Leviticus 24

The Lamp and the Bread of the Sanctuary

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Command the sons of Israel that they bring to you ¹clear oil from beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually.

3 "Outside * the veil of testimony in the tent of meeting, Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations.

4 "He shall keep the lamps in order on the ²pure gold lampstand before the LORD continually.

5 "³Then you shall take fine flour and bake twelve * cakes with it; two-tenths * of an ephah shall be in each cake.

6 "You shall set them in two rows, six to a row, on the ⁴pure gold table before the LORD.

7 "You shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be ⁵a memorial portion for the bread, even an offering by fire to the LORD.

8 "⁶Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before the LORD ⁷continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel.

9 "⁸It shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the LORD'S offerings by fire, his portion forever."

10 Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father * was an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel struggled with each other in the camp.

11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the ⁹Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)

12 They put him in custody so that ¹⁰the command of the LORD might be made clear to them.

13 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

14 "Bring the one who has cursed outside * * the camp, and let all who heard him ¹¹lay their hands on his head; then ¹²let all the congregation stone him.

15 "You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, '¹³If anyone curses his God, then he will bear his sin.

16 'Moreover, the one who ¹⁴blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

``An Eye for an Eye"

17 '¹⁵If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death.

18 '¹⁶The one who takes the life of an animal shall make it good, life for life.

19 'If a man injures his neighbor, just as he has done, so it shall be done to him:

20 ¹⁷fracture for fracture, ¹⁸eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.

21 'Thus the one who kills an animal shall make it good, but ¹⁹the one who kills a man shall be put to death.

22 'There shall be ²⁰one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the LORD your God.' "

23 Then Moses spoke to the sons of Israel, and they brought the one who had cursed outside * * the camp and stoned him with stones. Thus the sons of Israel did, just as the LORD 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.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 27:20, 21
• 2. Exodus 25:31; Exodus 31:8; Exodus 37:17
• 3. Exodus 25:30; Exodus 39:36; Exodus 40:23
• 4. Exodus 25:24; 1 Kings 7:48
• 5. Lev 2:2, 9, 16
• 6. Matthew 12:5
• 7. Exodus 25:30; Numbers 4:7; 2 Chronicles 2:4
• 8. Matthew 12:4; Mark 2:26; Luke 6:4
• 9. Exodus 3:15; Exodus 22:28; Job 2:5, 9; Isaiah 8:21
• 10. Exodus 18:15; Numbers 15:34
• 11. Deuteronomy 13:9; Deuteronomy 17:7
• 12. Leviticus 20:2, 27; Deuteronomy 21:21
• 13. Exodus 22:28
• 14. 1 Kings 21:10; Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:28
• 15. Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12; Numbers 35:30, 31; Deuteronomy 27:24
• 16. Leviticus 24:21
• 17. Exodus 21:23; Deuteronomy 19:21
• 18. Matthew 5:38
• 19. Leviticus 24:17
• 20. Exodus 12:49; Numbers 9:14; Numbers 15:15, 16, 29

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "luminary"
• [b]. Lit "ascend"
• [c]. Lit "from"
• [d]. Or "prison"
• [e]. Lit "to declare distinctly to them according to the mouth of the LORD
• [f]. Lit "smites"
• [g]. Lit "smites"
• [h]. Lit "gives a blemish"
• [i]. Lit "given a blemish"
• [j]. Lit "given"
• [k]. Lit "smites"
• [l]. Lit "smites"
• [m]. Lit "judgment"

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.