Leviticus 24

1 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
2 Command thou to the sons of Israel, that they bring to thee oil of olives, most pure oil, and bright, to the lanterns to be ordained continually, (Command thou to the Israelites, that they bring thee olive oil, yea, most pure and bright oil, for the lanterns to be continually ordained, or fueled,)
3 without the veil of (the) witnessing, in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace; and Aaron shall array those lanterns from eventide till to eventide before the Lord, by religion and custom everlasting in your generations; (which be outside the Veil of the Witnessing, in the Tabernacle of the Witnessing; and Aaron and his descendants shall array those lanterns from evening until morning before the Lord, by an everlasting law and custom, for all your generations;)
4 those lanterns shall be set ever[more] upon a cleanest candlestick in the sight of the Lord. (these lanterns shall be set forevermore on the lamp-stand of pure gold before the Lord.)
5 Also thou shalt take [tried] wheat flour (And thou shalt take fine wheat flour), and thou shalt bake thereof twelve loaves, which shall have each by themselves two tenth parts (of an ephah),
6 of which thou shalt set six on ever either side, on a full clean board before the Lord; (of which thou shalt put six in a row, on both sides of the clean table, before the Lord;)
7 and thou shalt set clearest incense upon those loaves, that the loaves be into mind of [the] offering of the Lord; (and thou shalt sprinkle pure frankincense on those loaves, as a token of the bread offered to the Lord as a food offering;)
8 by each sabbath those shall be changed before the Lord, and shall be taken of the sons of Israel by everlasting bond of peace; (on each sabbath they shall be changed before the Lord, and shall be received from the Israelites, by an everlasting covenant;)
9 and they shall be Aaron's and his sons?, that they eat those (things) in the holy place, for it is (the most) holy of holy things, of the sacrifices of the Lord, by (an) everlasting law.
10 Lo! forsooth the son of a woman of Israel, whom she childed of an Egyptian, went out among the sons of Israel, and he chided in the tents with a man of Israel, (Lo! the son of an Israelite woman, whom she bare by an Egyptian man, went out among the Israelites, and he quarreled in the tents, or in the camp, with an Israelite,)
11 and when he had blasphemed the name of the Lord, and had cursed the Lord, he was brought to Moses; soothly his mother was called Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the lineage of Dan (of the tribe of Dan);
12 and they sent him into prison, till they knew what the Lord commanded.
13 And the Lord spake to Moses, and said,
14 Lead out the blasphemer without the tents, and all men that heard him, set they their hands upon his head, and all the people stone him. (Lead out the blasphemer away from the tents, and all those who heard him, put they their hands upon his head, and let all the people stone him.)
15 And thou shalt speak to the sons of Israel, (and say,) A man that curseth his God, shall bear his sin,
16 and he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, die he by death; all the multitude of the people shall oppress him with stones; whether he that blasphemed the name of the Lord is a citizen, or a pilgrim, die he by death. (and he who blasphemeth the Lord's name, shall be put to death; all the multitude of the people shall stone him; yea, whether he who blasphemed the Lord's name is a citizen, or a foreigner, he shall be put to death.)
17 He that smiteth and slayeth a man, die he by death; (He who striketh and killeth a man, shall be put to death;)
18 he that smiteth a beast, yield one in his stead, that is, life for life.
19 If a man giveth a wem to any of his citizens (If a man giveth a wound, or an injury, to any of his fellow citizens), as he did, so be it done to him;
20 he shall restore breaking for breaking, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; what manner wem he gave, he shall be compelled to suffer such a wem (what manner wound, or injury, he gave, he shall be compelled to suffer such a wound, or injury).
21 He that smiteth a work beast, yield he another; he that smiteth a man, shall die. (He who striketh down a work beast, give he another in its place; he who striketh down a man, shall be put to death.)
22 Even doom be among you, whether a pilgrim either a citizen sinneth, for I am your Lord God. (Let equal justice be among you, whether a foreigner or a fellow citizen sinneth, for I am the Lord your God.)
23 And Moses spake to the sons of Israel, and they brought forth out of the tents him that blasphemed, and oppressed him with stones. And the sons of Israel did, as the Lord commanded to Moses. (And Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they brought out him who blasphemed away from the tents, and stoned him. And so the Israelites did, as the Lord commanded to 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.

Leviticus 24 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.