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Leviticus 24:10-16

The Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-16

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

The crime of blasphemy.

cf. ; , . The sanctity of the Name of God is distinctly declared in the third commandment. There the Lord declared that he would not hold the blasphemer "guiltless." But it was not till the incident now before us that God showed his sense of the enormity of the crime. He here puts it into the category of capital crimes, and decrees the death of every blasphemer, whether he be a stranger or one born in the land.

Now, when we inquire, we find that he calls it "this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD" (). So glorious is it that inanimate things, when his Name is put upon them, cannot be desecrated with impunity. Thus his tabernacle could not be treated even by a king according to his capricious pleasure, but Uzziah, for presuming to burn incense within it, is doomed to leprosy and exile all his life (). Belshazzar too paid the penalty of his life for desecrating the vessels belonging to the tabernacle (, ).

The case before us was one of pure blasphemy. This reckless youth, the son of an Egyptian father, had blasphemed "the Name," and for this he was stoned to death after those who heard the blasphemy had laid their hands on his head.

I. LET US START WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH THAT THE NAME OF GOD IS THE REVELATION OF HIS CHARACTER IN WORD. Hence to take up the Name of God lightly is to treat his character lightly. It is, in fact, to despise the Person, and is nothing less than treason against the Supreme King. The individual who blasphemes "the Name" would take up arms against the Person, and so must be treated as a rebel. When, therefore, we bear in mind that God makes known his Name that men may trust in him (cf. ), the blaspheming of his holy Name is really the rejection of his appeal for trust, the rejection of his merciful manifestation, and deserves the penalty attached to it.

II. MAN'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD'S NAME DETERMINES HIS CHARACTER. In other words, the Name of God is the touchstone of human character. The person who curseth the holy Name, as this reckless youth did, is thereby judged. He has voluntarily set himself against the Almighty, he has become a rebel not in heart only but openly, and if the Most High is to exercise his authority, the blasphemer should die. It is, moreover, a mistake to imagine, because sentence is not now executed so speedily against blasphemers, that their awful sin has become less heinous in the lapse of ages. The shortsighted individual who defies the Almighty will find eventually how hard are the bosses of his buckler.

III. THE PENALTY ATTACHED TO BLASPHEMY IS TO BE ACQUIESCED IN BY THE PEOPLE OF THE LOUD. The whole congregation in this case is called upon to repudiate the awful crime. Those who heard it are required to lay their hands on the blasphemer's head, to indicate that the guilt must be his own. They will not share it, and then the whole congregation are to be the executioners of the Divine decree. Now we are bound to entertain a similar and holy abhorrence of such a crime. We are most assuredly sinking in character if, through association with careless men, we come to regard blasphemy when indulged in as a light thing. The truth is, if we are making spiritual progress, we shall be advancing in the fear of his Name. Greater awe, not greater familiarity, will characterize us, until at length we shall see it to be just and right, if treason towards mere potentates on earth is regarded as a capital offense, much more ought treason against "the blessed and only Potentate" to be visited with death.

IV. LET US IN CONSEQUENCE ALL BOW AT THE NAME OF JESUS. To him hath the Father given a Name that is above every name, that at it every knee should bow (, ). Submitting reverently to him, we shall find in his Name that marvelous significance which was heralded before his birth (). As our Saviour from sin, he will show us how reasonable is the exhortation, "Let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity" (). Baptized in his Name, as well as in the Name of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, we shall look to him for the fulfillment of the covenant promise therein implied. £ Under the shadow of the Name and in the light of the face of God revealed in Jesus Christ, we shall be enabled to pass on reverently and peacefully towards our everlasting rest.—R.M.E.

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Matthew Henry on Leviticus 24:10-23Leviticus 24:10-23 · Matthew Henry Concise CommentaryThis offender was the son of an Egyptian father, and an Israelitish mother. The notice of his parents shows the common ill effect of mixed marriages. A standing law for the stoning of blasphemers was made upon this occa…The Blasphemy of Shelomith's Son; The Punishment of Shelomith's Son. (b. c. 1490.)Leviticus 24:10-23 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleTHE BLASPHEMY OF SHELOMITH'S SON; THE PUNISHMENT OF SHELOMITH'S SON. (B. C. 1490.) Evil manners, we say, beget good laws. We have here an account of the evil manners of a certain nameless mongrel Israelite, and the good…The Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-23Leviticus 24:10-23 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION The reason why the narrative of the blasphemer's death (Leviticus 24:10-23) is introduced in its present connection, is simply that it took place at the point of time which followed the promulgation of the la…The Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10Leviticus 24:10 · The Pulpit CommentaryThe son of an Israelitish woman. This is the only place where the adjective Israelitish is found; and the word "Israelite" only occurs in 2 Samuel 17:25. Whose father was an Egyptian. The man could not, therefore, be a…The Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-23Leviticus 24:10-23 · The Pulpit CommentaryShelomith's son. Here a narrative is introduced into the midst of a code of laws; but this is done as a preamble to enactments of whose publication the case was the occasion. We notice— I. THE CRIME OF THIS SON OF SHELO…The Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-12Leviticus 24:10-12 · The Pulpit CommentaryA blasphemer punished. An incident is here inserted that explains part of the Law by pointing to its origin. It is a practical illustration that throws lurid light upon the possibility and consequences of transgression.…
commentaryMatthew Henry on Leviticus 24:10-23This offender was the son of an Egyptian father, and an Israelitish mother. The notice of his parents shows the common ill effect of mixed marriages. A standing law for the stoning of blasphemers was made upon this occa…Matthew HenrycommentaryThe Blasphemy of Shelomith's Son; The Punishment of Shelomith's Son. (b. c. 1490.)THE BLASPHEMY OF SHELOMITH'S SON; THE PUNISHMENT OF SHELOMITH'S SON. (B. C. 1490.) Evil manners, we say, beget good laws. We have here an account of the evil manners of a certain nameless mongrel Israelite, and the good…Matthew HenrycommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-23EXPOSITION The reason why the narrative of the blasphemer's death (Leviticus 24:10-23) is introduced in its present connection, is simply that it took place at the point of time which followed the promulgation of the la…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-12A blasphemer punished. An incident is here inserted that explains part of the Law by pointing to its origin. It is a practical illustration that throws lurid light upon the possibility and consequences of transgression.…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-23The law of death. Blasphemy, murder, willful injury, whether by Israelite or stranger, judged and punished on the principle of compensation without mercy (cf. Isaiah 12:1-6; Romans 11:1-36). I. Here is the evil of a fal…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10-23Shelomith's son. Here a narrative is introduced into the midst of a code of laws; but this is done as a preamble to enactments of whose publication the case was the occasion. We notice— I. THE CRIME OF THIS SON OF SHELO…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:10The son of an Israelitish woman. This is the only place where the adjective Israelitish is found; and the word "Israelite" only occurs in 2 Samuel 17:25. Whose father was an Egyptian. The man could not, therefore, be a…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Leviticus 24:11In the course of the straggle the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. The word nakav is here rightly translated blasphemeth (cf. Leviticus 24:14, Leviticus 24:16, Leviticus 24:23), but t…Joseph S. Exell and contributors