Leviticus 24
DOYLYLeviticus 24:5
- — twelve cakes] Called the bread of the presence, which we translate shewbread, at Exod. xxv. 30. It was intended for “a memorial,” ver. 7, that is, for an acknowledgment of the goodness and sovereignty of God; “being taken from the children of Israel, by an everlasting covenant,” ver. 6, that is, being provided at the charge of the children of Israel, by virtue of a command (which they had all agreed to observe) requiring the shewbread to be always set before the Lord. Bp. Patrick. These loaves of shewbread were about the size of peck loaves. They were taken off by the priests, and eaten, at the end of every week, and new ones set in their places. It is probable that, in the wilderness, they made them of flour from the manna which fell. Dr. Wall. — two tenth deals] That is, two omers: being the quantity which each Israelite gathered of manna for every sabbath, whilst they sojourned in the wilderness; whence learned men have observed, that both the measure and the time were designed to put the Israelites in mind of their sustenance there. Biblioth. Bibl.
Leviticus 24:7
- — an offering made by fire] Since the frankincense set upon the bread, as a part of what was offered to woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
Leviticus 24:10
- — whose father was an Egyptian.] The father was probably one who came out from Egypt with the Israelites, and had become a proselyte to their religion. Dr. Wells.
Leviticus 24:12
- — that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them.] The words in the Hebrew are, as the margin states, “to expound unto them (namely, by Moses) according to the mouth of the Lord,” that is, as the Lord should declare unto them. Bp. Patrick.
Leviticus 24:14
- — let all that heard him &c.] The persons who heard him were to lay their hands on him, as an open testimony to the truth of their evidence, and the justice of his condemnation. Pyle. The punishment here recorded of these sins of blasphemy and cursing is very remarkable, and ought to inspire us with a great horrour for such sins, of which the punishment will ever be most severe. Bp. Wilson.
Leviticus 24:16
- And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, &c.] On the principle of preserving the allegiance due to the Supreme Jehovah, the blasphemer, and the deliberate presumptuous “sabbath-breaker,” and the “false prophet,” as they openly shook off all reverence for the Lord, were to suffer death, Numb. xv. 32; Deut. xvii. 12; xviii. 20. Dr. Graves. — as well the stranger, &c.] As God was, in a strict and political sense, the proper God and sovereign Prince of Israel, strangers and aliens were, in all reason, to be as much obliged to observe this law, and under Before CHRIST 1490. d Numb. 15. 34. mouth of the LORD. a Deut. 13. 8. & 17. 7. Divers laws and ordinances. Before CHRIST 1490. f Exod. 21. 12. Deut. 19. 21. the life of a own. life. g Exod. 21. 24. Deut. 19. 21. Mass. h. 28. h Exod. 12. 48.
Leviticus 24:19
- — as he hath done, so shall it be done to him.] The offences punished capitally by the Jewish law were idolatry, and various crimes connected with it, impurity, presumptuous disobedience to parents and chief magistrates, and murder: perhaps to these we ought to add that of bearing false witness in a case, where the life of the accused was at stake; for in all instances the punishment to be inflicted on the false witness was the same as the mischief that would have followed, had his testimony been received as true. In all the other penal laws of the Mosaick code there prevails a constant spirit of mildness and equity, I believe, unequalled in any other system of jurisprudence, ancient or modern. Personal violence and assault were punished by damages, or by retaliating on the offender a punishment similar to the injury his violence had inflicted, as the judges should determine. I cannot but notice here, how strangely the Jews perverted this principle of retaliation, recognised by their law: and how obstinately some moderns choose to misunderstand it; as if it authorized the retaliation of injury by the arm of individuals, and made each man a judge and an avenger in his own cause: a principle altogether foreign to the meaning of the legislator. In every instance where this principle is applied, a legal tribunal was to ascertain, and the publick executive power to inflict, the punishment. Dr. Graves.
CHAP. XXV. ver. 2. — then shall the land keep a sabbath] The land in this seventh year was to have rest from being tilled or sown. They were to subsist on that “which growth of its own accord,” ver. 5, namely, that which sprang from seed accidentally sown, or from roots left in the ground; and this they were not to “reap” for the purpose of laying up in store, but were to gather for their daily use, the owner of the land sharing in common with others, and none laying up separate stores for themselves. Bp. Patrick, Pyle. It is remarkable that this law, though given to the Israelites, with the rest of the Mosaick precepts, forty years before their entrance into Canaan, was not to take place till they had actual
And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. ### CHAP. XXV.