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Leviticus 24

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1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2"Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.

3Outside of the veil of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, shall Aaron keep it in order from evening to morning before Yahweh continually: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

4He shall keep in order the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before Yahweh continually.

5"You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake.

6You shall set them in two rows, six on a row, on the pure gold table before Yahweh.

7You shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

8Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before Yahweh continually. It is on the behalf of the children of Israel an everlasting covenant.

9It shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy to him of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire by a perpetual statute."

10The son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp.

11The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.

12They put him in custody, until the will of Yahweh should be declared to them.

13Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

14"Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

15You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.

16He who blasphemes the name of Yahweh, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: the foreigner as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

17"'He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death.

18He who strikes an animal mortally shall make it good, life for life.

19If anyone injures his neighbor; as he has done, so shall it be done to him:

20fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him.

21He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death.

22You shall have one kind of law, for the foreigner as well as the native-born: for I am Yahweh your God.'"

23Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they brought forth him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. The children of Israel did as Yahweh commanded Moses.

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary

Historical, contextual, and verse-level study notes for deeper biblical exploration.

Leviticus 24:2 Verse 2

Command the children of Israel--This is the repetition of a law previously given (Ex 27:20, 21). pure oil olive beaten--or cold-drawn, which is always of great purity.

Leviticus 24:3-4 Verses 3-4

Aaron shall order it from the evening unto the morning--The daily presence of the priests was necessary to superintend the cleaning and trimming.

Leviticus 24:4 Verse 4

upon the pure candlestick--so called because of pure gold. This was symbolical of the light which ministers are to diffuse through the Church. 5-9. take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes--for the showbread, as previously appointed (Ex 25:30). Those cakes were baked by the Levites, the flour being furnished by the people (1Ch 9:32; 23:29), oil, wine, and salt being the other ingredients (Le 2:13). two tenth deals--that is, of an ephah--thirteen and a half pounds weight each; and on each row or pile of cakes some frankincense was strewed, which, being burnt, led to the showbread being called "an offering made by fire." Every Sabbath a fresh supply was furnished; hot loaves were placed on the altar instead of the stale ones, which, having lain a week, were removed, and eaten only by the priests, except in cases of necessity (1Sa 21:3-6; also Lu 6:3, 4).

Leviticus 24:10 Verse 10

the son of an Israelitish woman, &c.--This passage narrates the enactment of a new law, with a detail of the circumstances which gave rise to it. The "mixed multitude" [Ex 12:38] that accompanied the Israelites in their exodus from Egypt creates a presumption that marriage connections of the kind described were not infrequent. And it was most natural, in the relative circumstances of the two people, that the father should be an Egyptian and the mother an Israelite.

Leviticus 24:11 Verse 11

And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord--A youth of this half-blood, having quarrelled with an Israelite [Le 24:10], vented his rage in some horrid form of impiety. It was a common practice among the Egyptians to curse their idols when disappointed in obtaining the object of their petitions. The Egyptian mind of this youth thought the greatest insult to his opponent was to blaspheme the object of his religious reverence. He spoke disrespectfully of One who sustained the double character of the King as well as the God of the Hebrew people; as the offense was a new one, he was put in ward till the mind of the Lord was ascertained as to his disposal.

Leviticus 24:14 Verse 14

Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp--All executions took place without the camp; and this arrangement probably originated in the idea that, as the Israelites were to be "a holy people" [De 7:6; 14:2, 21; 26:19; 28:9], all flagrant offenders should be thrust out of their society. let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, &c.--The imposition of hands formed a public and solemn testimony against the crime, and at the same time made the punishment legal.

Leviticus 24:16 Verse 16

as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death--Although strangers were not obliged to be circumcised, yet by joining the Israelitish camp, they became amenable to the law, especially that which related to blasphemy. 17-22. he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death--These verses contain a repetition of some other laws, relating to offenses of a social nature, the penalties for which were to be inflicted, not by the hand of private parties, but through the medium of the judges before whom the cause was brought.

Leviticus 24:23 Verse 23

the children of Israel did as the Lord's commanded--The chapter closes with the execution of Shelomith's son [Le 24:14]--and stoning having afterwards become the established punishment in all cases of blasphemy, it illustrates the fate of Stephen, who suffered under a false imputation of that crime [Ac 7:58, 59].

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

Pastoral and devotional reflections focused on spiritual formation and application.

Leviticus 24:1-9 Verses 1-9

The loaves of bread typify Christ as the Bread of life, and the food of the souls of his people. He is the Light of his church, the Light of the world; in and through his word this light shines. By this light we discern the food prepared for our souls; and we should daily, but especially from sabbath to sabbath, feed thereon in our hearts with thanksgiving. And as the loaves were left in the sanctuary, so should we abide with God till he dismiss us.

Leviticus 24:10-23 Verses 10-23

This offender was the son of an Egyptian father, and an Israelitish mother. The notice of his parents shows the common ill effect of mixed marriages. A standing law for the stoning of blasphemers was made upon this occasion. Great stress is laid upon this law. It extends to the strangers among them, as well as to those born in the land. Strangers, as well as native Israelites, should be entitled to the benefit of the law, so as not to suffer wrong; and should be liable to the penalty of this law, in case they did wrong. If those who profane the name of God escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. What enmity against God must be in the heart of man, when blasphemies against God proceed out of his mouth. If he that despised Moses' law, died without mercy, of what punishment will they be worthy, who despise and abuse the gospel of the Son of God! Let us watch against anger, do no evil, avoid all connexions with wicked people, and reverence that holy name which sinners blaspheme.

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Blasphemy: General Scriptures Concerning Leviticus 24:10–16

Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. / The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) / They placed him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.

Blasphemy: Punishment of Leviticus 24:16

Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.

Blasphemy: The Danite Leviticus 24:11

The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

Blasphemy: The Depraved Son of Shelomith, Who, in an Altercation with an Israelite, Cursed God Leviticus 24:10–16

Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. / The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) / They placed him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.

Candlestick for the Tabernacle: Lighted by Priests Leviticus 24:3, 4

Outside the veil of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps continually before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come. / He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

Capital Punishment Leviticus 24:17

And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.

Dibri: Father of Shelomith Leviticus 24:11

The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

Evidence: Laws Concerning Leviticus 24:14

“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.

Foreigners Leviticus 24:22

You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’”

Frankincense used with Showbread Leviticus 24:7

And you are to place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread, an offering made by fire to the LORD.

Hand in Solemnizing Testimony Leviticus 24:14

“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.

Killing Animals Leviticus 24:21

Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death.

Lamp: Kept Burning at Night in the Tabernacle and Cared for by Priest Leviticus 24:2–4

“Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. / Outside the veil of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps continually before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come. / He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

Legislation: Class, Forbidden Leviticus 24:22

You are to have the same standard of law for the foreign resident and the native; for I am the LORD your God.’”

Oil: Illuminating, for Tabernacle Leviticus 24:2–4

“Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually. / Outside the veil of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, Aaron is to tend the lamps continually before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the generations to come. / He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

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