Leviticus

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Leviticus 24 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Leviticus 24 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment


1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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;

(24:10-23) "He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him."
Whoever curses or blasphemes must be stoned to death.
A man curses and blasphemes while disputing with another man. Moses asks God what to do about it. God says that the whole community must stone him to death. "And the children of Israel did as the Lord and Moses commanded."
God's 15th Killing
Does God approve of capital punishemnt?
What the Bible says about blasphemy, stoning, and capital punishment
All sin deserves the punishment of death. God will require that payment from everyone. But God is also merciful, so that punishment is not immediately required: there is a time of mercy. But some sins are so public and so heinous that they require an immediate response. So in this case. This man had been present at Sinai where God had proclaimed the Ten Commandments including that His name was not to be blasphemed. But this man did it anyway.
On if God approves of capital punishment: yes, God even has commanded it to all governments in certain cases, see Gen. 9:6.

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 of the LORD 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 him.

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 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.

The Blasphemer
William Blake (ca 1800)

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

(24:17, 21) "He that killeth any man shall surely be put to death."
This is in accordance with Gen. 9:6. Does the author of the SAB really find it unjust to punish murders?

18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.

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


(24:19) "If a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him."
What does the author of the SAB think should be done to him that for example cuts of someones ear?

20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.


(24:20) "Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again."
This has nothing to do with cruelty: it simply requests that payment for crime should be in kind: if you steal, your hand should not be cut off, but you should repay. If you damage someones eye, you should not be killed for that. I.e. the punishment should fit the crime.

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.

(24:23) "Bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones."
Moses orders the people to stone to death a man who cursed. "And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses."