Leviticus 24:11

Lev 24:11 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:)

Ver. 11. Blasphemed the name, &c.] Heb., Bored it through; gored it; pierced it; as did those Syrians, slain by the fall of the wall of Aphek; Rabshakeh that dead dog; {Isa 36:4-6} Julian the apostate, Chosroes the Persian, the raging Turk at the siege of Scodra; {a} that foul mouthed Papist that dared say, The God of the Protestants is worse than Pan, god of clowns, which can endure no ceremonies nor good manners at all. {b} To these add Paul Best, who hath lately published blasphemous verses against the Trinity. See the "London Ministers’ Testimonial to the Truth of Jesus Christ."

{a} Turk. Hist., 423.

{b} Sheldon’s Mark of the Beast, epis. dedic.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 24:11. The name of the Lord — The words of the Lord, or of Jehovah, are supplied out of Lev 24:16, where they are expressed; here they are omitted, perhaps for the aggravation of his crime. He blasphemed the name — So called by way of eminence; that name which is above every name; that name which a man should in some sort tremble to mention; which is not to be named without cause, or without reverence. And cursed — Not the Israelite only, but his God also, as appears from Lev 24:15-16. And they brought him — Either the people who heard him, or the inferior magistrate, to whom he was first brought.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24:11 blasphemed . . . with a curse In biblical times, a name was more than a means of identification; it represented a person’s character, reputation, and origin. God is holy, and he was to be regarded as holy in all of Israel’s life (see 10:3). The Israelites had been instructed to treat God’s name with reverence (Exod 20:7). Using his name in a curse reflected a sinful attitude toward God himself (Lev 24:15), and it deserved death (24:13-16). The wording in the Hebrew text is very strong: Two verbs meaning “curse” are used, one that indicated a more formal type of curse, the other a blasphemous or irreverent expression. The two terms are synonymous in 24:15-16. • the Name of the Lord: The Hebrew text refers simply to “the Name” to reflect care and reverence for God’s name.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

By swearing or despiting God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord--A youth of this half-blood, having quarrelled with an Israelite [Lev 24:10], vented his rage in some horrid form of impiety. It was a common practice among the Egyptians to curse their idols when disappointed in obtaining the object of their petitions. The Egyptian mind of this youth thought the greatest insult to his opponent was to blaspheme the object of his religious reverence. He spoke disrespectfully of One who sustained the double character of the King as well as the God of the Hebrew people; as the offense was a new one, he was put in ward till the mind of the Lord was ascertained as to his disposal.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(11) Blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed.—Better, cursed the Name and reviled. In accordance with the above interpretation, this happened after sentence was given against him, and when they had left the court. Being vexed with the Divine enactments which excluded him from encamping in the tribe of his mother, he both cursed God who gave such law, and reviled the judges who pronounced judgment against him. The expression, “the Name,” which in after times was commonly used instead of the Ineffable Jehovah, has been substituted here for the Tetragrammaton by a transcriber who out of reverence would not combine cursing with it. The same shyness on the part of copyists has been the cause of inserting the word Lord (Adonaî) and God (Elohîm) for Jehovah in sundry passages of the Old Testament. During the second Temple, however, this passage was rendered, “he pronounced the Name and cursed.” Hence it was enacted that the simple pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was criminal. In accordance with the ancient interpretation, the Chaldee version translates this part of the verse, “And when they came out of the house of judgment, having been condemned, the son of the Israelitish woman pronounced and reviled the great and glorious name of manifestation which had been heard on Sinai, and he was defiant and annoying.”

And they brought him unto Moses.—The contention about his right to pitch his tent among the tribe to which his mother belonged being a minor point, came within the jurisdiction of the rulers, according to the advice of Jethro (Exo_18:22); whilst blaspheming God was considered too serious an offence, and hence the criminal was brought to Moses.

And his mother’s name was Shelomith.—Whether we accept the traditional explanation, that Shelomith was no consenting party to her union with the Egyptian, or whether we regard her as having voluntarily married him, the fact that both her personal and tribal names are here so distinctly specified, indicates that the record of this incident is designed to point out the ungodly issue of so unholy an alliance, and to guard the Hebrew women against intermarriage with heathen.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. blasphemed the Name] The Heb. verb denotes ‘to indicate by name’ either honourably or with reproach. In the latter sense it is used in Num_23:8; Pro_11:26, etc., and obviously must be so interpreted here. But the Jews, taking the word in its more general sense, understood the passage as forbidding the mention of the Sacred Name, and wherever it occurs in the Scriptures they either pronounced it Adônai instead (rendered in English by ‘the Lord’), or, where the word Adônai was itself in immediate juxtaposition with the Sacred Name, they substituted for the latter Elôhîm.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed,.... As they were striving together, or when the trial was over, he being cast, fell into outrageous blasphemies against God, who made such laws for the civil polity of Israel, and cursed the judges that had given sentence against him; so the Targum of Jonathan; and so the Jews generally understand by the "name" blasphemed, the name Jehovah, which he spake out plainly, and which, they say, is ineffable, and ought not to be pronounced but by the high priest in the sanctuary; but this man expressed it in its proper sound, and made use of it to curse the man that strove with him, or the judge that judged him; so it is said in the Misnah (d),"a blasphemer is not guilty until he expresses the name;''but it undoubtedly means blaspheming God himself, by whatsoever name:

and they brought him unto Moses; having heard his blasphemy, to charge him with it before him, or in order to have due punishment inflicted on him: as to the matter of contest between him and the Israelite, that had been decided in a lesser court of judicature, such an one as had been set up by the advice of Jethro; but though there was full proof of his blasphemy and cursing, which, perhaps, were expressed in open court; they might not know what punishment to inflict upon him for so horrid a crime, of which, perhaps, they had never had an instance before, and therefore sent him to Moses, to whom the hearing and decision of weighty matters belonged; see Exo 18:22,

and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan; which is observed, as it should seem, to show in what tribe this affair happened, and what the quarrel was first about, even a place and rank in this tribe.

(d) Sanhedrin, c. 7. sect. 5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Name. Some Latin copies add, "of God;" but the best omit it, with the Hebrew, &c. This is, however, the meaning. (Calmet) --- The son of Salumith being in a rage, cursed that sacred name; (ver. 15) and, as he perhaps had attempted to vent his fury upon whatever came in his way, God here reiterates the laws against murder, &c., ver. 17. The Jews are so much afraid of taking the name of God (Yehovah) in vain, that they have for a long time abstained from pronouncing it at all; (Haydock) and here they have probably omitted it on purpose. (Houbigant) But this seems to border upon superstition, is contrary to the design of God, who revealed that august name, and inserted it very frequently in the holy Bible, and in the very prayer, which the senators have to recite; (Deuteronomy xxi. 8,) and, can any one suppose, that he would not have them pronounce it, even in their solemn devotions? Many of the Rabbins suppose, that blasphemy is not to be punished with death, if any other name of God be used: but others are more reasonable. Our Saviour was not accused by the Jews of transgressing, in this respect, when they condemned him as guilty of blasphemy, Matthew xxvi. 64. The name of God, is often used in the same sense as we use the words majesty, lordship, &c., as being more emphatical, and dignified. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The name of the Lord: the words of the Lord, or of Jehovah, are here conveniently supplied out of Lev 24:16, where they are expressed, but here they are omitted for the aggravation of his crime. He

blasphemed the name, so called by way of eminency; that name which is above every name; that name which a man should in some sort tremble to mention; which is not to be named without cause and without reverence. For which reason the godly Jews did many times rather understand than express the name of God, as Mar 14:62, the right hand of power, for of the power of God, as it is Luk 22:69; and the Blessed for the blessed God, Mat 26:63 Mar 14:61. And cursed, not the Israelite only, but his God also, as appears from Lev 24:15,16.

