Bible Commentaries

Leviticus 24:2 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

Ver. 2. Beaten for the light.] Ministers must beat their brains, and bend their utmost endeavours to "give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide their feet into the way of peace": as that "burning and shining light," the Baptist, did. [Luke 1:79]

Leviticus 24:3 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.

Ver. 3. From the evening unto the morning.] In the morning it went out. [1 Samuel 3:3]

Leviticus 24:4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

Ver. 4. Upon the pure candlestick.] Pure, because daily purified by the priests: so must our consciences be from dead works by daily repentance.

Leviticus 24:5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.

Ver. 5. Twelve cakes.] {See Trapp on "Matthew 12:4"}

Leviticus 24:6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.

Ver. 6. Six on a row.] One by another, not one upon another, as they are commonly painted.

Leviticus 24:7 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.

Ver. 7. On the bread.] Or, Instead of the bread.

Leviticus 24:8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

Ver. 8. Every Sabbath.] So must the bread of life be every Sabbath at least set before the saints.

Leviticus 24:9 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.

Ver. 9. Made by fire.] The frankincense laid upon them, was.

Leviticus 24:10 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;

Ver. 10. Whose father was an Egyptian.] His mother taught him to speak, his father to blaspheme.

Strove together.] In the beat of contention, what will not men say or do?

“ … qui non moderabitur irae,

Indictum velit esse, dolor quod suaserit, et mens. ”

Leviticus 24:11 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:)

Ver. 11. Blasphemed the name, &c.] Heb., Bored it through; gored it; pierced it; as did those Syrians, slain by the fall of the wall of Aphek; Rabshakeh that dead dog; [Isaiah 36:4-6] Julian the apostate, Chosroes the Persian, the raging Turk at the siege of Scodra; ^(a) that foul mouthed Papist that dared say, The God of the Protestants is worse than Pan, god of clowns, which can endure no ceremonies nor good manners at all. ^(b) To these add Paul Best, who hath lately published blasphemous verses against the Trinity. See the "London Ministers’ Testimonial to the Truth of Jesus Christ."

Leviticus 24:12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.

Ver. 12. That the mind.] God had not yet made a particular law against blasphemy. Solon made no law against parricide, Lycurgus none against ingratitude; because they thought no such offence would be committed.

Leviticus 24:14 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.

Ver. 14. And let all that heard him.] The Jews at this day abhor the blasphemies of Christians, so openly and ordinarily darted up with hellish mouths against God. The Turks punish their prisoners sorely, when as, through impatience or desperateness, they break out into them. ^(a)

Leviticus 24:15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

Ver. 15. Curseth his God.] This is worse than blaspheming, as implying a deep and desperate malignity. There is a negative cursing of God, concerning which see Job 1:5. {See Trap on "Job 1:5"}

Leviticus 24:16 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.

Ver. 16. And he that blasphemeth.] Swearers and blasphemers toss God’s name to and fro with such impiety and profaneness, as if their speech could have no grace but in his disgrace: as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with some god Neptune; or the three sons trying their archery at their father’s heart, to see who can shoot nearest. ^(a)

Shall surely be put to death.] Though he be never so much provoked by others, as this blasphemer was; that shall no whit excuse him.

Leviticus 24:17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

Ver. 17. And he that killeth any man.] Though in hot blood; Scripture makes no difference between murder and man slaughter. {See Trapp on "Genesis 9:6"}

Leviticus 24:19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;

Ver. 19. As he hath done.] God loves to retaliate; it is his usual manner of proceeding in punishing.