查經資料大全

 

| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index |

 

Leviticus Chapter Twenty-four

 

Leviticus 24 Outlines

Care of the Tabernacle Lamps (v.1~4)

The Bread of the Tabernacle (v.5~9)

The Penalty for Blasphemy (v.10~23)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 24

This chapter treats of the oil for the lamps and the ordering of them Leviticus 24:1; of the making of the shewbread cakes and the setting of them on the table Leviticus 24:5; 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 Leviticus 24:10; on occasion of which several laws are repeated concerning killing a man or a beast or doing injury to any man Leviticus 24:17.

 

Leviticus 24:1.  Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying:

   YLT  1And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... After he had delivered to him the laws concerning the purity of the priests and the perfection of the sacrifices they were to offer and concerning the feasts the people were to keep he spoke to Moses of some other things which concerned both people and priests:

saying; as follows.

 

Leviticus 24:2.  2 “Command the children of Israel that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light to make the lamps burn continually.

   YLT  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;

Command the children of Israel .... Moses was the chief magistrate under God and being clothed with authority from him had power to command the children of Israel to do what the Lord required of them:

that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light; this was to be at the public expense and it belonged to the community to supply the priests with oil for the light of the candlestick in the temple Exodus 25:6; and this oil was not to be any sort of oil as train oil or oil of nuts almonds &c. but oil of olives and not any sort of that but the purest which was the first that was taken from them; it seems there were three sorts the first of which was pure and this beaten in a mortar and not ground in a mill; See Gill on Exodus 27:20

to cause the lamps to burn continually; the lamps in the golden candlestick which were seven Exodus 25:37; or "the lamp" in the singular number as it is in the original text; the western lamp which is said to be always kept lighted from which the rest were lighted when out; though the oil was undoubtedly for the supply of the lamps that they might burn always night and day; or from night tonight as Jarchi; and both on sabbath days and working days as the Targum of Jonathan.

 

Leviticus 24:3.  3 Outside the veil of the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute forever in your generations.

   YLT  3at 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;

Without the vail of the testimony .... That is on the outside of the vail which divided between the holy and holy of holies and which was before the ark in which the testimony or law was:

in the tabernacle of the congregation; which the apostle calls the first namely the holy place in which the candlestick with its lamps stood Hebrews 9:2

shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the Lord continually that is the lamp or lamps or candlestick in which they were or the light of them; his business was and so every priest's that succeeded him to supply the lamps with oil to dress him and snuff them that they might burn clear and burn always and that before the Lord in the presence of the Lord:

it shall be a statute for ever in your generations; until the Messiah should come the true light which would put out all such typical ones and by his Gospel spread light in all his churches throughout the world; See Gill on Exodus 27:20 and See Gill on Exodus 27:21.

 

Leviticus 24:4.  4 He shall be in charge of the lamps on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord continually.

   YLT  4by the pure candlestick he doth arrange the lights before Jehovah continually.

He shall order the lamps on the pure candlestick .... So called as Jarchi suggests for these two reasons partly because it was made of pure gold and partly because it was to be kept pure and clean and free from ashes by the priest; see Exodus 25:31

before the Lord continually; which both respects the situation of the candlestick and the work about it which Aaron was to do continually before and in the presence of the Lord. Jarchi thinks this ordering respects the measure of oil for every night which he says according to the wise men was half a log for every lamp which was about a quarter of a pint of oil.

 

Leviticus 24:5.  5 “And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake.

   YLT  5`And thou hast taken flour and hast baked twelve cakes with it two tenth deals are in the one cake

And thou shalt take fine flour .... Of wheat and the finest of it:

and bake twelve cakes thereof; answerable to the twelve tribes as the Targum of Jonathan which were typical of the spiritual Israel of God:

two tenth deals shall be in one cake; that is two tenth parts of an ephah which were two omers one of which was as much as a man could eat in one day of the manna: so that one of these cakes was as much as two men could eat of bread in one day; each cake was ten hands' breadth long five broad and seven fingers its horns or was so highF7Menachot c. 11. sect. 4. .

