וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל שִׂ֥ימוּ אִישׁ־חַרְבּ֖וֹ עַל־יְרֵכ֑וֹ עִבְר֨וּ וָשׁ֜וּבוּ מִשַּׁ֤עַר לָשַׁ֙עַר֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְהִרְג֧וּ אִֽישׁ־אֶת־אָחִ֛יו וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶת־קְרֹבֽוֹ׃
Il leur dit: "Ainsi a parlé l’Éternel, Dieu d’Israël: ‘Que chacun de vous s’arme de son glaive! passez, repassez d’une porte à l’autre dans le camp et immolez, au besoin, chacun son frère, son ami, son parent!’
Rashi
Moses and Samuel Both were needed to beg mercy for Israel, but first they induced them to repent, and afterwards they prayed on their behalf, but they had no idea of turning away My wrath until they had induced them to repent. Moses said (Exodus 32:27), “Let each man put his sword...” (v. 20) “and he scattered it on the surface of the water, etc.” And afterwards (v. 30), “I will ascend to the Lord, perhaps I will atone.” Samuel in Mizpah (I Samuel 7:4,5) “And the children of Israel removed the Baalim,” and afterwards, “‘Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I shall pray to the Lord on your behalf (sic).’” But you cannot bring them back to Me, therefore do not pray for them.
Rabbeinu Bahya
Nachmanides comments on Exodus 32,27 where Moses tells the Levites to seek out the idolaters who served the golden calf and to execute them that the words אלו-הי ישראל in that verse refer to the attribute to whom sacrificial service to G’d is directed. Furthermore you find a verse in Chronicles II 29,7 ועולה לא העלו בקדש לאלו-הי ישראל, “they did not offer burnt offerings in the holy place to the G’d of Israel.” This teaches clearly that such burnt offerings were offered to the attribute known as אלו-הי ישראל. Another explicit verse teaching us the same is found in Leviticus 21,8: כי את לחם אלו-היך הוא מקריב, “for he offers the food of your G’d,” and the attribute אלו-הים is used to describe the attribute of G’d to whom the offerings are directed.
Additionally, it is worthwhile to reflect on the expression לחם אשה, in Leviticus 3,11 where the priest is described as the one offering such an offering to Hashem. The word אשה is derived from אש; we have many similar expressions all referring to certain sacrifices as אשה לה’, “fire-offerings to the Lord.” The reason that the Torah does not describe such food for the altar as (לחם אש) “fiery food,” is that the word אשה is almost identical to the word אשה, woman, meaning that the recipient of the sacrifice is passive like a woman who is passive, a recipient. All of this proves that sacrifices are offered to the attribute of Justice. This is the reason that such “food,” i.e. לחם, is called לחם אשה.
The truth is that while the sacrifices are offered up to the attribute אלו-הים, they are intended for the attribute Hashem. Similarly, when we offer our prayers in (lieu of sacrifices), we dedicate them to the attribute which is far above all our abilities to praise, and we verbalize that when we emphasize this very fact by saying that G’d is מרומם על כל ברכה ותהלה “exalted far above every blessing and praise” (Nechemyah 9,5). The same thought is expressed in the Kaddish prayer i.e.לעילא מכל ברכתא ושירתא תושבחתא.
Additionally, it is worthwhile to reflect on the expression לחם אשה, in Leviticus 3,11 where the priest is described as the one offering such an offering to Hashem. The word אשה is derived from אש; we have many similar expressions all referring to certain sacrifices as אשה לה’, “fire-offerings to the Lord.” The reason that the Torah does not describe such food for the altar as (לחם אש) “fiery food,” is that the word אשה is almost identical to the word אשה, woman, meaning that the recipient of the sacrifice is passive like a woman who is passive, a recipient. All of this proves that sacrifices are offered to the attribute of Justice. This is the reason that such “food,” i.e. לחם, is called לחם אשה.
The truth is that while the sacrifices are offered up to the attribute אלו-הים, they are intended for the attribute Hashem. Similarly, when we offer our prayers in (lieu of sacrifices), we dedicate them to the attribute which is far above all our abilities to praise, and we verbalize that when we emphasize this very fact by saying that G’d is מרומם על כל ברכה ותהלה “exalted far above every blessing and praise” (Nechemyah 9,5). The same thought is expressed in the Kaddish prayer i.e.לעילא מכל ברכתא ושירתא תושבחתא.
Chizkuni
זה הדבר אשר צוה ה, “this is the matter that the Lord has commanded:” The Torah did not reveal where G-d commanded the following law to Moses. This is only one of numerous prophetic announcements by Moses where the time and location where Moses received these instructions has not been revealed. Examples quoted by our author are: Exodus 10,3, Exodus 11,4, Exodus 32,27 and his commentary there.