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英文原文
In this chapter we have, I. A repetition of the laws concerning the lamps and the show-bread, Le 24:1-9. II. A violation of the law against blasphemy, with the imprisonment, trial, condemnation, and execution, of the blasphemer, Le 24:10-14, with Le 24:23. III. The law against blasphemy reinforced (Le 24:15,16), with sundry other laws, Le 24:17-23, etc.
1-9
Laws Concerning the Lamps (1490 BC)
關於燈的律例（主前1490年）
¹ 耶和華對摩西說：
² 「要吩咐以色列人，把那為點燈搗成的清橄欖油拿來給你，使燈常常點着。
³ 在會幕中法櫃的幔子外，亞倫從晚上到早晨必在耶和華面前常理這燈。這要作你們世世代代永遠的定例。
⁴ 他要在耶和華面前常收拾精金燈臺上的燈。」
⁵ 「你要取細麵，烤成十二個餅，每餅用麵伊法十分之二。
⁶ 要把餅擺成兩行，每行六個，在耶和華面前精金的桌子上。
⁷ 又要把淨乳香放在每行上，作為記念，就是作為火祭獻給耶和華。
⁸ 每個安息日，亞倫要常在耶和華面前按時擺列這餅，作為以色列人永遠的約。
⁹ 這餅是要給亞倫和他子孫的；他們要在聖處吃，為永遠的定例。因為在獻給耶和華的火祭中，這是至聖的。
這裏注意到神殿中燈臺和桌子的陳設，並下達了規範。
I. 燈必須常常點着。關於這條律法我們從前已經有了（出27:20,21）。這裏重複，大概是因為如今其他事物都已安頓，這條開始執行了。1. 百姓要預備油（Le 24:2），而這油與一切用於事奉神之物一樣，必須是最好的——清橄欖油，是搗成的，大概是雙重過濾的。這是為使燈常常點着；我們英文聖經各版本在Le 24:2讀作燈（複數），但原文是單數——使那燈常常點着；而Le 24:4卻是複數——他常收拾那些燈。七盞燈合成一盞燈；蒙福的恩典之靈就是以此為喻，被描繪為寶座前七盞火燈（啟4:5），因為恩賜有分別，聖靈卻是一位（林前12:4）。牧者如同基督教會中燃燒發光的燈，但百姓的本分是舒適地供養他們，正如以色列人供應燈的油一樣。可恥的待遇產生可恥的事奉。2. 祭司要照管燈；他們要修剪燈芯、清潔燈臺、早晚添油（Le 24:3,4）。照樣，福音的牧者之工就是將生命之道表明出來——不是另設新的光，而是藉着解經和講道使那光更加清晰、更加廣闊。這是使燈常常點着的通常方法；但是，當教會貧窮且處於困境中時，我們發現她的燈不斷直接從好橄欖樹得油供應，無需祭司或百姓的中介（亞4:2,3）；因為神雖然把我們與手段聯繫起來，卻沒有把自己與手段聯繫起來，他必有效地看顧，使他的燈永不因缺油而在世上熄滅。
II. 桌子必須常常擺設。這是從前指定的（出25:30）。在這裏也是：1. 桌上擺着餅；不是為滿足奢侈口腹的美味佳餚，而是十二個餅（Le 24:5,6）。哪裏有豐足的餅，那裏就沒有饑荒；哪裏沒有餅，那裏就沒有筵席。每個支派一個餅，因為在我們父的家裏，糧食充足。他們都因神的恩惠得供應，也都歡迎領受神的恩典。即使十個支派背叛之後，這餅的數目仍維持不變（代下13:11），為着每個支派中那少數仍忠于聖殿、繼續朝拜的人。2. 每行要放一撮乳香在金碟子上或旁邊（Le 24:7）。餅被撤換交給祭司時，這乳香就在金壇上焚燒（我推測）——在日常的香之外：這是代替餅作為記念的，作為火祭獻上，正如素祭中被燒在壇上的一把被稱為記念一樣（Le 2:2）。這樣，少許之物作為謙卑的承認蒙了悅納，所有的餅都歸給祭司。神一切屬靈的以色列人——由十二個餅所預表——藉着基督成為馨香之氣獻給他，他們的禱告據說上達神面前作為記念（徒10:4）。這個詞是從禮儀律中借用來的。3. 每個安息日餅都要更新。餅在那裏放了一週之後，祭司可以和其他當在聖處吃的聖物一起吃（Le 24:9），新的餅由公費預備放在原處（Le 24:8）。猶太人說：「放上新餅的祭司的手與取下舊餅的祭司的手交錯，好使桌子永不空置，使餅常在耶和華面前。」神為那些來朝見他的人預備的，從不至於短缺，而人卻常常如此（路11:5）。每個餅含十分之二伊法，就是兩個俄梅珥細麵；這正是每個以色列人在第六天為安息日所收的嗎哪數量（出16:22）。有人由此推斷，這陳設餅在安息日擺在桌上，是為記念他們在曠野所吃的嗎哪。基督的牧者當在每個安息日為他的家預備新餅——他們在聖經中新鮮研究的成果，使他們的長進在眾人面前顯明出來（提前4:15）。
英文原文
Laws Concerning the Lamps (1490 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
² Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
³ Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.