 

Leviticus 24:6.  6 You shall set them in two rows six in a row on the pure gold table before the Lord.

   YLT  6and thou hast set them two ranks (six in the rank) on the pure table before Jehovah

And thou shalt set them in two rows .... The twelve cakes:

six on a row; not by the side of each other but six upon one another:

upon the pure table; the shewbread table so called because overlaid with pure gold and kept clean and bright Exodus 25:24

before the Lord; for this stood in the holy place in the same place as the candlestick did which has the same position Leviticus 24:4; of the mystical and typical sense of these cakes; see Gill on Exodus 25:30.

 

Leviticus 24:7.  7 And you shall put pure frankincense on each row that it may be on the bread for a memorial an offering made by fire to the Lord.

   YLT  7and thou hast put on the rank pure frankincense and it hath been to the bread for a memorial a fire-offering to Jehovah.

And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row .... Two cups of frankincense in each of which was an handful of it and which were set by each row of the cakes as Jarchi observes:

that it may be on the bread for a memorial; or "for the bread" instead of it for a memorial of it; that being to be eaten by the priests and this to be burned on the altar to the Lord as follows:

even an offering made by fire unto the Lord; not the bread that was after a time taken away and eaten by the priests but the frankincense.

 

Leviticus 24:8.  8 Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

   YLT  8`On each sabbath-day he arrangeth it before Jehovah continually from the sons of Israel -- a covenant age-during;

Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually .... That is the priest or priests then ministering who should bring new cakes and place them in the above order having removed the old ones which was done in this manner; four priests went in two had in their hands the two rows (of bread) and two had in their hands two cups (of frankincense); four went before these two to take away the two rows (of the old bread) and two to take away the two cups (of frankincense); and they that carried in stood in the north and their faces to the south and they that brought out stood in the south and their faces to the north; these drew away (the old bread) and they put them (the new) and the hand of the one was over against the hand of the other as it is said "before me continually" Exodus 25:30 F8Menachot c. 11. sect. 7. ; that is at the same time the hands of the one were employed in taking away the hands of the other were employed in setting on; so that there was always bread upon the table:

being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant; God requiring it of them and they agreeing to give it as they did either in meal or in money; for this was at the expense of the community.

 

Leviticus 24:9.  9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute.”

   YLT  9and 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.'

And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' .... The twelve cakes of the old bread when taken off the shewbread table; these were divided between the courses of the priests that carried in and brought out; and the high priest had half from each course so that the half was for Aaron or the high priest and the other half for his sons or the priests that ministeredF9Maimon. Hilchot Tamidin c. 4. sect. 12 14. :

and they shall eat it in the holy place; in the tabernacle or some court of it and not in their own houses: it is said the shewbread was not eaten sooner than the ninth day nor after the eleventh; how? it was baked on the evening of the sabbath and it was eaten on the sabbath the ninth day; if a feast day happened to be on the eve of the sabbath it was eaten on the tenth; if the two feast days of the beginning of the year so fell it was eaten on the eleventh dayF11Menachot c. 11. sect. 9. : the reason why it was only eaten in the holy place is:

for it is most holy unto him; it was one of the most holy things which were only to be eaten by males and in the sanctuary not as the light holy things which were eaten in the houses and families of the priests and by their wives and daughters also:

of the offerings of the Lord made by fire by a perpetual statute; not that the bread was a burnt offering but the frankincense upon it or by it and so having a connection with it the whole is said to be an offering by fire: the one was given to the priests of the Lord to eat and the other was consumed on the altar; and both were an offering to the Lord; and the frankincense being offered by fire unto the Lord instead of the bread it was reckoned as if that was so offered.

 

Leviticus 24:10.  10 Now the son of an Israelite woman whose father was an Egyptian went out among the children of Israel; and this Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel fought each other in the camp.

