New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Leviticus 24
1
The Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
2
"Command the people of Israel to bring you clear oil that is made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light all the time.
Reference
3
"Aaron must take care of the lamps in my sight from evening until morning all the time. That is a law that will last for all time to come. The lamps are outside the curtain that is in front of the tablets of the covenant in the Tent of Meeting.
4
The lamps are on the pure gold lampstand in front of me. They must be taken care of all the time.
Reference
6
Place them in two rows. Put six loaves in each row on the table that is made out of pure gold. The table stands in front of me.
Reference
7
"Along each row put some pure incense. It will remind you that all good things come from me. Burn the incense in place of the bread. The incense is an offering that is made to me with fire.
Reference
Creation
Leviticus 2:2
8
"The bread must be set out in front of me regularly. Do it every Sabbath day. It will be Israel's duty to provide it for all time to come.
Reference
9
"The bread belongs to Aaron and his sons. They must eat it in a holy place. It is a very holy part of their regular share of the offerings that are made to me with fire."
Reference
Holy
Leviticus 10:17
Leviticus 6:16
Leviticus 21:22
Parallel theme
Leviticus 8:31
Mark 2:26
Matthew 12:4
Luke 6:4
References Lord
1 Samuel 21:6
10
There was a man who had an Israelite mother. His father was born in Egypt. The man went out among the people of Israel. A fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.
11
The son of the Israelite woman spoke evil things against the Lord by using a curse. So the people brought him to Moses. The name of the man's mother was Shelomith. She was the daughter of Dibri. Dibri was from the tribe of Dan.
Reference
People
Curse
Isaiah 8:21
Job 2:5
Parallel theme
Exodus 18:22
References Lord
Exodus 20:7
Exodus 3:15
References Moses
Exodus 18:26
12
The people kept her son under guard until they could find out what the Lord wanted them to do.
Reference
13
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said,
14
"Get the man who spoke evil things against me. Take him outside the camp. All those who heard him say those things must place their hands on his head. Then the whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him.
Reference
15
"Say to the people of Israel, 'If anyone calls down a curse on me, he will be held accountable.
Reference
16
If anyone speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death. The whole community must kill him by throwing stones at him. It does not matter whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. When he speaks evil things against my Name, he must be put to death.
Reference
17
" 'If anyone kills another human being, he must be put to death.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 27:24
18
If anyone kills someone's animal, he must pay its owner. A life must be taken for a life.
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 24:21
20
A bone must be broken for a bone. An eye must be put out for an eye. A tooth must be knocked out for a tooth. He must be hurt in the same way he hurt someone else.
Reference
21
" 'If anyone kills an animal, he must pay its owner. But if he kills a human being, he must be put to death.
22
The same law applies whether he is an outsider or an Israelite. I am the Lord your God.' "
Reference
Parallel theme
Leviticus 17:10
References God
Leviticus 19:34
References Lord
Numbers 9:14
Word
Exodus 12:49
Numbers 15:29
23
Then Moses spoke to the people of Israel. They got the man who had spoken evil things against the Lord. They took him outside the camp. There they killed him by throwing stones at him. The people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Summary of Leviticus 24
Leviticus 24 contains instructions regarding the lamps and bread in the tabernacle, and an account of a man who blasphemed the name of the LORD. The chapter brings together two very different subjects. The first part describes the worship practices that were to continue regularly in the holy place. The second part deals with a serious act of disrespect toward God’s name and explains the principle of justice that Israel was to follow.
The chapter begins with the LORD speaking to Moses about the oil to be used for the lamps in the tabernacle. The children of Israel were to bring pure olive oil beaten for the light so that the lamps could burn continually (Leviticus 24:1-2). Aaron was responsible for keeping the lamps in order from evening until morning before the LORD. This was to be a lasting statute for Israel throughout their generations.
The lampstand was located in the tabernacle, outside the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place. The responsibility to keep the lamps burning before the LORD continually was not something that was done occasionally. The light had to be maintained as part of the regular service of the sanctuary.
The chapter then turns to the twelve loaves of bread that were to be placed before the LORD. Moses was commanded to take fine flour and make twelve cakes with two tenth deals in each cake. The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel. They were arranged in two rows on the pure table before the LORD with frankincense placed upon each row (Leviticus 24:5-7).
Fresh bread was placed before the LORD every Sabbath. Aaron and his sons were then permitted to eat the bread in the holy place because it was considered most holy and belonged to the priesthood. This bread was part of the regular worship of God and served as a continuing reminder of the relationship between God and all twelve tribes of Israel.
The instructions concerning the lamps and the bread in the tabernacle show that worship required regular attention. The priests were responsible for maintaining the light and replacing the bread according to God’s commands. These duties may seem simple, but they were part of a larger system in which Israel was continually reminded that God was among them.
The second half of the chapter describes a specific event that occurred among the Israelites. A man whose mother was an Israelite and whose father was an Egyptian went out among the children of Israel. During a conflict in the camp, he blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed (Leviticus 24:10-11). His action was considered extremely serious because God’s name was treated as holy among the people.
The man was taken to Moses and placed in custody while the Israelites waited for the command of the LORD concerning what should be done with him. The LORD then instructed Moses to bring the man outside the camp. Those who had heard him were to lay their hands upon his head, and the entire congregation was to stone him.
The punishment was death by stoning. The LORD then established the principle more broadly, declaring that whoever blasphemed the name of the LORD was to be put to death. Both the Israelite and the stranger living among Israel were liable to this punishment (Leviticus 24:15-16). The holiness of God’s name applied to both within the community.