⁴ He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.
⁵ And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
⁶ And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.
⁷ And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
⁸ Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
⁹ And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.
Care is here taken, and orders are given, for the decent furnishing of the candlestick and table in God's house.
I. The lamps must always be kept burning. The law for this we had before, Ex 27:20,21. It is here repeated, probably because it now began to be put in execution, when other things were settled. 1. The people were to provide oil (Le 24:2), and this, as every thing else that was to be used in God's service, must be of the best, pure olive-oil, beaten, probably it was double-strained. This was to cause the lamps to burn; all our English copies read it lamps, but in the original it is singular in Le 24:2—to cause the lamp to burn; but plural in Le 24:4—he shall order the lamps. The seven lamps made all one lamp, in allusion to which the blessed Spirit of grace is represented by seven lamps of fire before the throne (Re 4:5), for there are diversities of gifts, but one Spirit, 1Co 12:4. Ministers are as burning and shining lights in Christ's church, but it is the duty of people to provide comfortably for them, as Israel for the lamps. Scandalous maintenance makes a scandalous ministry. 2. The priests were to tend the lamps; they must snuff them, clean the candlestick, and supply them with oil, morning and evening, Le 24:3,4. Thus it is the work of the ministers of the gospel to hold forth that word of life, not to set up new lights, but, by expounding and preaching the word, to make the light of it more clear and extensive. This was the ordinary way of keeping the lamps burning; but, when the church was poor and in distress, we find its lamps fed constantly with oil from the good olives immediately, without the ministry of priest or people (Zec 4:2,3); for, though God has tied us to means, he has not tied himself to them, but will take effectual care that his lamp never go out in the world for want of oil.
II. The table must always be kept spread. This was appointed before, Ex 25:30. And here also, 1. The table was furnished with bread; not dainties nor varieties to gratify a luxurious palate, but twelve loaves or cakes of bread, Le 24:5,6. Where there is plenty of bread there is no famine; and where bread is not there is no feast. There was a loaf for every tribe, for in our Father's house there is bread enough. They were all provided for by the divine bounty, and were all welcome to the divine grace. Even after the revolt of the ten tribes this number of loaves was continued (2Ch 13:11), for the sake of those few of each tribe that retained their affection to the temple and continued their attendance on it. 2. A handful of frankincense was put in a golden saucer, upon or by each row, Le 24:7. When the bread was removed, and given to the priests, this frankincense was burnt upon the golden altar (I suppose) over and above the daily incense: and this was for a memorial instead of the bread, an offering made by fire, as the handful of the meat-offering which was burnt upon the altar is called the memorial thereof, Le 2:2. Thus a little was accepted as a humble acknowledgment, and all the loaves were consigned to the priests. All God's spiritual Israel, typified by the twelve loaves, are made through Christ a sweet savour to him, and their prayers are said to come up before God for a memorial, Ac 10:4. The word is borrowed from the ceremonial law. 3. Every sabbath it was renewed. When the loaves had stood there a week, the priests had them to eat with other holy things that were to be eaten in the holy place (Le 24:9), and new ones were provided at the public charge, and put in the room of them, Le 24:8. The Jews say, "The hands of those priests that put on were mixed with theirs that took off, that the table might be never empty, but the bread might be before the Lord continually." God is never unprovided for the entertainment of those that visit him, as men often are, Lu 11:5. Every one of those cakes contained two tenth-deals, that is, two omers of fine flour; just so much manna every Israelite gathered on the sixth day for the sabbath, Ex 16:22. Hence some infer that this show-bread, which was set on the table on the sabbath, was intended as a memorial of the manna wherewith they were fed in the wilderness. Christ's ministers should provide new bread for his house every sabbath day, the production of their fresh studies in the scripture, that their proficiency may appear to all, 1Ti 4:1,5.
