Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 24:14

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.

14. let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head ] Cp. the inclusion of the witnesses in the account of the stoning of St Stephen (Act 7:58).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Lay their hands upon his head – As a protest against the impiety of the criminal, symbolically laying the guilt upon his head. Compare the washing of hands, Deu 21:6; Mat 27:24.

Let all the congregation stone him – See Lev 20:2 note.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Verse 14. Lay their hands upon his head] It was by this ceremony that the people who heard him curse bore their public testimony in order to his being fully convicted, for without this his punishment would not have been lawful. By this ceremony also they in effect said to the man, Thy blood be upon thy own head.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

By

laying their hands upon his head they gave public testimony that they heard this person speak such words, and did in their own and in all the peoples names desire and demand justice to be executed upon him, that by this sacrifice God might be appeased, and his judgments turned away from the people, upon whom they would certainly fall if he were unpunished.

Stone him; the same punishment which was before appointed for those who cursed their parents, whereas it deserved a far more grievous death, Thus God in this life mixeth mercy with judgment, and punisheth men less than their iniquities deserve.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

14. Bring forth him that hath cursedwithout the campAll executions took place without the camp;and this arrangement probably originated in the idea that, as theIsraelites were to be “a holy people” [Deu 7:6;Deu 14:2; Deu 14:21;Deu 26:19; Deu 28:9],all flagrant offenders should be thrust out of their society.

let all that heard him laytheir hands upon his head, &c.The imposition of handsformed a public and solemn testimony against the crime, and at thesame time made the punishment legal.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

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, as afterwards without the city, see

Heb 13:12;

let all that heard [him] lay their hands upon his head; the Targum of Jonathan adds,

“and the judges;”

so Jarchi remarks, that they that “heard him” are the witnesses, and the word “all” comprehends the judges: Maimonides says e the same, and observes that hands were laid on no malefactor but the blasphemer; and this was done to show that the one had bore a faithful testimony, and the other had pronounced a righteous sentence on him; and that he had brought this guilt and punishment upon himself by his sin; wherefore it was usual for them to say, as the same writers observe,

“thy blood be upon thine own head, and we not punished for thy death, which thou hast been the cause of to thyself:”

and let all the congregation stone him; which Aben Ezra interprets of the great men of Israel; nor can it be thought that every individual of the people could cast a stone at him, but it was to be done by some of them, in the presence of them all, or as many as could conveniently get together to behold it; and this was done to show their detestation of the sin, and to deter from the commission of it: it was the same kind of punishment that was ordered to be inflicted on him that cursed his father or mother, Le 20:9; God, the God of mercy, requiring no sorer punishment, though it deterred a greater, for such a sin against himself, than against a common parent.

e Hilchot Obede Cochabim, c. 2. sect. 10.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(14) Bring forth him that hath cursed.The sentence which God now passes upon the blasphemer is that he should be conducted from prison outside the camp, where all unclean persons had to abide (Num. 5:2-3), and where malefactors were executed (Heb. 13:12-13).

Let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head.That is, the witnesses who heard him blaspheme, and upon whose evidence he was convicted, and the judges who found him guilty, are to lay their hands upon the criminals head. Hence the Chaldee version translates it, Let the witnesses who heard his blasphemy and the judges lay their hands upon his head. This imposition of hands upon a criminal was peculiar to the blasphemer who was sentenced to death, and according to the Jewish canonists, the witnesses and the judges thereby declared that the testimony and the sentence were faithful and righteous, and at the same time uttered the solemn words, Let thy blood be upon thine own head; thou hast brought this upon thyself.

Let all the congregation stone him.The witnesses, who are the representatives of the people, cast the first stone, and then all the people who stood by covered the convict with stones. (See Lev. 20:2.)

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

14. Lay their hands upon his head For the significance of this ceremony, in the case of a victim for the altar, see chap. Lev 1:4, note. In this particular case, the witnesses who heard the blasphemy were required to cast off the guilt which they had involuntarily contracted by transferring it to the head of the sinner. By laying their hands upon his head they gave back the infection which they had received. In later ages it was a Jewish practice, when a person heard blasphemy, to lay his hand on the offender’s head to symbolize his sole responsibility for the guilt, and to rise up and tear his robe, which might never again be mended. See Mat 26:65, note.

