Leviticus 24:10-16

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 ^[a] 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.

Leviticus 24:10-16 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally the one who cursed; also in verse 23