Leviticus 24:10-23

Leviticus 24:10-23

[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;  [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:)  [12] And they put  him in ward,  that the mind  might be shewed  them. [13] And the LORD  spake  unto Moses,  saying,  [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  [15] And thou shalt speak  unto the children  of Israel,  saying,  Whosoever  curseth  his God  shall bear  his sin.  [16] And he that blasphemeth  the name  of the LORD,  he shall surely  and all the congregation  shall certainly  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.  [17] And he  that killeth  any  man  shall surely  [18] And he that killeth  a beast  shall make it good;  beast  [19] And if a man  cause  a blemish  in his neighbour;  as he hath done,  to him; [20] Breach  eye  tooth  as he hath caused  a blemish  in a man,  so shall it be done  to him again. [21] And he that killeth  a beast,  he shall restore  it: and he that killeth  a man,  he shall be put to death.  [22] Ye 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.  [23] And 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. 

What does Leviticus 24:10-23 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This is another narrative section of Leviticus (cf. chs8-10). Its position in the book must mean that it took place after God had given Moses the instructions about the holy lamps and showbread ( Leviticus 24:1-9). This fact underlines that Leviticus is essentially a narrative work. God gave the legal information at specific times and places to meet particular situations in Israel"s life. [1] This is how case law developed in Israel.
God evidently preserved the record of this significant incident in Scripture not just because it took place at the time God was revealing these standards of sanctification. It illustrates how God regarded those who despised the very standards He was giving. This event was a warning to the people concerning the seriousness of sanctification just as the death of Nadab and Abihu (ch10) was a similar warning to the priests.
The "Name" referred to ( Leviticus 24:11; Leviticus 24:16) was Yahweh, the name by which God manifested His nature to His people. The man"s blasphemy consisted of his cursing Yahweh ( Leviticus 24:11), cursing Yahweh in the name of Yahweh, [2] or using Yahweh"s name in a curse. [3] Maybe since his father was an Egyptian ( Leviticus 24:10) he did not have the proper respect for Yahweh and did not sanctify Him in thought and speech as God required.
The Jews interpreted this blasphemy as a flippant use of the name Yahweh. The desire to avoid using the name of Yahweh in vain led them to omit the name "Yahweh" from their vocabulary completely. They substituted "the Name" in its place in conversation and in composition. [4]
When the witnesses placed their hands on the head of the offender ( Leviticus 24:14) they symbolized the transference of the blasphemer"s curse, which had entered their ears, back onto the blasphemer"s head.
"The emphasis of the narrative is that the "whole congregation" was responsible for stoning the blasphemer ( Leviticus 24:14). This may be the reason why there is a reminder of the penalty for murder (lex talionis) just at this point in the narrative. The narrative thus sets up a contrast between the whole congregation"s acting to take the life of a blasphemer and a single individual"s (acting as an individual) taking "the life of a human being" ( Leviticus 24:17). Thus the writer has made an important distinction between capital punishment and murder. Capital punishment was an act of the whole community, whereas murder was an individual act." [5]
The legal principle of limiting retaliation to retribution in kind (an eye for an eye, Leviticus 24:19-21, the lex talionis, or law of retaliation, Lat. law of the talon, claw) is another evidence of God"s grace. In contemporary ancient Near Eastern culture, people commonly took excessive revenge (e.g, Genesis 4:23). A person who took another person"s eye, for example, usually suffered death. In the Mosaic Law, God limited the amount of retaliation that His people could take.
"The "eye for an eye" legal policy ... is paralleled in the Code of Hammurabi [6], but there it operated only in the same social class. For a slave to put out a noble"s eye meant death. For a noble to put out a slave"s eye involved [7] a fine. In Israel its basic purpose was to uphold equal justice for all and a punishment that would fit the crime. The Song of Solomon -called law of retaliation was intended to curb excessive revenge due to passion and to serve as a block against terror tactics." [8]
"In the code of Hammurabi, property was often considered more important than person; property offenses such as theft were capital crimes. In Israelite law, sins against the family and religion were most serious." [9]
"Retribution is a principal goal of the penal system in the Bible.
"It seems likely that this phrase eye for eye, etc. was just a formula. In most cases in Israel it was not applied literally. It meant that compensation appropriate to the loss incurred must be paid out." [10]
Christians should not live on a Titus -for-tat basis. Rather totally selfless love should mark our interpersonal relationships (cf. Matthew 5:38-42). However in public life punishment should match the crime (cf. Acts 25:11; Romans 13:4; 1 Peter 2:14; 1 Peter 2:20). This is how God will judge humankind ( Luke 12:47-48; 1 Corinthians 3:8).
"The Bible doesn"t present capital punishment as "cure-all" for crime. It presents it as a form of punishment that shows respect for law, for life, and for humans made in the image of God." [11]
"God"s people must sanctify the name of the LORD (i.e, ensure that the LORD"s holy and sovereign character is preserved in the world) because the LORD"s righteousness demands that the blasphemer be judged." [3]