They brought him; either the people who heard him, or the inferior magistrate, to whom he was first brought.

Unto Moses, according to the order settled by Jethro’s advice, Exo 18:26.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Blasphemed — The Seventy and Rashi erroneously render the original accurately pronounced, this being looked upon before God as a reviling of him. From this passage the rabbins, by an untenable exposition, derived their prohibition even to utter the name of Jehovah, called “the sacred tetragrammaton.” The provocation to this vilification of Jehovah is not given. It is probable that the adversary of the half Israelite had taunted him on account of his Egyptian descent as a disgrace, and adding that he had no part in the God of Israel and in his covenant, and that in the heat of passion the half-breed spoke contemptuously of Jehovah, and possibly contrasted him with the gods of his father.

The name — We admit, with the rationalistic critics, that the designation of Jehovah by “the name,” is a practice of a later age. But this practice must have had a beginning, and that beginning may have been in the age of the Pentateuch. This is confirmed by the fact that in Lev_24:16 we have the full expression, “the name of Jehovah,” as evidently explanatory of the recently invented designation, “the name.” Hence no satisfactory proof that this piece of history is the interpolation of a later age can be derived from this phrase. From this passage we see that the Jews of this early period may have pronounced “the name” by substituting the consonants of Adonai for those of Jehovah, so that this practice cannot be regarded as a superstition originating with Jews after the destruction of Jerusalem. “This dread,” says Oehler, “sprang from the efforts of later Judaism to thrust back divinity to an unapproachable distance, and everywhere to put something between divinity and man.” The translation of Jehovah, by Κυριος, Lord, 250 years before Christ, confirms this statement. It is a strong incidental proof of the supreme godhead of Christ that he is called “the Name.” See R.V., Act_5:41; 3Jn_1:7.

Shelomith — A sad misnomer, for it signifies peacefulness. It is quite a common name in the Old Testament. Nothing more is known of this woman, who stands pilloried in history as the mother of a blasphemer.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the course of the straggle the Israelitish woman"s son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. The word nakav is here rightly translated blasphemeth (cf. verses 14, 16, 23), but the words of the Lord should be omitted, as they are not found in the original, and are not required. The LXX have rendered nakav by a word meaning pronounced, and on this misunderstanding, adopted by the Jews, has been founded the Jewish precept forbidding the utterance of the Divine Name. Owing to that prohibition, the true pronunciation of the word written and called "Jehovah" has been lost. Wherever the Name occurred in Scripture, that of Adoring, meaning Lord, was substituted for it in public reading, the consonants only of the original name, Y H V H, being preserved in the written text, and the vowels of Adonai, namely a o a, being written underneath them in lieu of the original vowels. From the consonants Y H Y H and the vowels a o a would be formed Yahovah or Jahovah, but the laws of the Hebrew language required the first a to be changed into e, and hence the name Jehovah. It is almost certain that the original vowels were a and e, which would form the name Yahveh, the Samaritans having always so pronounced it, according to the testimony of Theodoret. It is said that the high priest continued to utter the very name Yahveh on the Day of Atonement long after it had ceased to be used in the reading of the Scriptures, and that when he did so, those who heard it prostrated themselves, saying, "Blessed be the Name!" After a time, however, he ceased to pronounce it aloud on that day also, lest it should be learnt and used for magical purposes. In consequence, perhaps, of the substitution of Adonai for Yahveh, the Septuagint version always reads for Yahveh, Kuriov : and the English version the LORD. In French and other versions the name is represented by the Eternal, and it has been proposed to substitute the latter rendering for the Loud in our own version. But it is more than doubtful whether we should then come nearer to the true sense of the original Yahveh, although at first sight it appears that this would be the case. For the word Yahveh is part of the causative form of the verb havah, or hayah, to be; but this verb is not used to express unchangeable or absolute existence, but rather an occurrence: its causative form, therefore, would signify that which brings about events; and the substantive derived from that causative form would signify, not one that eternally exists, but one that providentially governs. For an induction of instances for the further proof of the above meaning of the word Yahveh, we refer the reader to Sir William Martin"s essay "On the Divine Name" ("Semitic Languages," part 2), from which we transcribe the concluding paragraph. "This view of the Divine Name, to which we are led by the evidence of the Hebrew language itself, is in full conformity with the general religious teaching of the Old Testament, which is practical and moral; setting forth in form readily intelligible, the character of God in his relations to man. It does not concern itself with those problems which philosophy has ever been seeking to solve. It addresses itself to human needs and human duties, and not to abstract inquiries. Not that the highest abstract truths were unknown or untaught. Lawgiver and prophet and psalmist set before the people the greatness and the eternity of God in language most clear and impressive. Yet the Name whereby he was put before them as the object of their daily worship, was not one which would exalt him to the utmost above the frail and changeful and transitory lives of his worshippers, and thereby remove him far away from them into the height of a Being beyond man"s search or comprehension; but rather a Name which should bring him nigh to them, as One ever mindful of them, ever carrying forward his great purpose for their good, working for their deliverance in every time of need; as One "whose providence ordereth all things in heaven and on earth." If this Name did convey to the mind of a Hebrew hearer the thought above expressed, it follows that the old rendering Adonai, Kuriov , or Lord, is to be preferred to that which has of late been substituted for it." And they brought the blasphemer unto Moses. This was in accordance with the counsel of Jethro, accepted by Moses: (Exo_18:13-26) "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: and let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge:... and they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