Let all the congregation stone him Says Baumgarten: “According to the sentence of Jehovah, the whole congregation was to be regarded as participating in the crime of the individual, because every one was a living member of the whole. For this reason the punishment was committed to the whole congregation, who gave back to the criminal its share of the guilt by leading him out of the camp and putting him to death. Thus they wiped off sin from Israel.” By this requirement of “all the congregation,” we are taught that for the efficient execution of laws against immoralities there must be strong public sentiment in favour of such law behind the officers of justice. The divine method, which puts a stone into every man’s hand to cast at the criminal, also effectually protects the witnesses. When any community has a righteous abhorrence of drunkenness, licentiousness, profanity, and other vices, sufficient to move a large majority of the citizens personally to assist in their suppression, these foul blots will be almost entirely wiped away from that community. The practice of stoning for blasphemy was continued till the martyrdom of Stephen.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Lev 24:14. Bring forth him that hath cursed, without the camp, &c. 1st, This was the custom in relation to accursed persons, and such as devoted themselves to destruction. Thus it was that Joshua took Achanand the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them to the valley of Achor. 2nd, Let all that heard him, lay their hands upon his headThis was the practice afterwards of such as gave their evidence against a blasphemer. He was treated as an expiatory victim, which was loaded with the crimes for which it was to be sacrificed; and they said to the unhappy man, let thy blood be upon thy head: it is thou thyself who, by thy blasphemy, hast brought this evil upon thee. Maimonides says, that this ceremony was practised only in the case of those who were guilty of this very crime: but he is mistaken; for history furnishes us with instances to the contrary: witness those perfidious elders who attempted the chastity of Susanna, and accused her of the crime which they themselves would have committed. (See Susan. i. 34.) It is related that they brought her out before the people, and in their presence laid their hands upon the innocent woman, in order to accuse her as a criminal. Finally, Moses commanded the whole congregation to stone the son of Shelomith; and that for ever after every one should cast a stone at blasphemers, to testify that he felt himself wounded with the blow which those impious persons levelled at the Deity. The law which God enacted on this head was not one of those political laws which restrained the Jews only, it had in it the nature of a moral law obligatory on all men. The emperor Justinian condemned blasphemers to death: others bored their tongues through with a hot iron, and others caused them to be drowned. Lewis the VIIIth of France branded them in the forehead; that this mark of infamy might be a warning for every one to avoid correspondence with so scandalous a person. Though this discourse, continues Mr. Saurin, is less calculated to declaim against the manners of our own, than to illustrate the events of past ages, yet we cannot forbear deploring the disorders of Christians upon this head; the heinousness of blasphemy, and the criminal indulgencies of those who are witnesses thereof. We seemen shall I call them, or wild beasts?who cannot be moved with the least passion but they must shew it externally, vomiting out the most execrable oaths against the Divine Majesty! Some, desirous of shining in the world, and not capable of drawing a sufficient stock for that purpose from their own genius, call in blasphemy to their aid: they fancy an oath, well mouthed, enlivens conversation; and, judging of others by themselves, conceive this kind of elocution irresistible. Vile elocution! which every true Christian must detest. It is not a less crime, says St. Augustin, [perhaps a little too strongly,] to blaspheme the glorified Jesus, than it was to crucify him when on earth. Let every Christian, especially all those whom God has intrusted with the sword of justice, seriously consider how far they are bound by this law, which proceeded from the mouth of God himselfBring forth him who hath cursed, without the camp; and let all that heard him, lay their hands upon his head; and let all the congregation stone him: and let every one who curseth his God, bear his sin, Lev 24:15.

REFLECTIONS.This is the first capital grime and execution since the giving of the law. The offence was blasphemy. Note; (1.) When an Israelitish woman marries an Egyptian, or a Christian an unbeliever, no wonder the children turn after the worst side. It should seem he wanted to dwell among the Danites, because his mother was of that tribe; and, when opposed by one of the tribe, brought his cause before the judges, and was cast: in indignation and wrath against which decision he blasphemed. Anger and blasphemy are usually allied, and both are heinous sins. If we would avoid the one, we should suppress the other. Hereupon the matter is brought before Moses, that, in a case of such importance, they might be directed how to proceed according to the mind of God. When life or death are at stake, judges need much deliberation, and humbly look up to God for wisdom to judge aright, knowing that, at his bar, they must give account. God commands immediate execution to be done upon him. He is to be dragged out of the camp, as a profanation to it; and all the congregation must stone him, to testify their abhorrence of his sin, when the witnesses had laid their hands on his head, as free from his blood. Note; Blasphemers are now so common, that stones would almost be wanting to cast at them; but though they find impunity for a moment, there is a judgment near when they shall die a more terrible death, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. The execution of this offender produces a standing law for the future punishment of the like crime. It must in no case be dispensed with; and even a stranger living among them is as liable to the same penalty as the Israelite born. God is a jealous God, and will in no wise spare the blasphemer; and when we hear such dreadful language, we should tremble for those who have no fear for themselves.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Lev 24:14 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.

Ver. 14. And let all that heard him. ] The Jews at this day abhor the blasphemies of Christians, so openly and ordinarily darted up with hellish mouths against God. The Turks punish their prisoners sorely, when as, through impatience or desperateness, they break out into them. a

a Spec. Europ.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)