1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
3 Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.
4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.
5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD 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 this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, 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 the mind of the LORD might be showed them.
13 And the LORD 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 the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.
17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
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 done to him again.
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.
23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
1 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
2 Command H6680 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they bring H3947 unto thee pure H2134 oil H8081 olive H2132 beaten H3795 for the light, H3974 to cause the lamps H5216 to burn H5927 continually. H8548
3 Without H2351 the vail H6532 of the testimony, H5715 in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation, H4150 shall Aaron H175 order H6186 it from the evening H6153 unto the morning H1242 before H6440 the LORD H3068 continually: H8548 it shall be a statute H2708 for ever H5769 in your generations. H1755
4 He shall order H6186 the lamps H5216 upon the pure H2889 candlestick H4501 before H6440 the LORD H3068 continually. H8548
5 And thou shalt take H3947 fine flour, H5560 and bake H644 twelve H6240 cakes H2471 thereof: two H8147 tenth deals H6241 shall be in one H259 cake. H2471
6 And thou shalt set H7760 them in two H8147 rows, H4634 six H8337 on a row, H4635 upon the pure H2889 table H7979 before H6440 the LORD. H3068
7 And thou shalt put H5414 pure H2134 frankincense H3828 upon each row, H4635 that it may be on the bread H3899 for a memorial, H234 even an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD. H3068
8 Every sabbath H7676 he shall set it H3117 in order H6186 before H6440 the LORD H3068 continually, H8548 being taken from the children H1121 of Israel H3478 by an everlasting H5769 covenant. H1285
9 And it shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons'; H1121 and they shall eat H398 it in the holy H6918 place: H4725 for it is most H6944 holy H6944 unto him of the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire H801 by a perpetual H5769 statute. H2706
10 And the son H1121 of an Israelitish H3482 woman, H802 whose father H1121 was an Egyptian, H376 H4713 went out H3318 among H8432 the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 H3481 and this son H1121 of the Israelitish H3482 woman and a man H376 of Israel H3478 strove together H5327 in the camp; H4264
11 And the Israelitish H3482 woman's H802 son H1121 blasphemed H5344 the name H8034 of the LORD, and cursed. H7043 And they brought H935 him unto Moses: H4872 (and his mother's H517 name H8034 was Shelomith, H8019 the daughter H1323 of Dibri, H1704 of the tribe H4294 of Dan:) H1835
12 And they put H3240 him in ward, H4929 that the mind H6310 of the LORD H3068 might be shewed H6567 them.
13 And the LORD H3068 spake H1696 unto Moses, H4872 saying, H559
14 Bring forth H3318 him that hath cursed H7043 without H2351 the camp; H4264 and let all that heard H8085 him lay H5564 their hands H3027 upon his head, H7218 and let all the congregation H5712 stone H7275 him.
15 And thou shalt speak H1696 unto the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 Whosoever H376 curseth H3588 H7043 his God H430 shall bear H5375 his sin. H2399
16 And he that blasphemeth H5344 the name H8034 of the LORD, H3068 he shall surely H4191 be put to death, H4191 and all the congregation H5712 shall certainly H7275 stone H7275 him: as well the stranger, H1616 as he that is born in the land, H249 when he blasphemeth H5344 the name H8034 of the LORD, shall be put to death. H4191
17 And he H376 that killeth H5221 any H5315 man H120 shall surely H4191 be put to death. H4191
18 And he that killeth H5221 a beast H5315 H929 shall make it good; H7999 beast H5315 for beast. H5315
19 And if a man H376 cause H5414 a blemish H3971 in his neighbour; H5997 as he hath done, H6213 so shall it be done H6213 to him;
20 Breach H7667 for breach, H7667 eye H5869 for eye, H5869 tooth H8127 for tooth: H8127 as he hath caused H5414 a blemish H3971 in a man, H120 so shall it be done H5414 to him again.
