INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 24
This chapter treats of the oil for the lamps, and the ordering of
them,
Leviticus 24:1; of the making of the shewbread cakes, and the setting
of them on the table, Leviticus 24:5; and an Israelite having
blasphemed the name of the Lord, and inquiry being made what shou... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... After he had delivered to him the
laws concerning the purity of the priests, and the perfection of the
sacrifices they were to offer, and concerning the feasts the people
were to keep, he spoke to Moses of some other things which concerned
both people and priests:... [ Continue Reading ]
COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... Moses was the chief magistrate
under God, and being clothed with authority from him, had power to
command the children of Israel to do what the Lord required of them:
THAT THEY BRING UNTO THEE PURE OIL OLIVE, BEATEN, FOR THE LIGHT; this
was to be at the public ex... [ Continue Reading ]
WITHOUT THE VAIL OF THE TESTIMONY,.... That is, on the outside of the
vail which divided between the holy and holy of holies, and which was
before the ark in which the testimony or law was:
IN THE TABERNACLE OF THE CONGREGATION; which the apostle calls the
first, namely, the holy place in which the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL ORDER THE LAMPS ON THE PURE CANDLESTICK,.... So called, as
Jarchi suggests, for these two reasons, partly because it was made of
pure gold, and partly because it was to be kept pure and clean, and
free from ashes, by the priest; see Exodus 25:31;
BEFORE THE LORD CONTINUALLY; which both res... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT TAKE FINE FLOUR,.... Of wheat, and the finest of it:
AND BAKE TWELVE CAKES THEREOF; answerable to the twelve tribes, as the
Targum of Jonathan, which were typical of the spiritual Israel of God;
TWO TENTH DEALS SHALL BE IN ONE CAKE; that is, two tenth parts of an
ephah, which were t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT SET THEM IN TWO ROWS,.... The twelve cakes:
SIX ON A ROW; not by the side of each other, but six upon one another:
UPON THE PURE TABLE; the shewbread table, so called because overlaid
with pure gold, and kept clean and bright, Exodus 25:24;
BEFORE THE LORD; for this stood in the ho... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT PUT PURE FRANKINCENSE UPON [EACH] ROW,.... Two cups of
frankincense, in each of which was an handful of it, and which were
set by each row of the cakes, as Jarchi observes:
THAT IT MAY BE ON THE BREAD FOR A MEMORIAL; or "for the bread",
instead of it, for a memorial of it; that being... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY SABBATH HE SHALL SET IT IN ORDER BEFORE THE LORD
CONTINUALLY,.... That is, the priest or priests then ministering, who
should bring new cakes and place them in the above order, having
removed the old ones, which was done in this manner; four priests went
in, two had in their hands the two rows... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE AARON'S AND HIS SONS',.... The twelve cakes of the old
bread, when taken off the shewbread table; these were divided between
the courses of the priests that carried in and brought out; and the
high priest had half from each course, so that the half was for Aaron
or the high priest, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SON OF AN ISRAELITISH WOMAN,.... Whose name, and the name of
his mother, are afterwards given;
WHOSE FATHER [WAS] AN EGYPTIAN; Jarchi says, this is the Egyptian whom
Moses slew, Exodus 2:12; and so others in Abendana:
WENT OUT AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; went out of Egypt with them,
acco... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ISRAELITISH WOMAN'S SON BLASPHEMED THE NAME [OF THE LORD], AND
CURSED,.... As they were striving together, or when the trial was
over, he being cast, fell into outrageous blasphemies against God, who
made such laws for the civil polity of Israel, and cursed the judges
that had given sentence... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY PUT HIM IN WARD,.... In some prison, a place known in the
camp, as Aben Ezra observes:
THAT THE MIND OF THE LORD MIGHT BE SHEWED THEM; for, though this was a
breach of the third command, in which God declares he would not hold
such an one guiltless, Exodus 20:7; yet no particular punishmen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES,.... From off the mercy seat in the holy
of holies, where he had promised to meet him and commune with him
about anything he should inquire of him, as he did at this time:
SAYING; as follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING FORTH HIM THAT HATH CURSED WITHOUT THE CAMP,.... To show that he
had no part nor lot in Israel, and that he was unworthy to be a member
of their civil community, or of their church state; and, besides, the
place of stoning, or where malefactors suffered any kind of death, was
without the camp,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... On this
occasion, and gave them some laws and rules concerning the above
affair, and other things:
SAYING, WHOSOEVER CURSETH HIS GOD SHALL BEAR HIS SIN; which some
understand of anyone of another nation, that cursed the God he used to
serve in h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT BLASPHEMETH THE NAME OF THE LORD,.... Or, "but he that
blasphemeth", c. from whence the Jews gather, that the name Jehovah
must be expressed, or it is no blasphemy so Jarchi; but it is not bare
using or expressing the word Jehovah that is blasphemy, but speaking
ill and contemptuously of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT KILLETH ANY MAN SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. With the
sword, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; which restrains it to any man
of the children of Israel, but wrongly; for the original law respects
any man whatever, Genesis 9:6; and so it does here;
Exodus 21:12.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT KILLETH A BEAST SHALL MAKE IT GOOD,.... Pay for it, give
the value of it, or another as good as that instead of it, as follows:
BEAST FOR BEAST; or "soul for soul"; life for life, that is, a living
one for that the life of which is taken away, and one every way as
good as that.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IF A MAN CAUSE A BLEMISH IN HIS NEIGHBOUR,.... Does him any hurt
or mischief, causes any mutilation or deformity in him by striking
him:
AS HE HATH DONE, SO SHALL IT BE DONE UNTO HIM: not that a like damage
or hurt should be done to him, but that he should make satisfaction
for it in a pecuniar... [ Continue Reading ]
BREACH FOR BREACH, EYE FOR EYE, TOOTH FOR TOOTH,.... Which is not to
be taken strictly or literally, but for the price or value of those,
which is to be given in a pecuniary way; Exodus 21:24,
Exodus 21:25;
AS HE HATH CAUSED A BLEMISH IN A MAN, SHALL IT BE DONE TO HIM; unless
he gives satisfaction... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE THAT KILLETH A BEAST, HE SHALL RESTORE IT,.... The same as in
Leviticus 24:18, which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and
that it might be observed, though Jarchi takes it to be a different
law; before, he says, it speaks of him that kills a beast, here of him
that makes any wound or b... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL HAVE ONE MANNER OF LAW,.... Respecting the above things,
blaspheming of the name of God, taking away the life of man, or of any
beast, and of doing damage to either:
AS WELL FOR THE STRANGER AS FOR ONE OF YOUR OWN COUNTRY; the above
laws were binding upon proselytes as well as Israelites,... [ Continue Reading ]
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 IS... [ Continue Reading ]