Leviticus 24

Tabernacle Oil and Bread

1 The Lord spoke to Moses:

2 "Command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of beaten olives for the light, so that the lamp will burn regularly.^[a]

3 Aaron is to tend it regularly from evening until morning before the Lord outside the veil of the testimony^[b] in the tent of meeting. This is a permanent statute throughout your generations.

4 He must regularly tend the lamps on the pure [gold] lampstand in the Lord's presence.^[c]

5 "Take fine flour and bake it into 12 loaves; each loaf is to be made with four quarts.^[d]

6 Arrange them in two rows, six to a row, on the pure [gold] table before the Lord.^[e]

7 Place pure frankincense near each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread and a fire offering to the Lord.

8 The bread is to be set out before the Lord every Sabbath day as a perpetual covenant obligation on the part of the Israelites.

9 It belongs to Aaron and his sons, who are to eat it in a holy place, for it is the holiest portion for him from the fire offerings to the Lord; this is a permanent rule."

A Case of Blasphemy

10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father was^[f] among the Israelites. A fight broke out in the camp between the Israelite woman's son and an Israelite man.

11 Her son cursed and blasphemed the Name,^[g] and they brought him to Moses. (His mother's name was Shelomith, a daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.)

12 They put him in custody until the Lord's decision could be made clear to them.^[h]

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses:

14 "Bring the one who has cursed to the outside of the camp and have all who heard [him] lay their hands on his head; then have the whole community stone him.^[i]

15 And tell the Israelites: If anyone curses his God, he will bear the consequences of his sin.

16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death;^[j] the whole community must stone him. If he blasphemes the Name, he is to be put to death, whether the foreign resident or the native.

17 "If a man kills anyone, he must be put to death.^[k]

18 Whoever kills an animal is to make restitution for it, life for life.^[l]

19 If any man inflicts a permanent injury on his neighbor, whatever he has done is to be done to him:

20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Whatever injury he inflicted on the person, the same is to be inflicted on him.^[m]

21 Whoever kills an animal is to make restitution for it, but whoever kills a person is to be put to death.^[n]

22 You are to have the same law for the foreign resident and the native, because I am the Lord your God."

23 After Moses spoke to the Israelites, they brought the one who had cursed to the outside of the camp and stoned him. So the Israelites did as the Lord had commanded Moses.^[o]

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ex 25:31-40; 27:20-21; Nm 8:2-4
• [b]. Ex 25:16; 40:20; Dt 10:2; 1 Kg 8:9; Heb 9:4
• [c]. Ex 25:31; 37:17; Zch 4:2
• [d]. Lit two-tenths [of an ephah]
• [e]. Ex 25:23-30; 40:23; 1 Sm 21:6; 1 Ch 23:29; 2 Ch 13:11; Mt 12:1-8
• [f]. Lit went out
• [g]. Lv 24:16; Nm 15:30; 1 Sm 3:13; Neh 9:18
• [h]. Nm 15:32-35
• [i]. Lv 24:23
• [j]. Ex 20:7; 22:28; 1 Kg 21:10,13
• [k]. Gn 9:5-6; Ex 20:13; 21:12-14; Nm 35
• [l]. Ex 21:33-36; 22:6
• [m]. Ex 21:18-19,23-27; Mt 5:38-39; 7:12
• [n]. Nm 35:30-33
• [o]. Lv 24:14; Nm 15:36

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.