Leviticus 24

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel that they bring unto thee pure beaten olive oil for the light, to light the lamp continually.
3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron dress it from evening to morning before Jehovah continually: [it is] an everlasting statute throughout your generations.
4 Upon the pure candlestick shall he arrange the lamps before Jehovah continually.
5 And thou shalt take fine wheaten flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof; each cake shall be of two tenths.
6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the pure table before Jehovah.
7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row; and it shall be a bread of remembrance, an offering by fire to Jehovah.
8 Every sabbath day he shall arrange it before Jehovah continually, on the part of the children of Israel: [it is] an everlasting covenant.
9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy unto him of Jehovah's offerings by fire: [it is] an everlasting statute.
10 And the son of an Israelitish woman -- but withal the son of an Egyptian, -- went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelitess and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
11 and the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12 And they confined him, that they might decide at the mouth of Jehovah.
13 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
14 Lead the reviler outside the camp; and all that heard [him] shall lay their hands upon his head, and the whole assembly shall stone him.
15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Every one when he revileth his God shall bear his sin.
16 And he that blasphemeth the name of Jehovah shall certainly be put to death; all the assembly shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger as he that is home-born, when he blasphemeth the Name, shall be put to death.
17 And if any one smiteth any man mortally, he shall certainly be put to death.
18 And he that smiteth a beast mortally shall make it good, life for life.
19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour, as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
20 breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him.
21 He that smiteth a beast [mortally] shall make it good; and he that smiteth a man [mortally] shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one law: as the stranger, so the home-born; for I am Jehovah your God.
23 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they led the reviler outside the camp and stoned him with stones. And the children of Israel did as Jehovah 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.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. Lit. 'take.'
  • [b]. As Ex. 25.6.
  • [c]. See Ex. 25.37.
  • [d]. As 'set in order,' Ex. 40.4,23; 'rank,' 1Chr. 12.38.
  • [e]. Lit. 'smiteth any soul [life] of a man.'
  • [f]. 'Judgment' or 'ordinance.'

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.

Leviticus 24 Commentaries

The Darby Translation is in the public domain.