   YLT  10And 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

And the son of an Israelitish woman .... Whose name and the name of his mother are afterwards given:

whose father was an Egyptian; Jarchi says this is the Egyptian whom Moses slew Exodus 2:12; and so others in Abendana:

went out among the children of Israel; went out of Egypt with them according to the Targum of Jonathan and so was one of the mixed multitude which came from thence with them which is not improbable; some say he went out of Moses's court of judicature; but it is more likely that the meaning is he went out of his tent so Aben Ezra into the midst of the camp to claim his rank and place among the people of Israel; though the Jewish writers as Jarchi and Aben Ezra take this phrase "among the children of Israel" to signify that he was a proselyte and became a Jew or had embraced the Jewish religion in all respects:

and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; which man of Israel according to the Targum of Jonathan was of the tribe of Dan as was the mother of the man he strove with; what they strove about is not easy to say; Aben Ezra suggests because this stands connected with the above laws as if this man had said some things in a reviling way about the shewbread the oil and the offerings and so a dispute arose between them concerning them; but Jarchi says it was about the business of the camp and it is more commonly received that this man claimed a place to fix his tent on in the tribe of Dan in right of his mother; but the other urged that the order of fixing tents was according to the genealogies and with the ensigns of their father's house and therefore he had no right to rank with them his father being an Egyptian and perhaps from words they came to blows see Exodus 21:22; though the Jewish writers understand it of their contending at least of its issuing in a judiciary way before a court of judicature: so it is said when Israel dwelt in the wilderness he (the son of the Egyptian) sought to spread his tent in the midst of the tribe of Dan and they would not suffer it because the ranks of the children of Israel were every man according to his rank with the ensigns according to the genealogy of their fathers; and they began and contended in the camp wherefore they went into the court of judicature the son of the woman of the daughter of Israel and the man a son of Israel who was of the tribe of DanF12Targum Jon. in loc. .

 

Leviticus 24:11.  11 And the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed; and so they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.)

   YLT  11and 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;

And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed .... As they were striving together or when the trial was over he being cast fell into outrageous blasphemies against God who made such laws for the civil polity of Israel and cursed the judges that had given sentence against him; so the Targum of Jonathan; and so the Jews generally understand by the "name" blasphemed the name Jehovah which he spake out plainly and which they say is ineffable and ought not to be pronounced but by the high priest in the sanctuary; but this man expressed it in its proper sound and made use of it to curse the man that strove with him or the judge that judged him; so it is said in the MisnahF4Sanhedrin c. 7. sect. 5. "a blasphemer is not guilty until he expresses the name;'but it undoubtedly means blaspheming God himself by whatsoever name:

and they brought him unto Moses; having heard his blasphemy to charge him with it before him or in order to have due punishment inflicted on him: as to the matter of contest between him and the Israelite that had been decided in a lesser court of judicature such an one as had been set up by the advice of Jethro; but though there was full proof of his blasphemy and cursing which perhaps were expressed in open court; they might not know what punishment to inflict upon him for so horrid a crime of which perhaps they had never had an instance before and therefore sent him to Moses to whom the hearing and decision of weighty matters belonged; see Exodus 18:22

and his mother's name was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan; which is observed as it should seem to show in what tribe this affair happened and what the quarrel was first about even a place and rank in this tribe.

 

Leviticus 24:12.  12 Then they put him in custody that the mind of the Lord might be shown to them.

   YLT  12and he causeth him to rest in charge -- to explain to them by the mouth of Jehovah.

And they put him in ward .... In some prison a place known in the camp as Aben Ezra observes:

that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them; for though this was a breach of the third command in which God declares he would not hold such an one guiltless Exodus 20:7; yet no particular punishment being expressed it was not a clear case whether the Lord would punish for it himself by an immediate stroke of his hand or whether by the civil magistrate; and if by the latter in what manner; for though it might be concluded without any hesitation that he was worthy of death since cursing father or mother was death Exodus 21:17; and much more blaspheming God yet what death to put him to they might be at a loss about; or if that was understood of stoning they might think this deserved a sorer punishment and therefore consulted God about it.