21 And he that killeth H5221 a beast, H929 he shall restore H7999 it: and he that killeth H5221 a man, H120 he shall be put to death. H4191
22 Ye shall have one H259 manner of law, H4941 as well for the stranger, H1616 as for one of your own country: H249 for I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
23 And Moses H4872 spake H1696 to the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 that they should bring forth H3318 him that had cursed H7043 out H2351 of the camp, H4264 and stone H7275 him with stones. H68 And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 as the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 Moses. H4872
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.
1 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
2 `Command the sons of Israel, and they bring unto thee pure olive oil, beaten, for the lamp, to cause a light to go up continually;
3 at the outside of the vail of the testimony in the tent of meeting doth Aaron arrange it from evening till morning before Jehovah continually -- a statute age-during to your generations;
4 by the pure candlestick he doth arrange the lights before Jehovah continually.
5 `And thou hast taken flour, and hast baked twelve cakes with it, two tenth deals are in the one cake,
6 and thou hast set them two ranks (six in the rank) on the pure table before Jehovah,
7 and thou hast put on the rank pure frankincense, and it hath been to the bread for a memorial, a fire-offering to Jehovah.
8 `On each sabbath-day he arrangeth it before Jehovah continually, from the sons of Israel -- a covenant age-during;
9 and it hath been to Aaron, and to his sons, and they have eaten it in the holy place, for it `is' most holy to him, from the fire-offerings of Jehovah -- a statute age-during.'
10 And a son of an Israelitish woman goeth out (and he `is' son of an Egyptian man), in the midst of the sons of Israel, and strive in the camp do the son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel,
11 and the son of the Israelitish woman execrateth the Name, and revileth; and they bring him in unto Moses; and his mother's name `is' Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan;
12 and he causeth him to rest in charge -- to explain to them by the mouth of Jehovah.
13 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
14 `Bring out the reviler unto the outside of the camp; and all those hearing have laid their hands on his head, and all the company have stoned him.
15 `And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak, saying, When any man revileth his God -- then he hath borne his sin;
16 and he who is execrating the name of Jehovah is certainly put to death; all the company do certainly cast stones at him; as a sojourner so a native, in his execrating the Name, is put to death.
17 `And when a man smiteth any soul of man, he is certainly put to death.
18 `And he who smiteth a beast repayeth it, body for body.
19 `And when a man putteth a blemish in his fellow, as he hath done so it is done to him;
20 breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he putteth a blemish in a man so it is done in him.
21 `And he who smiteth a beast repayeth it, and he who smiteth `the life of' man is put to death;
22 one judgment is to you; as a sojourner so is a native; for I `am' Jehovah your God.'
23 And Moses speaketh unto the sons of Israel, and they bring out the reviler unto the outside of the camp, and stone him with stones; and the sons of Israel have done as Jehovah hath commanded Moses.
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel that they bring unto thee pure beaten olive oil for the light, to light the lamp continually.
3 Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron dress it from evening to morning before Jehovah continually: [it is] an everlasting statute throughout your generations.
4 Upon the pure candlestick shall he arrange the lamps before Jehovah continually.
5 And thou shalt take fine wheaten flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof; each cake shall be of two tenths.
6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six in a row, upon the pure table before Jehovah.
7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row; and it shall be a bread of remembrance, an offering by fire to Jehovah.
8 Every sabbath day he shall arrange it before Jehovah continually, on the part of the children of Israel: [it is] an everlasting covenant.
9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy unto him of Jehovah's offerings by fire: [it is] an everlasting statute.
10 And the son of an Israelitish woman -- but withal the son of an Egyptian, -- went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelitess and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
11 and the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12 And they confined him, that they might decide at the mouth of Jehovah.
13 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
14 Lead the reviler outside the camp; and all that heard [him] shall lay their hands upon his head, and the whole assembly shall stone him.
15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Every one when he revileth his God shall bear his sin.
16 And he that blasphemeth the name of Jehovah shall certainly be put to death; all the assembly shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger as he that is home-born, when he blasphemeth the Name, shall be put to death.
