Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 24:17
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
Verse 17. He that killeth any man] Blasphemy against God, i. e., speaking injuriously of his name, his attributes, his government, and his revelation, together with murder, is to be punished with death: he that blasphemes God is a curse in society, and he who takes away, wilfully and by malicious intent, the life of any man, should certainly be put to death. In this respect God has absolutely required that life shall go for life.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This law is repeated here, either to justify this sentence of putting blasphemers to death, from the same severity executed for a less crime; or to prevent the mischievous effects of mens striving or contending together, which as here it caused blasphemy, so it might in others lead to murder.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17-22. he that killeth any man shallsurely be put to deathThese verses contain a repetition ofsome other laws, relating to offenses of a social nature, thepenalties for which were to be inflicted, not by the hand of privateparties, but through the medium of the judges before whom the causewas brought.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. With the sword, as the Targum of Jonathan adds; which restrains it to any man of the children of Israel, but wrongly; for the original law respects any man whatever, Ge 9:6; and so it does here;
[See comments on Ex 21:12].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The decision asked for from God concerning the crime of the blasphemer, who was the son of an Egyptian, and therefore not a member of the congregation of Jehovah, furnished the occasion for God to repeat those laws respecting murder or personal injury inflicted upon a man, which had hitherto been given for the Israelites alone (Exo 21:12.), and to proclaim their validity in the case of the foreigner also (Lev 24:17, Lev 24:21, Lev 24:22). To these there are appended the kindred commandments concerning the killing of cattle (Lev 24:18, Lev 24:21, Lev 24:22), which had not been given, it is true, expressis verbis , but were contained implicite in the rights of Israel (Exo 21:33.), and are also extended to foreigners. , to smite the soul of a man, i.e., to put him to death; – the expression “soul of a beast,” in Lev 24:18, is to be understood in the same sense.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verses 17-22:
Just as the Law demanded the death penalty for blaspheming the Name of the Lord, so it demanded death for the sin of murder. There is a distinction drawn between the judicial sentence of death which was to be carried out by the congregation of Israel, and the unsanctioned smiting of one man by another. Not only does this law prohibit murder, it also forbids the taking of the law into one’s own hands.
This text provides that strict repayment in kind was to be made for any loss of life or limb, or for an injury, see Ex 21:24, 25; De 19:16-21.
Jesus contrasted this law with His own provision of non-retaliation, Mt 5:38-48; 7:2.
There was to be one law to govern the Land, embracing both Israelites, and foreigners.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
17. And he that killeth any man. We now proceed to the confirmation of the Sixth Commandment afforded by the Judicial Law; and first, the punishment of death is awarded to murderers. To “smite the life” (26) is equivalent to wounding mortally, so that death ensues, as Moses more clearly explains himself in Exodus. But although he speaks briefly, like a legislator, there is no doubt but that he would have those whom he adjudges to die put to death by the sentence of the judges; the manner of executing the punishment we shall see in its proper place. Now although God did not carry out to absolute perfection the laws which He enacted, yet in their principle He desired that a clear and unreserved approval of His Commandments should appear. And this was the reason why I commenced with this passage, because it directly corresponds with the Sixth Commandment. (27)
(26) See margin of A. V.
(27) Lat. , “quia praecepto respondet quasi ἀντίςροφος.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(17) And he that killeth a man.The enactment that in case of blaspheming no difference is to be made between a non-Israelite and Israelite, is now followed by other laws respecting murder and personal injury which have been given before (Exo. 21:12, &c.), but which are here repeated in order to show that, like blasphemy, they apply alike to Gentile and Jew. It may also be that the repetition here of the law of murder is designed to draw a distinction between the judicial sentence of death carried out by the community, and the illegal taking away of life by individuals.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE LAW OF RETALIATION, Lev 24:17-23.
17. Killeth any man Smiteth the life of a man, whether bond or free. It is obvious that murder by any other means, as by poison, is included under the phrase “smiteth the life.”
Put to death The reason for regarding murder as a capital offence is because it is an act of the highest sacrilege, an outrage on the likeness of God in man. Human life is incomparably the most sacred thing on earth. Hence its destruction demands, as its penalty, the life of the murderer. To suffer a murder to go unavenged was regarded by both Jews and Greeks as a pollution of the land. Num 35:31; OEdipus Tyrannus, 100. No punishment is mentioned for attempted suicide; no guilt attached to one who killed a burglar at night in the act, (Exo 22:2-3,) or a slave who died of rigorous treatment a few days after his punishment. Exo 21:20-21. The execution of this sentence is expressly committed to the goel, the avenger of blood, after the verdict of guilt had been rendered by the proper tribunal, with at least two agreeing witnesses. Num 35:19-30. In regal times the sovereign assumed the execution of justice on the murderer as well as the right of pardon. 2Sa 13:39.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 24:17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
Ver. 17. And he that killeth any man. ] Though in hot blood; Scripture makes no difference between murder and man slaughter. See Trapp on “ Gen 9:6 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
any man = the soul (Hebrew. nephesh. App-13) of a man. Hebrew. ‘adam.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
And he: Gen 9:5, Gen 9:6, Exo 21:12-14, Num 35:31, Deu 19:11, Deu 19:12
killeth any man: Heb. smiteth the life of a man
Reciprocal: Lev 24:21 – a man Num 35:16 – the Deu 19:13 – but thou Deu 19:21 – life shall Deu 27:24 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 24:17. He that killeth This law is repeated here, to prevent the mischievous effects of mens striving together, which as here it caused blasphemy, so it might in others lead to murder.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 24:17-22. The Lex Talionis (cf. Exo 21:23, Mat 5:38). An early and simple form of the assessment and administration of judicial penalties. For Lev 24:17, cf. Gen 9:5 : in Exo 21:20, the principle is not yet allowed full scope. Another early system was that of fines (assessed in a sort of tariff) for crimes (cf. Anglo-Saxon law and Code of Hammurabi; cf. also Exo 21:18). A middle course is taken in the guilt offering when an extra one-fifth is to be restored; but this is, of course, impossible in the case of bodily injuries contemplated here. For Lev 24:22, cf. Lev 24:16; Lev 19:34. The whole code is markedly stronger in humanitarian than in judicial reform (but note the significant distinction in Lev 25:46).