 

Leviticus 24:13.  13 And the Lord spoke to Moses saying

   YLT  13And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses saying

And the Lord spake unto Moses .... From off the mercy seat in the holy of holies where he had promised to meet him and commune with him about anything he should inquire of him as he did at this time:

saying; as follows.

 

Leviticus 24:14.  14 “Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head and let all the congregation stone him.

   YLT  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.

Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp .... To show that he had no part nor lot in Israel and that he was unworthy to be a member of their civil community or of their church state; and besides the place of stoning or where malefactors suffered any kind of death was without the camp as afterwards without the city see Hebrews 13:12

let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head; the Targum of Jonathan adds "and the judges;'so Jarchi remarks that they that "heard him" are the witnesses and the word "all" comprehends the judges: Maimonides saysF5Hilchot Obede Cochabim c. 2. sect. 10. the same and observes that hands were laid on no malefactor but the blasphemer; and this was done to show that the one had bore a faithful testimony and the other had pronounced a righteous sentence on him; and that he had brought this guilt and punishment upon himself by his sin; wherefore it was usual for them to say as the same writers observe "thy blood be upon thine own head and we not punished for thy death which thou hast been the cause of to thyself:"

and let all the congregation stone him; which Aben Ezra interprets of the great men of Israel; nor can it be thought that every individual of the people could cast a stone at him but it was to be done by some of them in the presence of them all or as many as could conveniently get together to behold it; and this was done to show their detestation of the sin and to deter from the commission of it: it was the same kind of punishment that was ordered to be inflicted on him that cursed his father or mother Leviticus 20:9; God the God of mercy requiring no sorer punishment though it deterred a greater for such a sin against himself than against a common parent.

 

Leviticus 24:15.  15 “Then you shall speak to the children of Israel saying: ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.

   YLT  15`And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak saying When any man revileth his God -- then he hath borne his sin;

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel .... On this occasion and gave them some laws and rules concerning the above affair and other things:

saying whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin; which some understand of anyone of another nation that cursed the God he used to serve in his own country; but it can hardly be thought that a law should be made by the one only living and true God to preserve the honour and credit of false gods when he is so jealous of his own glory; and those are spoken of in Scripture with the greatest contempt as dunghill deities and are actually cursed Jeremiah 10:11; but they are rather to be interpreted of judges and all civil magistrates who as Aben Ezra observes are sometimes called Elohim or gods Psalm 82:1; and the rather as it is probable this man had cursed his judges and so this is a distinct sin from what follows; and not only the manner of expressing it but the punishment of it seem to be different; for the phrase "to bear his sin" is used where the punishment is not expressly declared and is by Jarchi and others interpreted of cutting off from his people but in what way is not certain; whereas the punishment of a blasphemer of God is before and after clearly expressed; see Leviticus 20:19.

 

Leviticus 24:16.  16 And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord he shall be put to death.

   YLT  16and 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.

And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord .... Or "but he that blasphemeth" &c. from whence the Jews gather that the name Jehovah must be expressed or it is no blasphemy; so Jarchi; but it is not bare using or expressing the word Jehovah that is blasphemy but speaking ill and contemptuously of God with respect to any of his names titles and epithets or of any of his perfections ways and works:

he shall surely be put to death; no mercy shall be shown him no reprieve or pardon granted him: hence it is saidF6R. Alphes par. 1. Yoma c. 1. fol. 261. 1. there is no atonement for it by repentance or chastisements or the day of atonement: so blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is not forgiven neither in this world nor in that which is to come Matthew 12:31

and all the congregation shall certainly stone him; shall have no pity on him nor spare him but stone him till he dies:

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; even a proselyte of the gate a Gentile that sojourned among them uncircumcised and did not profess the Jewish religion as well as a proselyte of righteousness and an Israelite born; yet if he blasphemed the God of Israel was to lose his life without any mercy shown him.