10-23
The Blasphemy of Shelomith's Son; The Punishment of Shelomith's Son (1490 BC)
示羅密之子褻瀆神名；示羅密之子的刑罰（主前 1490 年）
¹⁰ 有一個以色列婦人的兒子，他父親是埃及人，在以色列人中間出來；這以色列婦人的兒子和一個以色列人在營裏爭鬥；
¹¹ 這以色列婦人的兒子褻瀆了耶和華的名，並且咒詛。他們就把他帶到摩西那裏：（他母親名叫示羅密，是但支派底伯利的女兒；）
¹² 他們把他看守起來，要等候耶和華的指示曉諭他們。
¹³ 耶和華對摩西說：
¹⁴ 「把那咒詛聖名的人帶出營外；叫聽見的人都按手在他頭上；全會眾要用石頭打死他。
¹⁵ 你要曉諭以色列人說：凡咒詛神的，必擔當他的罪。
¹⁶ 那褻瀆耶和華名的，必被治死，全會眾總要用石頭打死他：不管是寄居的，是本地人，他褻瀆耶和華名的時候，必被治死。
¹⁷ 打死人的，必被治死。
¹⁸ 打死牲畜的，必賠上牲畜；以命償命。
¹⁹ 人若使他鄰舍的身體有殘疾；他怎樣行，也要照樣向他行：
²⁰ 以傷還傷，以眼還眼，以牙還牙；他怎樣使人有殘疾，也要照樣向他行。
²¹ 打死牲畜的，必賠上牲畜；打死人的，必被治死。
²² 不管是寄居的，是本地人，你們只有一樣的律法：因為我是耶和華你們的神。
²³ 於是摩西曉諭以色列人，他們就把那咒詛聖名的人帶到營外，用石頭打死。以色列人就照耶和華所吩咐摩西的行了。
俗話說，惡習滋生良法。這裏記載了一個不知名的混血以色列人所行的惡事，以及由此而生的一些良法。
I. 犯罪者的父親是埃及人，母親是以色列人（Le 24:10）；他母親屬於但支派（Le 24:11）。經文沒有提到他和他父親的名字，只提到他母親，因她是以色列人。之所以提到他的家世，或許是：1. 為了暗示他捲入爭端的原因。猶太人說：「他要在但支派中，憑他母親的權利立自己的帳棚，但那支派中有人公正地反對他，告訴他說他父親是埃及人，他在這事上無分無業，當看自己為外人。」或：2. 為了顯明這類混合婚姻通常帶來的不良後果。一個以色列女子若要嫁給一個拜偶像、心術不正的埃及人，這樣的婚姻除了結出褻瀆神的果子，還能結出甚麼呢？因為兒女總是容易效法父母較壞的那一面，不論是哪一面；他從埃及人的父親那裏學會褻瀆，要比從以色列人的母親那裏學會禱告和讚美容易得多。
II. 犯罪的起因是紛爭：他與一個以色列人爭鬥。與以色列人一同上來的埃及閒雜人等（Ex 12:38），在許多方面對他們有害，而這是其中之一：他們常常是爭端的製造者。保守教會平安的途徑，在於保持教會的純潔。在這場爭鬥中，他口出惡言。請注意，爭端一旦開始，我們不知道在它結束之前會造成多大的禍害，也不知道星星之火可以燎原。當人的怒氣高漲時，他們就容易忘記理性，也忘記信仰；這正是一個很好的理由，叫我們既不可輕易發怒，也不可輕易動怒，而要在爭端起頭之前就止息爭競，因為爭端的起頭如同放水一般。
III. 罪行本身是褻瀆和咒詛（Le 24:11）。這裏假定他的案件在審判官面前受了審理，審判官裁定他因父親是埃及人而無權享有以色列人的特權；他被這判決激怒了，1. 他褻瀆了耶和華的名。他褻瀆了那名，即他褻瀆了神，因為神只藉着祂的名讓人認識，而不是藉着祂的本性或任何形像讓人認識。這不是說神只是一個名字，而是祂的名超乎萬名之上。翻譯的人加上耶和華幾個字，原文中雖未明說，卻是含蓄的，為的是要更加敬畏神的威嚴：耶和華的名竟然被褻瀆，這是記在冊上的一件可恥之事；不要在迦特報告。迷信的猶太人有一種荒謬的見解，以為他的褻瀆在於念出了耶和華的名，他們稱之為不可念誦之名；但那自稱此名的神從未禁止人這樣稱呼祂。很可能他在因神將以色列人與外人分別出來的定例上感到不平之後，便肆無忌憚地辱罵那律法和頒佈律法的主，公然向祂挑釁。2. 他咒詛，或是指着神（這樣他的咒詛就與褻瀆相同），或是指着與他爭鬥的人。以禍患相威脅的言語，不僅是根深蒂固的惡意之語，也是急躁暴怒的人所說的地獄之言。又或者他咒詛那判他敗訴的審判官；他當庭辱罵，嘲諷法庭的程序；這樣他就是罪上加罪了。
