Leviticus 24:23 kjv

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.

Leviticus 24:23 nkjv

Then Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they took outside the camp him who had cursed, and stoned him with stones. So the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24:23 niv

Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24:23 esv

So Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and they brought out of the camp the one who had cursed and stoned him with stones. Thus the people of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24:23 nlt

After Moses gave all these instructions to the Israelites, they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him to death. The Israelites did just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Leviticus 24 verses

Leviticus 24 23 Meaning

Leviticus 24:23 describes the swift and exact execution of the Lord's command following the incident of blasphemy. Moses relayed God's specific judgment to the Israelite community. The people responded by bringing the man who had cursed God outside the sacred camp and publicly put him to death by stoning. This verse underscores the immediate and complete obedience of the Israelites to divine instruction, serving as a solemn conclusion to the legal case. It reinforces the holiness of God's name and the strict penalty for its defilement, ensuring the spiritual purity of the congregation and reaffirming the authority of the covenant law given through Moses.

Leviticus 24 23 Context

Leviticus chapter 24 is primarily a legislative chapter with two main sections: instructions regarding the perpetual lamp and showbread in the tabernacle (verses 1-9) and laws concerning blasphemy, specific injuries, and retributive justice, prompted by an actual incident (verses 10-23). The immediate context of verse 23 is the trial and sentencing of the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man, who had blasphemed the name of the Lord. This verse acts as the concluding fulfillment of the judgment laid out in the preceding verses (24:10-22), particularly verses 15-16 which prescribe death by stoning for blasphemy.

Historically and culturally, public stoning was a recognized form of execution in the ancient Near East, symbolizing communal rejection and the cleansing of the land from defilement. The requirement to carry out the execution "outside the camp" highlights the necessity of isolating the wicked deed and its perpetrator from the holy dwelling place of God and His people, maintaining the camp's purity and symbolizing expulsion from God's presence. This also served as a visible deterrent for the community, reinforcing the absolute sanctity of God's name and the dire consequences of irreverence within the covenant community. The account of the blasphemer thus bridges the gap between ritual instructions for the Tabernacle and practical social justice, demonstrating how spiritual principles underpin even civil law within Israel.

Leviticus 24 23 Word analysis

• So: Implies a logical consequence, specifically linking to the divine judgment revealed previously. It marks the immediate action following the judicial process.
• Moses: (Mosheh) – The divinely appointed leader, mediator, and prophet, responsible for conveying God's law to the people and ensuring its implementation. His authority derives directly from God.
• spoke: (vayyadber) – Signifies authoritative declaration. It's the act of communication of God's revealed will through Moses to the congregation. This verb is commonly used to introduce divine decrees or instructions.
• to the sons of Israel: (el b’nei Yisrael) – Refers to the entire community, highlighting their corporate responsibility to uphold the covenant. This wasn't a private decree but a public directive to all.
• and they brought: (vayyotzi'u) – Implies the collective action of the community. The people themselves participated in enforcing the law, not just an appointed executioner, which reinforces their communal accountability for maintaining purity.
• the one who had cursed: (et ha-meqallel) – Literally, "the blasphemer." This refers back to the individual in verse 11 who "blasphemed the Name." The definitive article 'the' indicates the specific, identified individual. The Hebrew word qalal implies making light of, treating with contempt, or despising, specifically the sacred Name of God.
• outside the camp: (el michutz la-machaneh) – Symbolically signifies expulsion from the sacred space and presence of God. The camp represented God's dwelling place among His people, thus anything defiling had to be removed from within its boundaries to maintain holiness. This act marked ultimate spiritual and social ostracism.
• and stoned him with stones: (vayyirgmUhu ba-avanim) – Ragum means to pelt or throw stones. Stoning was a prescribed method of execution in Israel for capital offenses against God and community morality. It was a public and often definitive act, performed by the witnesses or the community, ensuring widespread knowledge of the transgression and its severe consequence.
• Thus the sons of Israel did: (Va-asu b'nei Yisrael) – A conclusive statement emphasizing immediate, willing, and exact execution of the command. It's not just that "it happened," but that "they did."
• just as the LORD had commanded Moses: (ka'asher tzivah Adonai et-Mosheh) – This is the critical affirmation of full obedience to divine instruction. It highlights the divine origin of the law and its flawless execution by the people. Adonai (LORD) refers to God's covenant name, signifying His authoritative and personal relationship with Israel.

