Leviticus24
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
3 Without the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron keep it in order from evening to morning before Jehovah continually: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations.
4 He shall keep in order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before Jehovah continually.
5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake.
6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before Jehovah.
7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
8 Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before Jehovah continually; it is on the behalf of the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant.
9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire by a perpetual statute.
10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp:
11 and the son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed 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 it might be declared unto them at the mouth of Jehovah.
13 And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without 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 children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
16 And he that blasphemeth the name of Jehovah, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the sojourner, as the home-born, when he blasphemeth the name of Jehovah, shall be put to death.
17 And he that smiteth any man mortally shall surely 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 neighbor; 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 rendered unto him.
21 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good: and he that killeth a man shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the sojourner, as for the home-born: for I am Jehovah your God.
23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel; and they brought forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. And the children of Israel did as Jehovah commanded Moses.
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Leviticus 24Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Leviticus 24. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Oil for the lamps, The shew-bread. (1–9). The law of blasphemy, blasphemer is stoned. (10–23).
vv1-9
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.
vv10-23
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.
Key Words
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
מֹשֶׁה: Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiver
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
צָוָה: (intensively) to constitute, enjoin
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
יִשְׂרָאֵל: Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
זַךְ: clear
שֶׁמֶן: grease, especially liquid (as from the olive, often perfumed); figuratively, richness
כָּתִית: beaten, i.e. pure (oil)
Cross References
Leviticus 24Direct parallel command to bring pure beaten olive oil for the lamps to burn continually.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Direct reference to the blasphemer's sentence of stoning, executed here in accordance with that command.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The original prescription for placing the showbread on the table before the Lord continually.
Supported by JFB
Jesus references David eating the showbread, illustrating the Sabbath laws and the bread's purpose.
Supported by JFB
Identifies the Egyptian father as part of the mixed multitude that left Egypt with Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the death penalty for taking a human life versus restitution for animal life.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Contrasts the principle of life for life in beasts with the penalty for murder.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Establishes the foundational principle of one law for both the native-born and the stranger.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Reaffirms a single legal standard for the assembly of Israel and the resident stranger.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel instance of putting an offender in custody until God's specific will was declared.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Stoning outside the city/camp, mirroring the execution procedure first established in this chapter.
Supported by JFB
Explicit lexical parallel for the lex talionis principle: eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
Supported by JFB
Jesus contrasts personal retaliation with the legal lex talionis standards of eye for eye.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Declares that one law and one manner of custom shall apply to strangers.
Supported by JFB
Reflects on the severity of dying without mercy under the law of Moses.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallel command for stoning an offender outside the camp for violating God's law.
Supported by JFB
Execution of stoning outside the camp, matching the exact pattern of Shelomith's son.
Supported by JFB
Calvin links the sanctuary lamp to the Word of God as a lamp unto our feet.
Supported by John Calvin
Details the pure gold table upon which the showbread was ordered.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Frankincense on the bread serves as a memorial, comparable to the grain offering's memorial portion.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Historical account of David taking the old showbread when it was replaced on the Sabbath.
Supported by JFB
The foundational covenant mandate demanding the death penalty for whoever sheds human blood.
Supported by JFB
Specifies one law for unintentional sins, applicable to both native Israelites and strangers.
Applies the cities of refuge laws equally to citizens and resident strangers.
Command to judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger.
The mock charge of Naboth blaspheming God and the king, resulting in stoning.
Supported by JFB
The Third Commandment against taking the Lord's name in vain, which undergirds blasphemy laws.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Specifies stoning as the penalty for severe spiritual offenses, extending to strangers.
Demonstrates the prompt obedience of Israel to direct commandments given through Moses.