Vers. 11-16. The Name of the Lord is a revelation of his nature. Names given or taken by man may be imposed from accidental circumstances. A name given by God denotes an essential quality of the thing named. Hence if we can arrive at the true meaning of God"s Name, as revealed by himself, we shall have a manifestation of himself as he chose to reveal his nature to man.

I After the primary Name of Elohim, where we mark the plural form of the noun, the Name by which he revealed himself to the patriarchs was that of El Shaddai, GOD ALMIGHTY. His omnipotence was the part of his nature which he specially manifested to them. (Exo_6:3)

II To Moses he revealed himself under the name of EHYEH, ASHER EHYEH, or I AM THAT I AM. The word Ehyeh is not used for absolute existence in any place where it is found in the Scriptures, but rather for condition or relation. "The meaning to be given to the words, if we guide ourselves by the evidence furnished by the Hebrew books, may be paraphrased in this way, "I show myself from time to time, even as I show myself. I stand from time to time in varying relation to men. This is my Name. Only from my dealings with men is my character to be apprehended by men (Sir W. Martin, "Semitic Languages").

III He also revealed himself to Moses as YAHVEH. Neither is this word used for absolute existence. It means the One who causes things to happen as they do.

IV IN THESE THREE NAMES, THEN, WE FIND THE REVELATION THAT GOD THOUGHT PROPER THEREBY TO GIVE TO HIS ANCIENT PEOPLE. He is the Almighty Spiritual Being, who manifests himself as he wills to his creatures, and governs by his providence the universe and all the events of human life. This is the proclamation of his Name by God himself. "And Yahveh descended in the cloud, and stood with Moses there, and proclaimed the name of Yahveh. And Yahveh passed by before him, and proclaimed, Yahveh, Yahveh Elohim, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children"s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation". (Exo_34:5-7) In the Old Testament, then, God does not, by his Name, reveal his absolute nature, but his relation to man as the Supreme Moral Governor of the world, whose characteristic in that government was omnipotence, uncontrolled by anything but his own will, but guided by mercy and justice.

V IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, NOT ONLY GOD"S RELATION TO MAN, BUT ALSO HIS OWN NATURE, IS REVEALED BY THE NAME OF FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST. These names exhibit to us, so far as human faculties can apprehend them, the very Godhead, not merely as governing man, but in its essential character. "The revealed Name of God, given to the apostles in the tradition of holy baptism, is a revelation of truth. The entire Christian revelation is in the way of a summary contained in it. It is itself a doctrine and the sum of all doctrine. It was originally given in order that the world might be taught it ("make disciples of all nations"), and it contains all that the world, in the way of religion, needs to be taught. The apostles, indeed, by Divine inspiration, developed it into its essential and necessary details, summed into the Apostles" Creed; but in itself, that is, in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, all was shortly comprised. In like manner, it is a creed and the sum of all creeds; for while we read that it was often used as a creed in early times, the structure of the subsequent authoritative creeds of the Church has been so framed upon it, and their contents so confined to it, that what we chiefly learn in all the articles of our belief, whether contained in the Apostles", the Nicene, or the Athanasian formula, is first, to believe in God the Father, who hath made all the world; secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed all mankind; and thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth all the elect people of God.... All the great elements and outlines of inspired teaching, as they are gathered into the Apostles" Creed, and all the minute expressions and articulations of truth as given to the Church in writing by the apostles, are to be regarded with deep, true, and habitual reverence for the sake of the Name of God" (Moberly, "The Law of the Love of God").

VI THE NAME JESUS CHRIST INDICATES THE WORK AND THE RELATION TO OURSELVES OF HIM WHO BEING MAN WAS ALSO GOD.

1. Christ is the Anointed One. "God anointed Jesus... with the Holy Ghost and with power". (Act_10:38) "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us full of grace and truth"; (Joh_1:14) "for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him"; (Joh_3:34) "for it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell". (Col_1:19)

2. Jesus is the Saviour. "Thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins". (Mat_1:21) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"; (Act_4:12) "a Prince and a Saviour"; (Act_5:31) "a Saviour, Jesus". (Act_13:23) "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.... For the transgression of my people was he stricken". (Isa_53:5-8) The Name Jesus Christ, therefore, indicates that he who bore it was the promised Messiah, (Dan_9:25 Joh_1:41) filled to the full with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and the Saviour of those that put their trust in him.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The name of the Lord - The words of the Lord, or of Jehovah, are supplied out of ver. 16, where they are expressed; here they are omitted perhaps for the aggravation of his crime. He blasphemed the name so called by way of eminency; that name which is above every name; that name which a man should in some sort tremble to mention; which is not to be named without cause or without reverence. And cursed - Not the Israelite only, but his God also, as appears from ver. 15, 16. And they brought him - Either the people who heard him, or the inferior magistrate, to whom he was first brought.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

ויקב — Translate this as the Targum does: ופרש “and he pronounced”, thus ויקב … ויקלל means that he uttered the Tetragrammaton and by so doing blasphemed. It was the “Proper Name” which he had heard on Mount Sinai (cf. Sifra, Emor, Section 14 2 and Jeremiah Targ.).

ושם אמו שלמית בת דברי AND HIS MOTHER’S NAME WAS SHELOMITH, THE DAUGHTER OF DIBRI, [THE TRIBE OF DAN] — it is to tell how praiseworthy Israel was that Scripture publicly mentions her name (exposes her), telling us implicitly that of all the women of Israel she alone was a harlot (Leviticus Rabbah 32 5).

שלמית (connected with שלום “peace”) — she was so called because she was always babbling: “Peace be with thee”, “peace be with thee”, “peace be with you” — she used to continually babble with many words (she was a בת דברי) — she enquired after the health of everybody (Leviticus Rabbah 32 5).

בת דברי (from the root דבר “to speak”) — she was talkative — talking with any man, and in consequence of this she got into trouble.

למטה דן OF THE TRIBE OF DAN — This mention also of the parent and tribe of the woman teaches us that the wrong doer brings shame upon himself, shame upon his parent, shame upon his whole tribe. Similarly we find the name of the tribe Dan mentioned to express praise; (Exodus 31:6) “Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan”, where the details of Oholiab’s descent imply praise for him, praise for his father and praise for his tribe (Sifra, Emor, Section 14 4).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.