View Leviticus 24 in the note window.
Laws concerning the lamps, ver. 1 - 4.
The shew - bread, ver. 5 - 9.
Blasphemy occasioned by that of Shelomith's son, ver. 10 - 16.
The law of retaliation, ver. 17 - 22.
The blasphemer stoned, ver. 23.
2: To cause the lamps to burn - Heb. the lamp: yet(Le 24:4),
it is the lamps: The seven lamps made all one lamp. In allusion to
which, the Blessed Spirit is represented, (Re 4:5),
by seven lamps of fire before the throne. For there are diversities
of gifts, but one spirit.
3: Aaron - Either by himself, or by his sons, (Ex 25:37).
4: The pure candlestick - So called, partly because it was made of
pure gold, partly because it was to be always kept clean.
5: Thou - By the priests or Levites, whose work it was to prepare
them, (1Ch 9:32).
Twelve cakes - Representing the twelve tribes.
6: Two rows - Not one above another, but one beside another, as the
frankincense put upon each, (Le 24:7), shews.
7: Pure frankincense - Unmixed and uncorrupted, or of the best sort,
to be burnt before the Lord. On the bread - And this was done every time
that the bread was changed. For a memorial - For that part which properly
belonged to God, whereas the rest belonged to the priests.
8: From the children of Israel - And these cakes are said to be
received from or offered by the children of Israel, bought with the
money which they contributed. By an everlasting covenant - By virtue of
that compact made between me and them, by which they were obliged to keep
this amongst other commands, and, they so doing, I am obliged to be their
God and to bless them. And this may be here called an everlasting
covenant, not only because it was to endure as long as the Jewish
polity stood, but also because this was to stand everlastingly, or
continually, and therefore the new cakes were first brought before the old
were taken away.
9: It - The old bread now to be taken away. Made by fire - The
incense was offered by fire, and that for or instead of the bread, and
therefore the bread was reputed as if it had been so offered.
10: Whose father was an Egyptian - This circumstance seems noted,
partly to shew the danger of marriages with persons of wicked principles,
and partly by this severity against him who was a stranger by the father,
and an Israelite by the mother, to shew that God would not have this
sin go unpunished amongst his people, what - soever he was that committed it.
Went out - Out of Egypt, being one of that mixed multitude, which came out
with the Israelites, (Ex 12:32). It is probable, this was done
when the Israelites were near Sinai.
11: The name of the Lord - The words of the Lord, or of
Jehovah, are supplied out of (Le 24:16), where they are expressed;
here they are omitted perhaps for the aggravation of his crime. He
blasphemed the name so called by way of eminency; that name which is
above every name; that name which a man should in some sort tremble to
mention; which is not to be named without cause or without reverence.
And cursed - Not the Israelite only, but his God also, as appears from(Le 24:15,16).
And they brought him - Either the people who heard him, or the inferior
magistrate, to whom he was first brought.
12: That the mind of the Lord might be shewed - For God had only said
in general, that he would not hold such guiltless, that is, he would
punish them, but had not declared how he would have them punished by men.
14: Lay their hands upon his head - Whereby they gave public
testimony that they heard this person speak such words, and did in their
own and all the peoples names, demand justice to be executed upon him, that
by this sacrifice God might be appeased, and his judgments turned away from
the people, upon whom they would certainly fall if he were unpunished.
Stone him - The same punishment which was before appointed for those who
cursed their parents.
15: Whosoever curseth his God - Speaketh of him reproachfully.
Shall bear his sin - That is, the punishment of it; shall not go
unpunished.
16: He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord - This is a repetition
of the same sin in other words, which is common. As this law is laid down
in general terms, (Le 24:15), so both the sin and the punishment are
particularly expressed, (Le 24:16).
All the congregation - To shew their zeal for God, and to beget in them
the greater dread and abhorrence of blasphemy.
17: He that killeth - This law is repeated here, to prevent the
mischievous effects of men's striving together, which as here it caused
blasphemy, so it might in others lead to murder.
22: One law - That is, in matters of common right, but not as to
church privileges.
23: Stone him with stones - This blasphemer was the first that died
by the law of Moses. Stephen the first that died for the gospel,
died by the abuse of the law. The martyr and the malefactor suffered the
same death; but how vast the difference between them.
