Leviticus 24

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning continually.

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

4 He shall keep the lamps in order upon the lampstand of pure gold before the LORD continually.

5 "And you shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake.

6 And you shall set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the table of pure gold.

7 And you shall put pure frankincense with each row, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion to be offered by fire to the LORD.

8 Every sabbath day Aaron shall set it in order before the LORD continually on behalf of the people of Israel as a covenant for ever.

9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the offerings by fire to the LORD, a perpetual due."

10 Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel quarreled in the camp,

11 and the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelo'mith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.

12 And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be declared to them.

13 And the LORD said to Moses,

14 "Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

15 And say to the people of Israel, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.

16 He who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him; the sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

17 He who kills a man shall be put to death.

18 He who kills a beast shall make it good, life for life.

19 When a man causes a disfigurement in his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him,

20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has disfigured a man, he shall be disfigured.

21 He who kills a beast shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death.

22 You shall have one law for the sojourner and for the native; for I am the LORD your God."

23 So Moses spoke to the people of Israel; and they brought him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. Thus the people 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.