He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name.
Parallel Translations
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He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name.
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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.
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And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger, as the home-born, when he blasphemeth the Name, shall be put to death.
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Contradictions (2)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Leviticus 24:16 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
- John 10:33-36 The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods?’ If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’
- James 2:7 Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called?
- Mark 3:28-29 Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme; but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”
- 1 Timothy 1:13 although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
- Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name.
- 1 Kings 21:10-13 Set two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.” The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones.
- Psalms 74:10 How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
- Psalms 74:18 Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, Yahweh. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.
- Psalms 139:20 For they speak against you wickedly. Your enemies take your name in vain.
- Matthew 26:66 What do you think?” They answered, “He is worthy of death!”
- John 8:58-59 Jesus said to them, “Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM.” Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone through the middle of them, and so passed by.
- Acts 26:11 Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (9 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Lev 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of…
Lev 24:16 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.
Ver. 16. And he that blasphemeth.] Swearers and blasphemers toss God’s name to and fro with such impiety and profaneness, as if their speech could have no grace but in his disgrace: as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with some god Neptune; or the three sons trying their archery at their father’s heart, to see who can shoot nearest. {a}
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Shall surely be put to death.] Though he be never so much provoked by others, as this blasphemer was; that shall no whit excuse him.
{a} Lonicer, Theat. Hist.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord: this…
He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord: this some make a distinct sin from cursing his God, mentioned Lev 24:15, but the difference they make seems arbitrary, and without evidence from reason, or the use of the words. And therefore this may be a repetition of the same sin in other words, which is common. And as this law is laid down in more general terms, Lev 24:15, so both the sin and the punishment are more particularly expressed, Lev 24:16. Or the first part of Lev 24:16 be an application of the former rule to the present case. And as for him that blasphemeth, &c., or is blaspheming, &c. in the present tense, which is fitly used concerning words just now uttered, and scarce yet out of their ears, he shall, &c. And so the following words,
as well the stranger, & c., may be a repetition and amplification of the former law.
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All the congregation shall stone him, to show their zeal for God, and to beget in them the greater dread and abhorrency of blasphemy.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord,....…
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 God, with respect to any of his names, titles, and epithets, or of any of his perfections, ways, and works:
he shall surely be put to death; no mercy shall be shown him, no reprieve or pardon granted him: hence it is said (f), there is no atonement for it, by repentance, or chastisements, or the day of atonement: so blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is not forgiven, neither in this world nor in that which is to come, Mat 12:31,
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and all the congregation shall certainly stone him; shall have no pity on him, nor spare him, but stone him till he dies:
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; even a proselyte of the gate, a Gentile that sojourned among them, uncircumcised, and did not profess the Jewish religion, as well as a proselyte of righteousness, and an Israelite born; yet, if he blasphemed the God of Israel, was to lose his life without any mercy shown him.
(f) R. Alphes, par. 1. Yoma, c. 1. fol. 261. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord -…
He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord - This is a repetition of the same sin in other words, which is common. As this law is laid down in general terms, ver. 15, so both the sin and the punishment are particularly expressed, ver. 16. All the congregation - To shew their zeal for God, and to beget in them the greater dread and abhorrence of blasphemy.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 16. Blasphemeth the name of the Lord] ונקב…
Verse 16. Blasphemeth the name of the Lord] ונקב שם יהוה venokeb shem Yehovah, he who pierces, transfixes, or, as some translate it, expounds, the name of Jehovah; See Clarke on Le 24:10. This being the name by which especially the Divine Essence was pointed out, it should be held peculiarly sacred. We have already seen that the Jews never pronounce this name, and so long has it been disused among them that the true pronunciation is now totally lost; See Clarke on Ex 6:3.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Stranger - i. e. foreigner. See Lev 16:29 note.
Stranger - i. e. foreigner. See Lev 16:29 note.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain as well the stranger, as he that is born…
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--Although strangers were not obliged to be circumcised, yet by joining the Israelitish camp, they became amenable to the law, especially that which related to blasphemy.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 16. all … stone him] probably to be attributed…
16. all … stone him] probably to be attributed to P or Rp[72], as the original word for ‘congregation’ is not found elsewhere in H.
[72] A Reviser, who, probably after that collection had been combined with the Priestly Code, introduced further elements from that Code.
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The occurrence just related having brought about the enactment of a law dealing with the particular case of blasphemy, an occasion is thus offered for adding penalties for other transgressions. For the death penalty as prescribed in this v. for smiting a man mortally, cp. Exo_21:12-14.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (16) And he that blasphemeth the name of the…
(16) And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord.—Better, And he that curseth the name of the Lord. The case is, however, different when it is the God of Israel. It is henceforth to be the law that whosoever curses Jehovah is to suffer death by lapidation, which is to be inflicted upon the criminal by the Jewish community.
As well the stranger as he that is born in the land.—This law is applicable alike to the proselyte and to the Gentile, who does not even profess to believe in Jehovah.
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When he blasphemeth the name of the Lord.—Better, when he curseth the Name. Here again the expression “Name” has, out of reverence, been substituted for Jehovah. (See Lev_24:11.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.