17 And if any one smiteth any man mortally, he shall certainly 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 neighbour, 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 done to him.
21 He that smiteth a beast [mortally] shall make it good; and he that smiteth a man [mortally] shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one law: as the stranger, so the home-born; for I am Jehovah your God.
23 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they led the reviler outside the camp and stoned him with stones. And the children of Israel did as Jehovah had commanded Moses.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 "Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
3 Outside of the veil of the Testimony, in the Tent of Meeting, shall Aaron keep it in order from evening to morning before Yahweh continually: it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
4 He shall keep in order the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before Yahweh continually.
5 "You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake.
6 You shall set them in two rows, six on a row, on the pure gold table before Yahweh.
7 You shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire to Yahweh.
8 Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before Yahweh continually. It is on the behalf of the children of Israel an everlasting covenant.
9 It shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy to him of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire by a perpetual statute."
10 The son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp.
11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12 They put him in custody, until the will of Yahweh should be declared to them.
13 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
14 "Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
15 You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.
16 He who blasphemes the name of Yahweh, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: the foreigner as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.
17 "'He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death.
18 He who strikes a animal mortally shall make it good, life for life.
19 If anyone injures his neighbor; as he has done, so shall it be done to him:
20 fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has injured someone, so shall it be done to him.
21 He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death.
22 You shall have one kind of law, for the foreigner as well as the native-born: for I am Yahweh your God.'"
23 Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they brought forth him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. The children of Israel did as Yahweh commanded Moses.
1 And the Lord said to Moses,
2 Give orders to the children of Israel to give you clean olive oil for the light, so that a light may be burning at all times,
3 Outside the veil of the ark in the Tent of meeting; let Aaron see that it is burning from evening till morning at all times before the Lord: it is a rule for ever through all your generations.
4 Let Aaron put the lights in order on the support before the Lord at all times.
5 And take the best meal and make twelve cakes of it, a fifth part of an ephah in every cake.
6 And put them in two lines, six in a line, on the holy table before the Lord.
7 And on the lines of cakes put clean sweet-smelling spices, for a sign on the bread, an offering made by fire to the Lord.
8 Every Sabbath day regularly, the priest is to put it in order before the Lord: it is offered for the children of Israel, an agreement made for ever.
9 And it will be for Aaron and his sons; they are to take it for food in a holy place: it is the most holy of all the offerings made by fire to the Lord, a rule for ever.
10 And a son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel and had a fight with a man of Israel by the tents;
11 And the son of the Israelite woman said evil against the holy Name, with curses; and they took him to Moses. His mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12 And they kept him shut up, till a decision might be given by the mouth of the Lord.
13 And the Lord said to Moses,
14 Take the curser outside the tent-circle; and let all in whose hearing the words were said put their hands on his head, and let him be stoned by all the people.
15 And say to the children of Israel, As for any man cursing God, his sin will be on his head.
16 And he who says evil against the name of the Lord will certainly be put to death; he will be stoned by all the people; the man who is not of your nation and one who is an Israelite by birth, whoever says evil against the holy Name is to be put to death.
17 And anyone who takes another's life is certainly to be put to death.
18 And anyone wounding a beast and causing its death, will have to make payment for it: a life for a life.
19 And if a man does damage to his neighbour, as he has done, so let it be done to him;
20 Wound for wound, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever damage he has done, so let it be done to him.
21 He who puts a beast to death will have to make payment for it; he who puts a man to death will himself be put to death.
22 You are to have the same law for a man of another nation living among you as for an Israelite; for I am the Lord your God.