IV. 對他這項罪行所採取的審慎處置。見證人或下級審判官將他和他的案件（此事頗為特別）帶到摩西那裏（Le 24:11），這是按照所定的次序（Ex 18:22）；摩西自己也不輕率地作出判決，而是將那人收押，直到他為此案求問了神諭。請注意，審判官當慎重行事；無論是宣判的還是定罪的，都當仔細斟酌所行的，不可草率，因為審判是屬乎神的（De 1:17），在祂面前這案子必將重審。他們等候要知道耶和華的旨意，究竟是要由官府的手將他處死，還是交給神的審判；或者更確切地說，他們想知道他該不該像那些咒詛父母的人一樣被石頭打死（Le 20:9），還是因這罪行更為嚴重，要對他施加更重的刑罰。請注意，坐在審判位上的人，當真心渴望知道耶和華的旨意，並藉着禱告和一切正當的方法盡力求明白，因為他們是為祂審判（2Ch 19:6），也要向祂交賬。
V. 由天地之公義的審判官親自對這犯罪者所下的判決：全會眾要用石頭打死他（Le 24:14）。神本可以親自從天上降下災禍擊殺他，但祂要將這尊榮賜給官府的設立，藉着使用它來支持和維護祂自己在世上的榮耀。請留意，1. 所指定的刑場：把那咒詛聖名的人帶出營外。為表明他們對這罪行的憎惡，他們要這樣將犯罪者如同可憎的枝子拋棄，將他從他們中間分別出來，視為不潔之物，不配留在以色列的營中。2. 執行者：全會眾來做，以表明他們對神之名的尊榮所存的熱心。每一個人都當有一塊石頭向那褻瀆神的人投去，因為自己與神所受的辱罵密切相關（詩 69:9）。這樣也能使會眾更加懼怕；那曾經參與用石頭打死褻瀆者的人，此後必永遠懼怕一切與褻瀆相近的事，凡是看起來像褻瀆或朝向褻瀆的都包括在內。3. 執行的莊嚴儀式：在會眾用石頭打他之前，見證人要按手在他頭上。猶太人說，這儀式只用於褻瀆者的處決；並且要配上這樣意思的話：「*你的血歸到你自己的頭上，因為這是你自己招惹的。*律法、審判官、陪審員和見證人都不可受責備；你若嗤笑，你自己必擔當。」
VI. 藉此機會制定了一條關於用石頭打死褻瀆者的永久律法（Le 24:15,16）。官府是兩塊法版的守護者，當為神的尊榮而嫉恨，不容人褻瀆祂的存在和治理，正如為公眾的平安和安全而嫉恨不容人擾亂一樣。1. 對這條律法格外強調，在任何情況下都不可通融：必被治死；全會眾總要用石頭打死他。那些輕看神尊榮的人或許以為，因一句話就定人的罪太嚴厲了（話語不過是風）；但神要讓他們知道，不可輕看這樣的話，因為這話是出自說話者心中對神的惡意，也必使聽見的人或者擔當大罪，或者大受憂傷。2. 這條律法適用於在他們中間寄居的外人，也適用於本地出生的人。神從未制定任何律法強迫外人受割禮、歸信猶太教（以武力制造的進教者不能為以色列的神增光），但祂制定了一條律法禁止外人說以色列神的壞話。3. 那因褻瀆而被處死的人，被說成是擔當他的罪，即擔當罪的刑罰；因為沒有指定祭物可以將罪轉移到其頭上，他只能自己擔當在自己頭上，作為獻給公義之神的祭物。這樣，他的舌頭就落在他自己身上（詩 64:8）；褻瀆者的舌頭必重重地落下。
VII. 附在這條新律法之後的一些其他律法的重申。1. 謀殺當被處死（Le 24:17，又見 Le 24:21），這是按照挪亞時代的古律（Ge 9:6），也是出於自然律法本身（Ge 4:10）。2. 傷人肢體的，照樣要按報復的法則受罰（Le 24:19,20）。這不是說人在這些情形下可以自己報仇，而是可以向官府申訴，由官府酌情判定加害者所受的刑罰和受害者所得的賠償，按所造成的傷害比例定奪。這條律法我們從前已有（Ex 22:4,5）。這在當時那啟示了律法的嚴厲和罪所當受之刑罰的時代，比我們如今這啟示了福音的恩惠和罪的赦免的時代更為相宜：因此我們的救主已廢除了這條律法（太 5:38,39），不是要禁止官府執行公義，而是要禁止我們各人以個人恩怨報復，並要我們像我們如今蒙赦免、也盼望將來蒙赦免那樣去饒恕人。3. 