Leviticus 24

The Oil for the Lamps

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹

2 “Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.

3 Outside the veil of the Testimony ^[a] 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.

4 He shall tend the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

The Showbread

5 You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf, ^{[b] 2}

6 and set them in two rows—six per row—on the table of pure gold before the LORD.

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

8 Every Sabbath day the bread is to be set out before the LORD on behalf of the Israelites as a permanent covenant.

9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place; for it is to him a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD—his portion forever.”

Punishment for Blasphemy

10 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.

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.)

12 They placed him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.

13 Then the LORD said to Moses,

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

15 And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin.

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.

An Eye for an Eye

17 And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death. ³

18 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution—life for life.

19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him:

20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. ^[d] Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him.

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

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

23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. So the Israelites did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24 Commentary

Chapter 24

Oil for the lamps, The shew-bread. (1-9) The law of blasphemy, blasphemer is stoned. (10-23)

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.

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.

Cross References

• 1. (Exodus 27:20–21)
• 2. (Exodus 25:23–30; Exodus 37:10–16)
• 3. (Matthew 5:38–48)

Footnotes

• [a]. The Testimony refers to the stone tablets in the ark of the covenant inscribed with the Ten Commandments.
• [b]. Two-tenths of an ephah is approximately 4 dry quarts or 4.4 liters (probably about 5.1 pounds or 2.3 kilograms of flour).
• [c]. Literally the one who cursed; also in verse 23
• [d]. Cited in Matthew 5:38

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 24

This chapter treats of the oil for the lamps, and the ordering of them, Le 24:1-4; of the making of the shewbread cakes, and the setting of them on the table, Le 24:5-9; and an Israelite having blasphemed the name of the Lord, and inquiry being made what should be done to him, he, and so any other person guilty of the same, is ordered to be stoned to death, Le 24:10-16; on occasion of which several laws are repeated concerning killing a man or a beast, or doing injury to any man, Le 24:17-23.