Leviticus 24:1-9

Tabernacle Oil and Bread

1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

2 "Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, so that the lamp will burn regularly.^[a]

3 Aaron is to tend it regularly from evening until morning before the Lord outside the veil of the testimony^[b] in the tent of meeting. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations.

4 He must regularly tend the lamps on the pure [gold] lampstand in the Lord's presence.^[c]

5 "Take fine flour and bake it into 12 loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts.^[d]

6 Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure [gold] table before the Lord.^[e]

7 Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a fire offering to the Lord.

8 The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a perpetual covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites.

9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the fire offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule."

Leviticus 24:1-9 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] Ex 25:31-40; 27:20-21; Nm 8:2-4
• [b] Ex 25:16; 40:20; Dt 10:2; 1 Kg 8:9; Heb 9:4
• [c] Ex 25:31; 37:17; Zch 4:2
• [d] Lit two-tenths [of an ephah]
• [e] Ex 25:23-30; 40:23; 1 Sm 21:6; 1 Ch 23:29; 2 Ch 13:11; Mt 12:1-8