Leviticus 24

1 ADONAI said to Moshe,

2 "Order the people of Isra'el to bring you pure oil from crushed olives for the light, to keep lamps burning always.

3 Outside the curtain of the testimony in the tent of meeting, Aharon is to arrange for the light to be kept burning always from evening until morning before ADONAI ; this is to be a permanent regulation through all your generations.

4 He is always to keep in order the lamps on the pure menorah before ADONAI.

5 "You are to take fine flour and use it to bake twelve loaves, one gallon per loaf.

6 Arrange them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure table before ADONAI.

7 Put frankincense with each row to be an offering made by fire to ADONAI in place of the bread and as a reminder of it.

8 Regularly, every Shabbat, he is to arrange them before ADONAI ; they are from the people of Isra'el, as a covenant forever.

9 They will belong to Aharon and his sons; and they are to eat them in a holy place; because for him they are, of the offerings for ADONAI made by fire, especially holy. This is a permanent law."

10 There was a man who was the son of a woman of Isra'el and an Egyptian father. He went out among the people of Isra'el, and this son of a woman of Isra'el had a fight in the camp with a man of Isra'el,

11 in the course of which the son of the woman of Isra'el uttered the Name [Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh] in a curse. So they brought him to Moshe. (His mother's name was Shlomit the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

12 They put him under guard until ADONAI would tell them what to do.

13 ADONAI said to Moshe,

14 "Take the man who cursed outside the camp, have everyone who heard him lay their hands on his head, and have the entire community stone him.

15 Then tell the people of Isra'el, 'Whoever curses his God will bear the consequences of his sin;

16 and whoever blasphemes the name of ADONAI must be put to death; the entire community must stone him. The foreigner as well as the citizen is to be put to death if he blasphemes the Name.

17 "'Anyone who strikes another person and kills him must be put to death.

18 Anyone who strikes an animal and kills it is to make restitution, life for life.

19 If someone injures his neighbor, what he did is to be done to him -

20 break for break, eye for eye, tooth for tooth -whatever injury he has caused the other person is to be rendered to him in return.

21 He who kills an animal is to make restitution, but he who kills another person is to be put to death.

22 You are to apply the same standard of judgment to the foreigner as to the citizen, because I am ADONAI your God."

23 So Moshe spoke to the people of Isra'el, and they took the man who had cursed outside the camp and stoned him to death. Thus the people of Isra'el did as ADONAI had ordered Moshe. see readings for Parashah 41]

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.

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.