Leviticus 24:23

24:10-23 This offender was the son of an Egyptian father, and an Israelitish mother. The notice of his parents shows the common ill effect of mixed marriages. A standing law for the stoning of blasphemers was made upon this occasion. Great stress is laid upon this law. It extends to the strangers among them, as well as to those born in the land. Strangers, as well as native Israelites, should be entitled to the benefit of the law, so as not to suffer wrong; and should be liable to the penalty of this law, in case they did wrong. If those who profane the name of God escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. What enmity against God must be in the heart of man, when blasphemies against God proceed out of his mouth. If he that despised Moses' law, died without mercy, of what punishment will they be worthy, who despise and abuse the gospel of the Son of God! Let us watch against anger, do no evil, avoid all connexions with wicked people, and reverence that holy name which sinners blaspheme.

And Moses spake unto the children of Israel,.... As the Lord had commanded him: that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones; which were the instructions God had given to Moses upon inquiring his mind and will about this matter: and the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses; they took the blasphemer, and led him out of the camp, put their hands on him, and stoned him with stones till he died.

Verse 23. - The penalty is inflicted on the offender solemnly as an act of the Law, not of mob fury. So it was by a judicial or semi-judicial proceeding that St. Stephen was stoned: "They brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the Law" ( Acts 6:12, 13 ). And in spite of the violence exhibited, there was still some form of law, according to Jewish practice, observed in his stoning ( Acts 7:58 ). In the case of our Lord, on the other hand. when they regarded him as guilty of blasphemy on his saying, "Before Abraham was, I am" ( John 8:58 ), and "I and my Father are one" ( John 10:30 ), the Jews "took up stones to cast at him," not waiting for a judicial condemnation, but, as they supposed, taking the law into their own hands. Had his death been by Jewish hands, it would at the last have been by stoning under this law. But the power of life and death had been taken away from the Jews by the Romans, "that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die" ( John 18:32 ). Leviticus 24:23

And {h} 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. (h) Because the punishment was not yet appointed by the law for the blasphemer, Moses consulted with the Lord, and told the people what God commanded.

23. the children of Israel did as the Lord's commanded—The chapter closes with the execution of Shelomith's son [Le 24:14]—and stoning having afterwards become the established punishment in all cases of blasphemy, it illustrates the fate of Stephen, who suffered under a false imputation of that crime [Ac 7:58, 59].

16 . On the first and seventh day there was also to be a ‘holy convocation,’ i.e. an assembly at the sanctuary for religious purposes. The expression occurs besides only in the two calendars of P, Leviticus 23:2-4 ; Leviticus 23:7-8 ; Leviticus 23:21 ; Leviticus 23:24 ; Leviticus 23:27 ; Leviticus 23:35-37 , Numbers 28:18 ; Numbers 28:25-26 ; Numbers 29:1 ; Numbers 29:7 ; Numbers 29:12 ; and, without ‘holy,’ Isaiah 1:13 ; Isaiah 4:5 (EVV., each time, ‘assemblies’). The assembly was ‘called’ together by silver trumpets (see Numbers 10:2 [where ‘calling’ is in the Heb. the same as ‘convocation’ here], Numbers 10:3; Num 10:7 , cf. Numbers 10:10 ): Kalisch reminds us how in Mohammedan countries festivals are announced by heralds from conspicuous places, especially the towers of mosques. save that which , &c.] The prohibition of work was thus not as strict as for the sabbath ( Exodus 16:23 , Exodus 35:3 ), or the day of atonement ( Leviticus 23:28 ). Cf. Leviticus 23:7-8 .

The sacrifices for the ‘new moons’ are described in Numbers 28:11-15 . the set feasts ]—see Leviticus 23:2-37 , ‘The set feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations’ (R.V.),—i.e. (1) the Sabbath ( Leviticus 23:3 ), (2) the Passover ( Leviticus 23:5 ), (3) the Feast of Weeks ( Leviticus 23:15-21 ), (4) the Feast of Trumpets ( Leviticus 23:24 ), (5) the Day of Atonement ( Leviticus 23:27-32 ), (6) the Feast of Tabernacles ( Leviticus 23:34-36 ). In 2 Chronicles 8:13 , ‘the set feasts’ are the three great annual festivals, ‘unleavened bread’, ‘weeks’, ‘tabernacles’, and these are probably intended here. The ‘new moons’ and the ‘set feasts’ are found along with ‘the Sabbaths’ in 1 Chronicles 23:31 ; 2 Chronicles 2:4 ; 2 Chronicles 8:13 ; 2 Chronicles 31:3 ; Nehemiah 10:33 . a freewill offering ] Freewill offerings were made (1) on the great feast-days, see Deuteronomy 16:10 ; Deuteronomy 16:16-17 ; and (2) whensoever any individual Israelite or Gentile desired ( Numbers 29:39 ). They are called ‘oblations’ (Corbans) in Leviticus 1, 2, 3, where they are defined in detail.