouled Sovereign, had passed. For let it be observed, that Moses acted not here by any private authority, but by the immediate command and direction of Go; thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man, &c. God, as King of the Jews, passes this sentence upon the most gross delinquents; such as had been guilty of the blackest treason and basest rebellion against him; a rebellion, aggravated by every opprobrious circumstance. And, considered in this view, the action of Moses calls for no vindication, as it can never be drawn into example, except by one who could produce the same authority from God: and certainly the Almighty, not only as Lord of life and death in general, but as Sovereign of Israel in particular, might, with as much justice, take away the lives of these offenders by the sword of the Levites, as by a pestilence or a famine: while it is very plain to observe, that the impulse by which the Levites acted, as well as the terror which occasioned the people to submit to so small a number of men, must have been immediately from God; otherwise one cannot conceive, that such a number would have submitted to death without any resistance; unless we suppose with some, that they were loaded with liquor, enervated by dancing and sports, and utterly without any arms wherewith to make resistance.