23 And Moses said these words to the children of Israel, and they took the man who had been cursing outside the tent-circle and had him stoned. The children of Israel did as the Lord gave orders to Moses.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 24
Commentary on Leviticus 24 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The directions concerning the oil for the holy candlestick (Leviticus 24:1-4) and the preparation of the shew-bread (Leviticus 24:5-9) lose the appearance of an interpolation, when we consider and rightly understand on the one hand the manner in which the two are introduced in Leviticus 24:2, and on the other their significance in relation to the worship of God. The introductory formula, “Command the children of Israel that they fetch (bring),” shows that the command relates to an offering on the part of the congregation, a sacrificial gift, with which Israel was to serve the Lord continually. This service consisted in the fact, that in the oil of the lamps of the seven-branched candlestick, which burned before Jehovah, the nation of Israel manifested itself as a congregation which caused its light to shine in the darkness of this world; and that in the shew-bread it offered the fruits of its labour in the field of the kingdom of God, as a spiritual sacrifice to Jehovah. The offering of oil, therefore, for the preparation of the candlestick, and that of fine flour for making the loaves to be placed before Jehovah, formed part of the service in which Israel sanctified its life and labour to the Lord its God, not only at the appointed festal periods, but every day; and the law is very appropriately appended to the sanctification of the Sabbaths and feast-days, prescribed in ch. 23. The first instructions in Leviticus 24:2-4 are a verbal repetition of Exodus 27:20-21, and have been explained already. Their execution by Aaron is recorded at Numbers 8:1-4; and the candlestick itself was set in order by Moses at the consecration of the tabernacle (Exodus 40:25).
The preparation of the shew-bread and the use to be made of it are described here for the first time; though it had already been offered by the congregation at the consecration of the tabernacle, and placed by Moses upon the table (Exodus 39:36; Exodus 40:23). Twelve cakes ( challoth , Leviticus 2:4) were to be made of fine flour, of two-tenths of an ephah each, and placed in two rows, six in each row, upon the golden table before Jehovah (Exodus 25:23.). Pure incense was then to be added to each row, which was to be (to serve) as a memorial ( Azcarah , see Leviticus 2:2), as a firing for Jehovah. על נתן to give upon, to add to, does not force us to the conclusion that the incense was to be spread upon the cakes; but is easily reconcilable with the Jewish tradition (Josephus, Ant. iii. 10, 7; Mishnah, Menach . xi. 7, 8), that the incense was placed in golden saucers with each row of bread. The number twelve corresponded to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. The arrangement of the loaves in rows of six each was in accordance with the shape of the table, just like the division of the names of the twelve tribes upon the two precious stones on Aaron's shoulder-dress (Exodus 28:10). By the presentation or preparation of them from the fine flour presented by the congregation, and still more by the addition of incense, which was burned upon the altar every Sabbath on the removal of the loaves as azcarah , i.e., as a practical memento of the congregation before God, the laying out of these loaves assumed the form of a bloodless sacrifice, in which the congregation brought the fruit of its life and labour before the face of the Lord, and presented itself to its God as a nation diligent in sanctification to good works. If the shew-bread was a minchah , or meat-offering, and even a most holy one, which only the priests were allowed to eat in the holy place (Leviticus 24:9, cf. Leviticus 2:3 and Leviticus 6:9-10), it must naturally have been unleavened, as the unanimous testimony of the Jewish tradition affirms it to have been. And if as a rule no meat-offering could be leavened, and of the loaves of first-fruits prepared for the feast of Pentecost, which were actually leavened, none was allowed to be placed upon the altar (Leviticus 2:11-12; Leviticus 6:10); still less could leavened bread be brought into the sanctuary before Jehovah. The only ground, therefore, on which Knobel can maintain that those loaves were leavened, is on the supposition that they were intended to represent the daily bread, which could no more fail in the house of Jehovah than in any other well-appointed house (see Bähr, Symbolik i. p. 410). The process of laying these loaves before Jehovah continually was to be “an everlasting covenant” (Leviticus 24:8), i.e., a pledge or sign of the everlasting covenant, just as circumcision, as the covenant in the flesh, was to be an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17:13).