故意損害鄰舍牲畜的，當賠償損失（Le 24:18,21）。這樣，神的律法不但將他們的生命，也將他們的財產置於保護之下。那些不屬於任何人、按我們的法律所說屬於ferae naturae（野性動物）的走獸，他們可以任意獵殺；但屬於任何人有產權的，則不可。神顧念牛嗎？是的；是為我們的緣故。4. 外人與本地以色列人一樣，既有權享受這條律法的好處，不受冤屈，也當因犯罪而受這條律法的刑罰。看來正是這一點將這些律法引入此處，為要表明外人與以色列人一樣，褻瀆神也當受罰，因為外人與以色列人一樣，犯了別的罪也要受罰。在這裏重申這些律法，或許還有更深一層的理由：神要藉此顯明祂為人的安全作了何等的安排，懲罰那些傷害人的人；這也當成為官府為神的尊榮而嫉恨、懲罰那些褻瀆祂名之人的理由。神若顧念他們的舒適，他們就當顧念神的榮耀。
VIII. 褻瀆者被處決。摩西如同事簽了處決令：他曉諭以色列人去執行，他們就照耶和華所吩咐摩西的行了（Le 24:23）。這教導我們，死是罪的工價，而褻瀆更是當受審判官懲罰的罪孽。但那些如此褻瀆神名的人，若逃過了人的刑罰，主我們的神卻不容他們逃脫祂公義的審判。這褻瀆者是頭一個因摩西律法而死的人。司提反，頭一個為福音而死的人，卻是因這條律法被濫用而死；殉道者和罪犯受了同樣的死刑：但兩者之間的差別何等之大！
英文原文
The Blasphemy of Shelomith's Son; The Punishment of Shelomith's Son (1490 BC)
¹⁰ And the son of an Israelitish 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;
¹¹ And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
¹² And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be showed them.
¹³ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
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.
¹⁵ And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
¹⁶ And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.
¹⁷ And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
¹⁸ And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
¹⁹ And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
²⁰ Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
²¹ And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
²² Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.
²³ And 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.
Evil manners, we say, beget good laws. We have here an account of the evil manners of a certain nameless mongrel Israelite, and the good laws occasioned thereby.
