Leviticus 24 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Leviticus

Chapter 24

Lamp, Bread, and Blasphemy Laws

The LORD instructs Moses to command Israel to supply pure beaten olive oil so that Aaron may keep the lamps of the golden lampstand burning continually before the LORD outside the veil of the tabernacle. Moses is also directed to bake twelve loaves of showbread, arrange them in two rows of six on the pure table with pure frankincense, renew them every Sabbath, and reserve them as a most-holy portion for Aaron and his sons to eat in the holy place. The chapter then records a narrative incident in which the mixed-heritage son of Shelomith blasphemes the name of the LORD during a fight in the camp; he is held in custody while Moses inquires of God, who decrees that the blasphemer be stoned outside the camp by the whole congregation. This divine ruling is accompanied by a broader statement of law covering blasphemy, murder, injury to man or beast, and the principle of equal justice—summarized as "eye for eye, tooth for tooth"—applicable alike to native Israelites and resident strangers; Moses carries out the sentence and the congregation stones the man as commanded.

Continual worshipShowbread covenantBlasphemy and divine judgmentLex talionisEqual law for all

¹And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

²Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

³Without the veil 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.

⁴He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

⁵And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

⁶And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.

⁷And 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.

⁸Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

⁹And 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.

¹⁰And 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;

¹¹And 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:)

¹²And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.

¹³And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

¹⁴Bring 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.

¹⁵And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

¹⁶And 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.

¹⁷And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.

¹⁹And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;

²⁰Breach 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.

²¹And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

²²Ye 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.

²³And 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.