Leviticus 24:14 kjv

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.

Leviticus 24:14 nkjv

"Take outside the camp him who has cursed; then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

Leviticus 24:14 niv

"Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.

Leviticus 24:14 esv

"Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

Leviticus 24:14 nlt

"Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and tell all those who heard the curse to lay their hands on his head. Then let the entire community stone him to death.

Leviticus 24 verses

Leviticus 24 14 Meaning

Leviticus 24:14 commands the removal of a person who has blasphemed the Name of the Lord from the camp. Witnesses to the blasphemy are to symbolically affirm their testimony by placing their hands on the offender's head. Subsequently, the entire congregation is required to execute the blasphemer by stoning him. This prescribed procedure emphasizes the profound sacredness of God's Name, the gravity of defiling it, and the communal responsibility in maintaining the holiness of Israel's covenant relationship with the LORD.

Leviticus 24 14 Context

Leviticus 24:14 is embedded within a section dealing with regulations concerning the tabernacle lamp and showbread (verses 1-9) immediately followed by the specific case of a blasphemer (verses 10-23). The previous verses describe how an Israelite woman's son, whose father was Egyptian, cursed the Name of the LORD during an altercation. This incident necessitated a divine ruling, as blasphemy was an unprecedented capital offense needing explicit instructions. The immediate context, therefore, is the legal determination of how to handle this heinous crime, which pollutes the sacred community.

The broader context is the "Holiness Code" (Leviticus 17-26), emphasizing the holiness of God and the required holiness of His people, Israel, as a reflection of His character. Violating God's sacred Name was an affront to His very being and covenant, undermining the purity and integrity of the entire community established by God's presence among them. This law also demonstrates the universality of God's moral demands, applying to both native Israelites and sojourners (as highlighted by the half-Israelite, half-Egyptian origin of the offender).

Historically and culturally, the ancient Near East had varying laws regarding the divine, but the specific emphasis on Yahweh's unique, unutterable Name and the severity of its blasphemy distinguishes Israelite law. The community's active participation in the punishment underlines their shared responsibility to uphold the covenant and cleanse themselves of defilement, ensuring God's holy presence would remain among them. It was a clear polemic against any notion that cursing a deity was trivial or against the pagan practices of cursing or swearing by false gods, asserting the absolute supremacy and sacredness of the one true God's Name.

Leviticus 24 14 Word Analysis

• Bring out of the camp (הוֹצֵ֣א אֶת־הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל מִח֙וּץ֙ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה – hotse et-hameqalel michutz lamachaneh):

  • Meaning: Physically remove the cursed person from the community's living space.
  • Significance: Symbolizes exclusion, separation, and purification. Defilement cannot remain within the holy camp where God resides. Reflects a state of being "unclean" or under divine judgment.
  • Connection: Echoes the expulsion of lepers and other unclean individuals, and later, prophetically foreshadows Jesus suffering "outside the gate" (Heb 13:12), bearing the defilement of sin.

• him that hath cursed (הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל – hameqalel):

  • Meaning: "The one who has blasphemed" or "made light of." The verb is qalal (קָלַל), implying "to be light," "despise," and here, "to revile" or "blaspheme."
  • Significance: Refers specifically to speaking against or disrespecting God's Name or person. In the immediate context (Lev 24:16), it's "blasphemes the Name" (noqev shem YHWH), showing its utmost gravity.
  • Connection: Directly links to the Third Commandment (Ex 20:7, Deut 5:11) against misusing or profaning the Name of the LORD.

• and let all that heard him (וְכָל־הַשֹּׁמְעִ֕ים – vekol hashshome'im):

  • Meaning: "And all the hearers" or "those who heard him." Refers to the witnesses present when the blasphemy occurred.
  • Significance: Highlights the requirement for valid witnesses in capital cases (Deut 17:6). Ensures due process and verifies the offense. Their public participation confirms the crime and the justness of the sentence.

