Leviticus 24:16

Lev 24:16 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.

Ver. 16. And he that blasphemeth.] Swearers and blasphemers toss God’s name to and fro with such impiety and profaneness, as if their speech could have no grace but in his disgrace: as if Augustus Caesar were dealing with some god Neptune; or the three sons trying their archery at their father’s heart, to see who can shoot nearest. {a}

Shall surely be put to death.] Though he be never so much provoked by others, as this blasphemer was; that shall no whit excuse him.

{a} Lonicer, Theat. Hist.

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.

He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord: this some make a distinct sin from cursing his God, mentioned Lev 24:15, but the difference they make seems arbitrary, and without evidence from reason, or the use of the words. And therefore this may be a repetition of the same sin in other words, which is common. And as this law is laid down in more general terms, Lev 24:15, so both the sin and the punishment are more particularly expressed, Lev 24:16. Or the first part of Lev 24:16 be an application of the former rule to the present case. And as for him that blasphemeth, &c., or is blaspheming, &c. in the present tense, which is fitly used concerning words just now uttered, and scarce yet out of their ears, he shall, &c. And so the following words,

as well the stranger, & c., may be a repetition and amplification of the former law.

All the congregation shall stone him, to show their zeal for God, and to beget in them the greater dread and abhorrency of blasphemy.

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

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--Although strangers were not obliged to be circumcised, yet by joining the Israelitish camp, they became amenable to the law, especially that which related to blasphemy.

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

Verse 16. Blasphemeth the name of the Lord] ונקב שם יהוה venokeb shem Yehovah, he who pierces, transfixes, or, as some translate it, expounds, the name of Jehovah; See Clarke on Le 24:10. This being the name by which especially the Divine Essence was pointed out, it should be held peculiarly sacred. We have already seen that the Jews never pronounce this name, and so long has it been disused among them that the true pronunciation is now totally lost; See Clarke on Ex 6:3.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(16) And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord.—Better, And he that curseth the name of the Lord. The case is, however, different when it is the God of Israel. It is henceforth to be the law that whosoever curses Jehovah is to suffer death by lapidation, which is to be inflicted upon the criminal by the Jewish community.

As well the stranger as he that is born in the land.—This law is applicable alike to the proselyte and to the Gentile, who does not even profess to believe in Jehovah.

When he blasphemeth the name of the Lord.—Better, when he curseth the Name. Here again the expression “Name” has, out of reverence, been substituted for Jehovah. (See Lev_24:11.)

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

16. all … stone him] probably to be attributed to P or Rp[72], as the original word for ‘congregation’ is not found elsewhere in H.

[72] A Reviser, who, probably after that collection had been combined with the Priestly Code, introduced further elements from that Code.

The occurrence just related having brought about the enactment of a law dealing with the particular case of blasphemy, an occasion is thus offered for adding penalties for other transgressions. For the death penalty as prescribed in this v. for smiting a man mortally, cp. Exo_21:12-14.

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 he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord,.... Or, "but he that blasphemeth", &c. from whence the Jews gather, that the name Jehovah must be expressed, or it is no blasphemy; so Jarchi; but it is not bare using or expressing the word Jehovah that is blasphemy, but speaking ill and contemptuously of God, with respect to any of his names, titles, and epithets, or of any of his perfections, ways, and works:

he shall surely be put to death; no mercy shall be shown him, no reprieve or pardon granted him: hence it is said (f), there is no atonement for it, by repentance, or chastisements, or the day of atonement: so blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is not forgiven, neither in this world nor in that which is to come, Mat 12:31,

and all the congregation shall certainly stone him; shall have no pity on him, nor spare him, but stone him till he dies:

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; even a proselyte of the gate, a Gentile that sojourned among them, uncircumcised, and did not profess the Jewish religion, as well as a proselyte of righteousness, and an Israelite born; yet, if he blasphemed the God of Israel, was to lose his life without any mercy shown him.

(f) R. Alphes, par. 1. Yoma, c. 1. fol. 261. 1.

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

Stranger - i. e. foreigner. See Lev 16:29 note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord - This is a repetition of the same sin in other words, which is common. As this law is laid down in general terms, ver. 15, so both the sin and the punishment are particularly expressed, ver. 16. All the congregation - To shew their zeal for God, and to beget in them the greater dread and abhorrence of blasphemy.

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

ונקב שם AND HE THAT UTTERETH BLASPHEMOUSLY THE NAME [OF THE LORD SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH] — He is not liable to the death-penalty at the hand of the judges unless he utters the Divine Tetragrammaton blasphemously, but not if he execrateth the Lord by only mention of one of the substitutes for the Divine name (e. g., רחום, חנון, אל etc.), (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 19 5; Sanhedrin 56a).

ונקב here is an expression denoting “cursing”, like (Numbers 23:8) “How shall I curse (אקב) [when God hath not cursed]” (Sanhedrin 56a).

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.

The entire congregation. These are the great of the land, who are the Torah giants of Israel. There are those who say (v. 15), “Who shall blaspheme his God [shall bear his sin]” — [this is a case in which he blasphemed] in secrecy. The correct explanation is that the term “Elokim (God)” is an adjective; the angels are called elohim, as well as judges. Who can know what is in the heart of the curser [when he curses using the name Elokim]? [Therefore he is not put to death]. However, [he is liable the death penalty] when he clearly pronounces the honorable Name [the ineffable Name of Hashem] which is not an adjective and cannot be mixed up with any other name besides Hashem Himself. And this is the way the verse is explained: If at the time he curses he will pronounce clearly the Name he will be put to death: “When he clearly articulates the Name,” as the son of the Egyptian did, and for the sake of Hashem’s honor the Name was not mentioned [again in this phrase].

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.