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Leviticus
Chapter Twenty-four
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》