The account of the Punishment of a Blasphemer is introduced in the midst of the laws, less because “it brings out to view by a clear example the administration of the divine law in Israel, and also introduces and furnishes the reason for several important laws” ( Baumgarten ), than because the historical occurrence itself took place at the time when the laws relating to sanctification of life before the Lord were given, whilst the punishment denounced against the blasphemer exhibited in a practical form, as a warning to the whole nation, the sanctification of the Lord in the despisers of His name. The circumstances were the following: - The son of an Israelitish woman named Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan, and of an Egyptian whom the Israelitish woman had married, went out into the midst of the children of Israel, i.e., went out of his tent or place of encampment among the Israelites. As the son of an Egyptian, he belonged to the foreigners who had gone out with Israel (Exodus 12:38), and who probably had their tents somewhere apart from those of the Israelites, who were encamped according to their tribes (Numbers 2:2). Having got into a quarrel with an Israelite, this man scoffed at the name (of Jehovah) and cursed. The cause of the quarrel is not given, and cannot be determined. נקב : to bore, hollow out, then to sting, metaphorically to separate, fix (Genesis 30:28), hence to designate (Numbers 1:17, etc.), and to prick in malam partem , to taunt, i.e., to blaspheme, curse, = קבב Numbers 23:11, Numbers 23:25, etc. That the word is used here in a bad sense, is evident from the expression “and cursed,” and from the whole context of Leviticus 24:15 and Leviticus 24:16. The Jews, on the other hand, have taken the word נקב in this passage from time immemorial in the sense of ἐπονομάζειν (lxx), and founded upon it the well-known law, against even uttering the name Jehovah (see particularly Leviticus 24:16). “ The name ” κατ ̓ ἐξ. is the name “Jehovah” (cf. Leviticus 24:16), in which God manifested His nature. It was this passage that gave rise to the custom, so prevalent among the Rabbins, of using the expression “name,” or “the name,” for Dominus , or Deus (see Buxtorf, lex. talmud. pp. 2432ff.). The blasphemer was brought before Moses and then put into confinement, “ to determine for them (such blasphemers) according to the mouth (command) of Jehovah .” פּרשׁ : to separate, distinguish, then to determine exactly , which is the sense both here and in Numbers 15:34, where it occurs in a similar connection.
Jehovah ordered the blasphemer to be taken out of the camp, and the witnesses to lay their hands upon his head, and the whole congregation to stone him; and published at the same time the general law, that whoever cursed his God should bear (i.e., atone for) his sin (cf. Exodus 22:27), and whoever blasphemed the name of Jehovah should be stoned, the native as well as the foreigner. By laying (resting, cf. Leviticus 1:4) their hands upon the head of the blasphemer, the hearers or witnesses were to throw off from themselves the blasphemy which they had heard, and return it upon the head of the blasphemer, for him to expiate. The washing of hands in Deuteronomy 21:6 is analogous; but the reference made by Knobel to Deuteronomy 17:7, where the witnesses are commanded to turn their hand against an idolater who had been condemned to death, i.e., to stone him, is out of place.
The decision asked for from God concerning the crime of the blasphemer, who was the son of an Egyptian, and therefore not a member of the congregation of Jehovah, furnished the occasion for God to repeat those laws respecting murder or personal injury inflicted upon a man, which had hitherto been given for the Israelites alone (Exodus 21:12.), and to proclaim their validity in the case of the foreigner also (Leviticus 24:17, Leviticus 24:21, Leviticus 24:22). To these there are appended the kindred commandments concerning the killing of cattle (Leviticus 24:18, Leviticus 24:21, Leviticus 24:22), which had not been given, it is true, expressis verbis , but were contained implicite in the rights of Israel (Exodus 21:33.), and are also extended to foreigners. אדם נפשׁ הכּה , to smite the soul of a man, i.e., to put him to death; - the expression “soul of a beast,” in Leviticus 24:18, is to be understood in the same sense.
“ Cause a blemish, ” i.e., inflict a bodily injury. This is still further defined in the cases mentioned ( breach, eye, tooth ), in which punishment was to be inflicted according to the jus talionis (see at Exodus 21:23.).
After these laws had been issued, the punishment was inflicted upon the blasphemer.