BOOK 3 OF 66 · LAW · KING JAMES BIBLE

Leviticus 24

Leviticus book home•Chapter 24 of 27•23 verses

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Leviticus 24 Overview

Leviticus 24 first regulates the continual lamp and weekly showbread before the LORD. The narrative then shifts to a man whose Israelite mother and Egyptian father are identified; during a fight he blasphemes the name of the LORD. After Moses seeks God’s judgment, the man is put to death by the congregation. The chapter also states principles of proportional civil justice for killing, injury, and property loss and insists on one manner of law for stranger and Israelite.

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Before you read Leviticus 24

Coming from

Leviticus 23 organized Israel’s sacred calendar.

In this chapter

The chapter combines continual sanctuary service with a legal case involving blasphemy and proportional justice.

Leads into

Leviticus 25 introduces the sabbatical year, the jubilee, redemption of land, care for poor Israelites, and restrictions on permanent servitude.

Key understanding

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

The lamp is to be maintained continually before the LORD.

Truth 2

The twelve loaves represent an ongoing ordered element of sanctuary worship.

Truth 3

Blaspheming the LORD’s name is treated as a grave covenant offense.

Truth 4

Moses does not invent the penalty but waits for the LORD’s judgment.

Truth 5

Civil justice is proportional and the same legal standard applies to native and stranger.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Exodus 25 gave the original commands for the lampstand and showbread.

Connection 2

Exodus 20 prohibited taking the LORD’s name in vain.

Connection 3

Deuteronomy 19 explains “eye for eye” as a judicial proportionality principle in legal proceedings.

Connection 4

Matthew 5 addresses personal retaliation and should not be confused with abolishing lawful judicial proportionality.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The death penalty is part of Israel’s covenant civil law and is not authority for churches or private individuals to execute blasphemers.

Keep this clear 2

“Eye for eye” limits punishment to proportional justice; it is not permission for personal vengeance.

Keep this clear 3

The equal-law statement does not erase every covenant distinction but forbids unequal justice based on native or stranger status.

Keep this clear 4

The blasphemy narrative emphasizes reverence for God’s name without authorizing coercive violence by Christians.

Read Leviticus 24 watching for…

The continual lamp.

The twelve loaves of showbread.

Moses waiting for the LORD’s judgment.

The blasphemy case.

The principle of proportionate and equal justice.

Chapter outline5 sections

1-4Pure oil for the lamps 5-9The shewbread before the LORD 10-16A blasphemer is judged 17-22Equal judgment for murder, injury, and loss 23The blasphemer is put to death

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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;

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:)

And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

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.

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

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.

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

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

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

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.

And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

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.

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.

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Leviticus 24:11

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