 

Leviticus 24:17.  17 ‘Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death.

   YLT  17`And when a man smiteth any soul of man he is certainly put to death.

And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. With the sword as the Targum of Jonathan adds; which restrains it to any man of the children of Israel but wrongly; for the original law respects any man whatever Genesis 9:6; and so it does here; See Gill on Exodus 21:12.

 

Leviticus 24:18.  18 Whoever kills an animal shall make it good animal for animal.

   YLT  18`And he who smiteth a beast repayeth it body for body.

And he that killeth a beast shall make it good .... Pay for it give the value of it or another as good as that instead of it as follows:

beast for beast; or "soul for soul"; life for life that is a living one for that the life of which is taken away and one every way as good as that.

 

Leviticus 24:19.  19 ‘If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor as he has done so shall it be done to him—

   YLT  19`And when a man putteth a blemish in his fellow as he hath done so it is done to him;

And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour .... Does him any hurt or mischief causes any mutilation or deformity in him by striking him:

as he hath done so shall it be done unto him: not that a like damage or hurt should be done to him but that he should make satisfaction for it in a pecuniary way; pay for the cure of him and for loss of time and in consideration of the pain he has endured and the shame or disgrace brought on him by the deformity or mutilation or for whatever loss he may sustain thereby; See Gill on Exodus 21:18 and See Gill on Exodus 21:19.

 

Leviticus 24:20.  20 fracture for fracture eye for eye tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man so shall it be done to him.

   YLT  20breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth; as he putteth a blemish in a man so it is done in him.

Breach for breach eye for eye tooth for tooth .... Which is not to be taken strictly or literally but for the price or value of those which is to be given in a pecuniary way; See Gill on Exodus 21:24 Exodus 21:25

as he hath caused a blemish in a man shall it be done to him; unless he gives satisfaction and pays a valuable consideration for it.

 

Leviticus 24:21.  21 And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death.

   YLT  21`And he who smiteth a beast repayeth it and he who smiteth [the life of] man is put to death;

And he that killeth a beast he shall restore it .... The same as in Leviticus 24:18 which is repeated for the confirmation of it and that it might be observed though Jarchi takes it to be a different law; before he says it speaks of him that kills a beast here of him that makes any wound or bruise in it which he must make good; and it must be allowed that the manner of expression is different; there it is he that smites the soul of a beast so that it dies here only he that smites a beast though it dies not yet having some damage done it satisfaction must be made:

and he that killeth a man he shall be put to death; or he that smites a man though he does not kill him as Jarchi observes only makes a wound or bruise in him because it is not said the soul of a man as before; but such damages did not require death but satisfaction in another way as in Leviticus 24:19.

 

Leviticus 24:22.  22 You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the Lord your God.’”

   YLT  22one judgment is to you; as a sojourner so is a native; for I [am] Jehovah your God.'

Ye shall have one manner of law .... Respecting the above things blaspheming of the name of God taking away the life of man or of any beast and of doing damage to either:

as well for the stranger as for one of your own country; the above laws were binding upon proselytes as well as Israelites and proselytes of the gate as well as proselytes of righteousness though the Jews commonly restrain it to the latter:

for I am the Lord your God; whose name is holy and reverend and ought not to be blasphemed; and who is the Maker and preserver of man and beast and made these laws respecting them and expected they should be obeyed especially by the children of Israel whose covenant God and Father he was and they under the greatest obligation to serve and obey him.

 

Leviticus 24:23.  23 Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.

   YLT  23And 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.

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel .... As the Lord had commanded him:

that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp and stone him with stones; which were the instructions God had given to Moses upon inquiring his mind and will about this matter:

and the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses; they took the blasphemer and led him out of the camp put their hands on him and stoned him with stones till he died.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible