Leviticus 24

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

2 Command the sons of Israel that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the testimony, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a perpetual statute for all your ages.

4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure lampstand before the LORD continually.

5 And thou shalt take fine flour and bake twelve cakes thereof; each cake shall be of two-tenth deals.

6 And thou shalt set them in two orders, six in each order, upon the clean table before the LORD.

7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each order, that it may be on the bread for an aroma and incense unto the LORD.

8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually: an everlasting covenant of the sons of Israel.

9 And it shall belong to Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in the holy place, for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD on fire, by a perpetual statute.

10 In that season the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and this son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;

11 and the Israelite woman’s son pronounced the Name and cursed; and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.

12 And they put him in ward that the mind of the LORD might be showed them.

13 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

14 Bring forth the one that has blasphemed outside the camp and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

15 And thou shalt speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, The man that speaks evil of his God shall bear his sin.

16 And he that pronounces the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him; the same with the stranger as with the natural, if he pronounces the Name, he shall be put to death.

17 Likewise he that kills any man shall surely be put to death.

18 And he that kills an animal shall make it good: animal for animal.

19 And if a man causes a blemish in his neighbour; as he has done, so shall it be done to him;

20 breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he has caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

21 He that kills an animal shall restore it, but he that kills a man shall be put to death.

22 Ye shall have one manner of law: as for the stranger, so shall it be for the natural; for I am the LORD your God.

23 And Moses spoke to the sons of Israel that they should bring forth the one that had blasphemed out of the camp and stone him with stones. And the sons of Israel did as the LORD 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.

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.