Word-groups Analysis:

• "So Moses spoke to the sons of Israel": Establishes the authoritative divine chain of command: God to Moses, Moses to the people. This reinforces Moses' unique role as the covenant mediator.
• "and they brought the one who had cursed outside the camp and stoned him with stones": This sequence of actions emphasizes communal participation in administering justice, purification of the camp, and the severe, irreversible consequence for direct offense against God's Name. The public nature served as a stark lesson and a deterrence.
• "Thus the sons of Israel did, just as the LORD had commanded Moses": This concluding phrase provides theological validation for the entire episode. It elevates Israel's actions from a mere execution to an act of obedient faith and righteousness. It stresses divine decree as the ultimate basis for the action, demonstrating that Israel's legal system was directly tied to Yahweh's commands, setting them apart from surrounding pagan cultures that might have arbitrary laws or cultic practices. It contrasts with surrounding pagan cults where blasphemy might be tolerated or directed at various deities with inconsistent consequences.

Leviticus 24 23 Bonus section

The story of the blasphemer (Leviticus 24:10-23), culminating in verse 23, serves as an exegetical anchor demonstrating the immediate and serious application of specific laws given by God. It highlights that God's laws are not mere suggestions but binding commands with real-world consequences, especially concerning direct offenses against His Name. The incident also touches upon the challenges of integrating non-Israelites (the blasphemer's father was Egyptian) into the community under God's law, demonstrating that God’s justice applies equally to all who dwell among Israel, emphasizing impartiality. Furthermore, the deliberate nature of the blasphemy, rather than unintentional error, is key to understanding the severe punishment. In the Old Testament, provision was made for unintentional sins, but willful transgression, especially of a fundamental nature like blasphemy, carried no expiatory sacrifice and resulted in separation from the community or death. This provides insight into the nature of unpardonable sin under the Mosaic covenant, prefiguring later New Testament discussions on hardened hearts and spiritual apostasy that reject divine truth, though through different means.

Leviticus 24 23 Commentary

Leviticus 24:23 is the direct culmination and historical implementation of the law regarding blasphemy outlined in the preceding verses. The verse’s concise description underscores the critical themes of divine authority, communal obedience, and the sacred purity of the Israelite camp. The specific instructions "outside the camp" for execution ensured the holiness of the Tabernacle and its immediate surroundings were preserved, separating sin from the divine presence. The act of stoning, carried out by the community, symbolized their corporate commitment to God's laws and their active participation in upholding righteousness. This wasn't a passive observance but an active purging of evil from within their midst.

This passage teaches that violations against God's Name are of utmost seriousness, demanding severe repercussions under the Old Covenant, particularly when they involve open defiance and contempt for the Most High. The narrative of the blasphemer, concluding in this verse, serves as a powerful deterrent and a visible testament to God's holiness. It confirms that the laws given to Moses were not theoretical but were to be lived out precisely and with conviction, reflecting Israel's identity as a holy nation set apart for Yahweh. While capital punishment is rooted in different covenant principles and cultural contexts today, the underlying theological principle—that God's holiness and His name are to be revered, and that willful sin against God carries severe spiritual consequences—remains eternally valid. It also subtly reinforces the principle that communal holiness requires decisive action against sin.

Examples:

• Corporate responsibility: The entire community, not just designated officials, participates in judgment, illustrating shared accountability for maintaining the nation's spiritual purity.
• Distinguishing between holy and common: The execution "outside the camp" visually demarcated sacred space from that which had been defiled by sin.