• lay their hands upon his head (יִסְמְכ֥וּ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ – yismeku et-yedeihem al ro'sho):

  • Meaning: Place their hands upon the offender's head. The verb samakh (סָמַךְ) means to "lean on," "support," or "lay hands on."
  • Significance: In sacrificial contexts, laying hands signifies identification with the offering or symbolic transfer of sin (Lev 1:4, 16:21). Here, it denotes affirming their testimony and their full agreement with the judgment, perhaps symbolically transferring the responsibility for the offender's guilt and subsequent death onto him as righteous judgment. It might also underscore their complicity if they failed to act and now take public responsibility for justice.
  • Connection: Different from commissioning (e.g., Num 27:18), here it's an act related to the justice process of condemnation.

• and let all the congregation (וְכָל־הָעֵדָ֖ה – vekol ha'edah):

  • Meaning: "And the whole assembly" or "community" of Israel.
  • Significance: Emphasizes communal responsibility for upholding God's laws and maintaining the purity of the community. It's not just a private matter; it affects all of Israel's relationship with God. Ensures the seriousness of the crime is understood by all and deters future transgressions.

• stone him (יִרְגְּמ֥וּ אֹתֹֽו – yirgimu oto):

  • Meaning: Execute by throwing stones. The verb ragam (רָגַם) specifically means "to stone."
  • Significance: Stoning was a common capital punishment in Israel for severe offenses against God or the community (e.g., idolatry, false prophecy, Sabbath-breaking, incorrigible sons). It was public, communal, and ensured that the "bloodguilt" was cleansed from the community, demonstrating divine justice. It served as a clear deterrent.

Leviticus 24 14 Bonus Section

• Blasphemy as Ultimate Defilement: In the Mosaic Law, touching the sacred things without proper qualification brought defilement and death. Blasphemy was an ultimate form of defilement, an assault on God's very being, demonstrating a deliberate contempt for the Creator that was akin to direct treason against the ultimate King.
• The Universality of God's Law: The incident involves a man whose mother was an Israelite and father an Egyptian, making it clear that the laws of holiness, especially regarding the sacredness of God's Name, applied to anyone dwelling within the camp of Israel, irrespective of their mixed lineage. This highlights God's sovereignty over all who come under His dominion.
• Jesus's "Outside the Camp" Sacrifice: The imagery of expelling the offender "out of the camp" has profound New Testament significance. Hebrews 13:11-13 states that just as sacrificial animals were burned outside the camp, Jesus suffered "outside the gate" of Jerusalem. This highlights Jesus bearing the curse, shame, and sin (which defile and merit expulsion) in our place, making Him the ultimate purification sacrifice who then calls His followers to "go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach."
• Echoes in Church Discipline: While physical stoning is not a New Testament practice, the principle of expelling unrepentant, destructive influences from the spiritual "camp" of the church finds echo in passages like 1 Corinthians 5, where Paul instructs the community to "put away the wicked person from among yourselves." This demonstrates a continuity in the divine concern for the holiness and purity of His people.

Leviticus 24 14 Commentary

Leviticus 24:14 underscores the unparalleled sanctity of God's Name within ancient Israel. The command for capital punishment, executed publicly by the entire community, reveals the extreme gravity of blasphemy as a direct affront to God's holiness and His covenant. Removing the offender from the camp physically demonstrated his severance from the holy community, representing both spiritual uncleanness and a necessary act of communal purgation to avert divine wrath upon the nation. The witnesses' act of laying hands on the blasphemer's head served to validate their testimony and assume their share in the solemn responsibility of judgment, symbolizing the transfer of the deserved fate back to the convicted person, affirming the justice of the sentence. This corporate participation in the execution ensures that the entire community understands its role in upholding God's righteous standards and preventing defilement within their midst. While the physical act of stoning is part of ancient Mosaic Law, the underlying principles—the sanctity of God's Name, the severity of direct rebellion against Him, the necessity of accountability, and the corporate responsibility to uphold righteousness—remain foundational to Christian understanding of sin and justice, even as the New Covenant reveals grace and new means of addressing spiritual "uncleanness" through Christ. The seriousness with which God's Name is regarded here continues to instruct believers on reverent speech and thought towards God.