Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 24:23
And Moses spoke 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.
Verse 23. And stone him with stones.] We are not to suppose that the culprit was exposed to the unbridled fury of the thousands of Israel; this would be brutality, not justice, for the very worst of tempers and passions might be produced and fostered by such a procedure. The Jews themselves tell us that their manner of stoning was this: they brought the condemned person without the camp, because his crime had rendered him unclean, and whatever was unclean must be put without the camp. When they came within four cubits of the place of execution, they stripped the criminal, if a man, leaving him nothing but a cloth about the waist. The place on which he was to be executed was elevated, and the witnesses went up with him to it, and laid their hands upon him, for the purposes mentioned Le 24:14. Then one of the witnesses struck him with a stone upon the loins; if he was not killed with that blow, then the witnesses took up a great stone, as much as two men could lift, and threw it upon his breast. This was the coup de grace, and finished the tragedy. When a man was stoned by the mob, then brutal rage armed every man, justice was set aside, and the will and fury of the people were law, judge, jury, and executioner. Such disgraceful stonings as these were, no doubt, frequent among the Jews. See Calmet’s Dict., article STONING, and Ainsworth on this place.
WHAT the crime of Shelomith’s son was, we cannot distinctly say; doubtless it was some species of blasphemy: however, we find it was a new and unprecedented case; and as there was no law by which the quantum of guilt could be ascertained, nor consequently the degree of punishment, it was necessary to consult the great Lawgiver on the occasion; the man was therefore secured till the mind of the Lord should be known. Moses, no doubt, had recourse to the tabernacle, and received the directions afterward mentioned from Him who dwelt between the cherubim. In what way the answer of the Lord was communicated we know not, (probably by Urim and Thummim,) but it came in such a manner as to preclude all doubt upon the subject: the man was declared to be guilty, and was sentenced to be stoned to death; and on this occasion a law is made relative to blasphemy in general. However sinful the Jews might have been at this time, we have reason to believe they did not take the name of the Lord in vain, and blasphemy was not known among them. But what shall we say of Christians, so called, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness? Were every blasphemer among us to be stoned to death, how many of the people would fall in every corner of the land! God is longsuffering; may this lead them to repentance! We have excellent laws against all profaneness, but, alas, for our country! they are not enforced; and he who attempts to put the laws in force against profane swearers, Sabbath breakers, &c., is considered a litigious man, and a disturber of the peace of society. Will not God visit for these things? This is not only contempt of God’s holy word and commandments, but rebellion against the laws.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
23. the children of Israel did asthe Lord’s commandedThe chapter closes with the execution ofShelomith’s son [Le 24:14] andstoning having afterwards become the established punishment in allcases of blasphemy, it illustrates the fate of Stephen, who sufferedunder a false imputation of that crime [Act 7:58;Act 7:59].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Moses spake unto the children of Israel,…. As the Lord had commanded him:
that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones; which were the instructions God had given to Moses upon inquiring his mind and will about this matter:
and the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses; they took the blasphemer, and led him out of the camp, put their hands on him, and stoned him with stones till he died.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
After these laws had been issued, the punishment was inflicted upon the blasphemer.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Verse 23:
Israel’s judicial system demanded that capital punishment be inflicted by the solemn act of the people, not as an outburst of mob violence. The manner of execution was: the accused was brought to trial. Upon the testimony of two or more witnesses (Nu 35:30-34; De 19:15), guilt was established. The offender was then led outside the camp (or city), and the people formed a circle about him. The chief witnesses then cast the first stones, followed by all present stoning him.
God Himself instituted capital punishment, Ge 9:6, originally for the crime of murder. In the Law of Moses, this was expanded to include the violation of other sins. The purpose of capital punishment is not primarily an act of revenge. It is two-fold:
1. As a deterrent, to strike fear into other would-be offenders;
2. As a judicial cleansing of the guilt of the crime, Nu 35:30-34.
The principle of capital punishment applies today, and its purpose remains the same. Those who advocate the abolition of the death penalty are in effect denying the wisdom of God, and are in violation of His righteous principles. Any government invites anarchy when it does away with this provision of justice.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(23) And Moses spake to the children of Israel.Having recited the laws which were promulgated in consequence of the appeal made to God, Moses now calls upon the people to execute the sentence which the Lord pronounced against the blasphemer.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
REFLECTIONS
READER! may it be your happiness and mine, to have our souls kept alive by the quickening influences of GOD the HOLY GHOST. I would bring, O LORD, continually, as the Israelite of old, the pure oil for thy service. I would present myself, my soul and body, a living sacrifice, a reasonable service before GOD, through JESUS. But all I have is incompetent to serve; and everything too impure to offer. LORD, undertake for me, and let the lamp of thy grace in my soul be kept alive by thy power. Dear JESUS! be thou the show-bread to me, and in thee, and thy complete salvation, may I see a constant and never-ceasing supply to feed, not only my soul, but all thy church and people. May thy ministers, who serve in holy things, be enabled to bring forth things both new and old in thy sanctuary. LORD! give me grace, in reading the awful account of the blasphemer in this chapter, to drop an earnest prayer before the mercy-seat, that our GOD may turn the heart of blasphemers in this guilty land. Oh LORD! in judgment remember mercy. Turn thou us, and so shall we be turned.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 24:14-16, Num 15:35, Num 15:36, Heb 2:2, Heb 2:3, Heb 10:28, Heb 10:29
Reciprocal: Lev 20:2 – the people Num 36:10 – General Deu 13:10 – stone him Deu 22:21 – stone her Heb 13:12 – suffered
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 24:10-16; Lev 24:23. The punishment for blasphemy connected, as in Lev 10:1-7 and Sabbath breaking, with an actual example. Language and literary manner suggest that the section is later than H, as also the new beginning in Lev 24:15 and the position of Lev 24:23. The guilty man, the offspring of a mixed marriage (forbidden in Deu 7:3, Exo 34:16), is a proselyte or stranger (Lev 24:16). The Name (for the name of Yahweh) does not occur elsewhere in OT, though frequent in later Jewish writings. The man is to be brought outside the camp as being unholy and polluting the community. The sin is more than the careless invocation of the Name in a moment of passion (Exo 20:7). The stranger renounces his allegiance to Yahweh altogether (cf. Job 1:11, where the word is different though the meaning is probably the same). For the laying on of hands, see on Lev 1:4 : the sinner, like the sacrificial victim, purges the whole community by his death. For the stoning, cf. Deu 17:7. The whole ceremony is purgative, not judicial.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
24:23 And {h} 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.
(h) Because the punishment was not yet appointed by the law for the blasphemer, Moses consulted with the Lord, and told the people what God commanded.