I. The offender was the son of an Egyptian father and an Israelitish mother (Le 24:10); his mother was of the tribe of Dan, Le 24:11. Neither he nor his father is named, but his mother only, who was an Israelite. This notice is taken of his parentage either, 1. To intimate what occasioned the quarrel he was engaged in. The Jews say, "He offered to set up his tent among the Danites in the right of his mother, but was justly opposed by some or other of that tribe, and informed that his father being an Egyptian he had no part nor lot in the matter, but must look upon himself as a stranger." Or, 2. To show the common ill effect of such mixed marriages. When a daughter of Israel would marry an idolatrous malignant Egyptian, what could be the fruit of such a marriage but a blasphemer? For the children will be apt to take after the worse side, whichsoever it is, and will sooner learn of an Egyptian father to blaspheme than of an Israelitish mother to pray and praise.
II. The occasion of the offence was contention: He strove with a man of Israel. The mixed multitude of Egyptians that came up with Israel (Ex 12:38) were in many ways hurtful to them, and this was one, they were often the authors of strife. The way to preserve the peace of the church is to preserve the purity of it. In this strife he broke out into ill language. Note, When quarrels begin we know not what mischief they will make before they end, nor how treat a matter a little fire may kindle. When men's passion is up they are apt to forget both their reason and their religion, which is a good reason why we should not be apt either to give or to resent provocation, but leave off strife before it be meddled with, because the beginning of it is as the letting forth of water.
III. The offence itself was blasphemy and cursing, Le 24:11. It is supposed that his cause came to be heard before the judges, who determined that he had no right to the privileges of an Israelite, his father being an Egyptian, and that, being enraged at the sentence, 1. He blasphemed the name of the Lord. He blasphemed the name, that is, he blasphemed God, who is known by his name only, not by his nature, or any similitude. Not as if God were a mere name, but his is a name above every name. The translators add of the Lord, which is implied, but not expressed, in the original, for the greater reverence of the divine Majesty: it is a shame that it should be found on record that the very name of Jehovah should be blasphemed; tell it not in Gath. It is a fond conceit of the superstitious Jews that his blasphemy was in pronouncing the name of Jehovah, which they call ineffable: he that made himself known by that name never forbade the calling of him by that name. It is probable that finding himself aggrieved by the divine appointment, which separated between the Israelites and strangers, he impudently reproached both the law and the Law-maker, and set him at defiance. 2. He cursed either God himself (and then his cursing was the same with blaspheming) or the person with whom he strove. Imprecations of mischief are the hellish language of hasty passion, as well as of rooted malice. Or perhaps he cursed the judges that gave sentence against him; he flew in the face of the court, and ridiculed the processes of it; thus he added sin to sin.
IV. The caution with which he was proceeded against for this sin. The witnesses or inferior judges brought him and his case (which was somewhat extraordinary) unto Moses (Le 24:11), according to the order settled (Ex 18:22), and Moses himself would not give judgment hastily, but committed the offender into custody, till he had consulted the oracle in this case. Note, Judges must deliberate; both those that give the verdict and those that give the sentence must consider diligently what they do, and do nothing rashly, for the judgment is God's (De 1:17), and before him there will be a rehearing of the cause. They waited to know what was the mind of the Lord, whether he was to be put to death by the hand of the magistrate or to be left to the judgment of God: or, rather, they wanted to know whether he should be stoned, as those were to be that only cursed their parents (Le 20:9), or whether, the crime being so much greater, some sorer punishment should be inflicted on him. Note, Those that sit in judgment should sincerely desire, and by prayer and the use of all good means should endeavour to know the mind of the Lord, because they judge for him (2Ch 19:6) and to him they are accountable.
V. Sentence passed upon this offender by the righteous Judge of heaven and earth himself: Let all the congregation stone him, Le 24:14. God could have cut him off by an immediate stroke from heaven, but he would put this honour upon the institution of magistracy to make use of it for the supporting and vindicating of his own glory in the world. Observe, 1. The place of execution appointed: Bring him forth without the camp. To signify their detestation of the crime, they must thus cast out the criminal as an abominable branch, and separate him from them as an unclean thing and unworthy a place in the camp of Israel. 2. The executioners: Let all the congregation do it, to show their zeal for the honour of God's name. Every man should have a stone to throw at him that blasphemes God, reckoning himself nearly concerned in the reproaches cast on God, Ps 69:9. Thus also the greater terror would be cast upon the congregation; those that once helped to stone a blasphemer would ever after dread every thing that bordered upon blasphemy, that looked like it or looked towards it. 3. The solemnity of the execution; before the congregation stoned him, the witnesses were to lay their hands upon his head. The Jews say that this was used in the execution of no criminals but blasphemers; and that it was done with words to this purport, "Thy blood be upon thy own head, for thou thyself hast occasioned it. Let no blame be laid on the law, judges, juries, or witnesses; if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it."
