The Meaning of Exodus 32:13 Explained

Exodus 32:13

KJV: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

YLT: 'Be mindful of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou hast sworn by Thyself, and unto whom Thou speakest: I multiply your seed as stars of the heavens, and all this land, as I have said, I give to your seed, and they have inherited to the age;'

Darby: Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou sworest by thyself, and saidst to them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give to your seed, and they shall possess it for ever!

ASV: Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Remember  Abraham,  Isaac,  and Israel,  thy servants,  to whom thou swarest  by thine own self, and saidst  unto them, I will multiply  your seed  as the stars  of heaven,  and all this land  that I have spoken  of will I give  unto your seed,  and they shall inherit  [it] for ever. 

What does Exodus 32:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 32:1-14 - Aaron's Golden Calf Offends The Lord
The people never thought of taking Aaron as a substitute for Moses, because they instinctively recognized his moral weakness. Though he was dressed in the garments of the high priest, he was essentially a weak man. This came into evidence:
(1) By his reply to the people. When they demanded the calf he ought to have met them with an indignant negative; but instead, and to prevent the unpopularity which such an attitude might have evoked, he contented himself with putting difficulties in the way of their project. "Surely," he thought, "they will never go on with their mad scheme, if they have to pay for it with their jewels." But the event did not justify his expectations.
(2) By his reply to Moses. "There came out this calf." It was the furnace, not I, that did it. "Blame my heredity, environment, companions," says the wrongdoer. The weak becomes the sinful one. Strong Son of God, help us! Make us strong! See Jeremiah 15:20. [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 32:13 mean?

Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel Your servants whom You swore to by Your own self and said to them I will multiply - your descendants as the stars of heaven and all land this that I have spoken of I give to your descendants and they shall inherit [it] forever
זְכֹ֡ר לְאַבְרָהָם֩ לְיִצְחָ֨ק וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתָּ לָהֶם֮ בָּךְ֒ וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אַרְבֶּה֙ אֶֽת־ זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם כְּכוֹכְבֵ֖י הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְכָל־ הָאָ֨רֶץ הַזֹּ֜את אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֗רְתִּי אֶתֵּן֙ לְזַרְעֲכֶ֔ם וְנָחֲל֖וּ לְעֹלָֽם

זְכֹ֡ר  Remember 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
לְאַבְרָהָם֩  Abraham 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
לְיִצְחָ֨ק  Isaac 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל  and  Israel 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, 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.
עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ  Your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  whom 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִשְׁבַּ֣עְתָּ  You  swore 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
בָּךְ֒  by  Your  own  self 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֲלֵהֶ֔ם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אַרְבֶּה֙  I  will  multiply 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זַרְעֲכֶ֔ם  your  descendants 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
כְּכוֹכְבֵ֖י  as  the  stars 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: כֹּוכָב  
Sense: star.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָאָ֨רֶץ  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הַזֹּ֜את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָמַ֗רְתִּי  I  have  spoken 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֶתֵּן֙  of  I  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְזַרְעֲכֶ֔ם  to  your  descendants 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine plural
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
וְנָחֲל֖וּ  and  they  shall  inherit  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: נָחַל  
Sense: to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess.
לְעֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.