The chapter then lists several laws concerning serious offenses against human life and property. Anyone who killed another person was to be put to death. Anyone who killed an animal was to be required to replace it with another animal. If a person injured another person, the punishment was to correspond to the injury. The law states that whoever caused a fracture was to receive a fracture, and this principle was applied to an eye or a tooth (Leviticus 24:17-20).
This principle is often summarized as “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” Within the law given to Israel, it established a principle of proportional justice. The punishment was not supposed to exceed the offense. It provided a standard for dealing with serious injuries and prevented uncontrolled personal revenge from determining the punishment.
The same principle applied whether the person involved was an Israelite or a stranger living among the people. The chapter makes this clear by repeating that there was to be one law for both the stranger and the Israelite. Justice was therefore not supposed to depend simply on someone’s nationality or status within the community.
After receiving these instructions, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and they took the man who had blasphemed outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites followed the command that the LORD had given Moses (Leviticus 24:23).
Leviticus 24 connects worship, holiness, and justice. The first part shows us the priests faithfully maintaining the lamps and the bread before God. These regular duties reminded Israel that worship required continual care. The second part shows us how seriously God’s name was to be treated and establishes laws for dealing with murder, injury, and damage to property.
The chapter also emphasizes that God’s standards applied throughout the community. The same basic law was to apply to the Israelite and the stranger within the community. Serious wrongdoing was not to be ignored, but neither was justice to become uncontrolled revenge. Punishment was to correspond to the offense.
At the heart of the chapter is the idea that God’s holiness affected worship and everyday relationships. The lamps and bread had to be treated according to God’s instructions, God’s name had to be honored, and human life and property had to be protected through a system of justice. Leviticus 24 shows us that holiness was not limited to what happened inside the tabernacle. It also shaped how people were expected to live together as a community.
The chapter begins with the LORD speaking to Moses about the oil to be used for the lamps in the tabernacle. The children of Israel were to bring pure olive oil beaten for the light so that the lamps could burn continually (Leviticus 24:1-2). Aaron was responsible for keeping the lamps in order from evening until morning before the LORD. This was to be a lasting statute for Israel throughout their generations.
The lampstand was located in the tabernacle, outside the veil that separated the holy place from the most holy place. The responsibility to keep the lamps burning before the LORD continually was not something that was done occasionally. The light had to be maintained as part of the regular service of the sanctuary.
The chapter then turns to the twelve loaves of bread that were to be placed before the LORD. Moses was commanded to take fine flour and make twelve cakes with two tenth deals in each cake. The twelve loaves represented the twelve tribes of Israel. They were arranged in two rows on the pure table before the LORD with frankincense placed upon each row (Leviticus 24:5-7).
Fresh bread was placed before the LORD every Sabbath. Aaron and his sons were then permitted to eat the bread in the holy place because it was considered most holy and belonged to the priesthood. This bread was part of the regular worship of God and served as a continuing reminder of the relationship between God and all twelve tribes of Israel.
The instructions concerning the lamps and the bread in the tabernacle show that worship required regular attention. The priests were responsible for maintaining the light and replacing the bread according to God’s commands. These duties may seem simple, but they were part of a larger system in which Israel was continually reminded that God was among them.
The second half of the chapter describes a specific event that occurred among the Israelites. A man whose mother was an Israelite and whose father was an Egyptian went out among the children of Israel. During a conflict in the camp, he blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed (Leviticus 24:10-11). His action was considered extremely serious because God’s name was treated as holy among the people.
The man was taken to Moses and placed in custody while the Israelites waited for the command of the LORD concerning what should be done with him. The LORD then instructed Moses to bring the man outside the camp. Those who had heard him were to lay their hands upon his head, and the entire congregation was to stone him.
The punishment was death by stoning. The LORD then established the principle more broadly, declaring that whoever blasphemed the name of the LORD was to be put to death. Both the Israelite and the stranger living among Israel were liable to this punishment (Leviticus 24:15-16). The holiness of God’s name applied to both within the community.
The chapter then lists several laws concerning serious offenses against human life and property. Anyone who killed another person was to be put to death. Anyone who killed an animal was to be required to replace it with another animal. If a person injured another person, the punishment was to correspond to the injury. The law states that whoever caused a fracture was to receive a fracture, and this principle was applied to an eye or a tooth (Leviticus 24:17-20).
This principle is often summarized as “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” Within the law given to Israel, it established a principle of proportional justice. The punishment was not supposed to exceed the offense. It provided a standard for dealing with serious injuries and prevented uncontrolled personal revenge from determining the punishment.
The same principle applied whether the person involved was an Israelite or a stranger living among the people. The chapter makes this clear by repeating that there was to be one law for both the stranger and the Israelite. Justice was therefore not supposed to depend simply on someone’s nationality or status within the community.
After receiving these instructions, Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and they took the man who had blasphemed outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites followed the command that the LORD had given Moses (Leviticus 24:23).
Leviticus 24 connects worship, holiness, and justice. The first part shows us the priests faithfully maintaining the lamps and the bread before God. These regular duties reminded Israel that worship required continual care. The second part shows us how seriously God’s name was to be treated and establishes laws for dealing with murder, injury, and damage to property.
The chapter also emphasizes that God’s standards applied throughout the community. The same basic law was to apply to the Israelite and the stranger within the community. Serious wrongdoing was not to be ignored, but neither was justice to become uncontrolled revenge. Punishment was to correspond to the offense.
At the heart of the chapter is the idea that God’s holiness affected worship and everyday relationships. The lamps and bread had to be treated according to God’s instructions, God’s name had to be honored, and human life and property had to be protected through a system of justice. Leviticus 24 shows us that holiness was not limited to what happened inside the tabernacle. It also shaped how people were expected to live together as a community.