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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Leviticus 24:10-23

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 laws occasioned thereby. I. The offender was the son of an Egyptian father and an Israelitish mother (Lev. 24:10); his mother was of the tribe of Dan, Lev. 24:11. Neither he nor his father is named, but his mother only, who was an Israelite. This notice is taken of his parentage either, 1. To intimate what occasioned the quarrel he was engaged in. The Jews... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Leviticus 24:14

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Leviticus 24:14

Lay their hands upon his head - It was by this ceremony that the people who heard him curse bore their public testimony in order to his being fully convicted, for without this his punishment would not have been lawful. By this ceremony also they in effect said to the man, Thy blood be upon thy own head. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 24:10-16

The crime of blasphemy. cf. 2 Chronicles 26:10-23 ; Daniel 5:1-4 , Daniel 5:30 . 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. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 24:10-23

Shelomith'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 SHELOMITH . 1 . It was blaspheming the God of Israel. 2 . Strife was its occasion. 3 . Race was the origin of the strife. II. THE IMPEACHMENT OF THE BLASPHEMER . 1 . His witnesses arrested him. 2 . They kept him in ward... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 24:10-23

A suggestive episode. We have an affecting illustration in these verses of the truth that "The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient,… for unholy and profane" ( 1 Timothy 1:9 ). The announcement of the Law is broken by the account of this transgression, and the transgression itself gives occasion for the enactment of other statutes ( Leviticus 24:15-22 ). The story and the statutes suggest— I. WHAT LASTING EVIL MAY ACCRUE FROM AN ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 24:10-23

The 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 fallen nature and an apostate people set forth (see Romans 1:1-32 , Romans 2:1-29 ). "All have sinned." Israel itself is defiled. II. The contrast suggested between the law of death and the law of life (cf. Sermon on the Mount and Romans 7:1-25 , Romans... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Leviticus 24:13-14

Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; —lest the camp should become polluted by his death— and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head. The ceremony of laying on of hands in all cases set apart the person or thing on whom or on which they were laid for some special purpose. Its further signification was determined by the particular circumstances of the case. Here it probably returned back on the head of the blasphemer the guilt which otherwise would have adhered to... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Leviticus 24:14

Lay their hands upon his head - As a protest against the impiety of the criminal, symbolically laying the guilt upon his head. Compare the washing of hands, Deuteronomy 21:6; Matthew 27:24.Let all the congregation stone him - See Leviticus 20:2 note. read more

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