VI. A standing law made upon this occasion for the stoning of blasphemers, Le 24:15,16. Magistrates are the guardians of both tables, and ought to be as jealous for the honour of God against those that speak contemptuously of his being and government as for the public peace and safety against the disturbers of them. 1. A great stress is laid upon this law, as in no case to be dispensed with: He shall surely be put to death; they shall certainly stone him. Those that lightly esteemed God's honour might think it hard to make a man an offender for a word (words are but wind); but God would let them know that they must not make light of such words as these, which come from malice against God in the heart of him that speaks, and must occasion either great guilt or great grief to those that hear. 2. It is made to extend to the strangers that sojourned among them, as well as those that were born in the land. God never made any law to compel strangers to be circumcised and embrace the Jewish religion (proselytes made by force would be no honour to the God of Israel), but he made a law to restrain strangers from speaking evil of the God of Israel. 3. He that was put to death for blasphemy is said to bear his sin, in the punishment of it; no sacrifice being appointed, on the head of which the sin might be transferred, he himself was to bear it upon his own head, as a sacrifice to divine justice. So his own tongue fell upon him (Ps 64:8), and the tongue of a blasphemer will fall heavily.
VII. A repetition of some other laws annexed to this new law. 1. That murder should be punished with death (Le 24:17, and again Le 24:21), according to an ancient law in Noah's time (Ge 9:6), and the very law of nature, Ge 4:10. 2. That maimers should in like manner be punished by the law of retaliation, Le 24:19,20. Not that men might in these cases be their own avengers, but they might appeal to the civil magistrate, who should award suffering to the injurious and satisfaction to the injured as should be thought fit in proportion to the hurt done. This law we had before, Ex 22:4,5. And it was more agreeable to that dispensation, in which were revealed the rigour of the law and what sin deserved, than to the dispensation we are under, in which are revealed the grace of the gospel and the remission of sins: and therefore our Saviour has set aside this law (Mt 5:38,39), not to restrain magistrates from executing public justice, but to restrain us all from returning personal injuries and to oblige us to forgive as we are and hope to be forgiven. 3. That hurt done wilfully to a neighbour's cattle should be punished by making good the damage, Le 24:18,21. Thus the divine law took not only their lives, but their goods also under its protection. Those beasts which belonged to no particular person, but were, as our law speaks, ferae naturae—of a wild nature, it was lawful for them to kill; but not those which any man had a property in. Does God take care for oxen? Yes; for our sakes he does. 4. That strangers, as well as native Israelites, should be both entitled to the benefit of this law, so as not to suffer wrong, and liable to the penalty of this law in case they did wrong. And, it should seem, this is it that brings in these laws here, to show how equitable it was that strangers as well as Israelites should be punished for blasphemy, because strangers as well as Israelites were punishable for other crimes. And there may be this further reason for the recognition of these laws here, God would hereby show what provision he had made for man's safety, in punishing those that were injurious to him, which should be an argument with magistrates to be jealous for his honour, and to punish those that blasphemed his name. If God took care for their comfort, they ought to take care for his glory.
VIII. The execution of the blasphemer. Moses did, as it were, sign the warrant or it: He spoke unto the children of Israel to do it, and they did as the Lord commanded Moses, Le 24:23. This teaches that death is the wages of sin, and that blasphemy in particular is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. But, if those who thus profane the name of God escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. This blasphemer was the first that died by the law of Moses. Stephen, the first that died for the gospel, died by the abuse of this law; the martyr and the malefactor suffered the same death: but how vast the difference between them!
本章內容如下：一、重申關於燈臺和陳設餅的律法，Le 24:1-9。二、有人違犯了禁止褻瀆的律法，記述了褻瀆者被監禁、受審、定罪和處決的經過，Le 24:10-14，以及Le 24:23。三、禁止褻瀆的律法再次強化（Le 24:15,16），並附有其他若干律法，Le 24:17-23等。