Leviticus 24:13

¹²They placed him in custody until the will of the LORD should be made clear to them.¹³Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹⁴“Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and have all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then have the whole assembly stone him.

Summary

In Leviticus 24:13, a man blasphemes the name of the Lord, which is a serious offense in the eyes of God. Blasphemy was considered a grave sin in the Old Testament, punishable by death as a deterrent to prevent disrespect towards God. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of honoring and revering the name of the Lord, reflecting the holiness and sovereignty of God. It underscores the need for obedience and respect towards God's authority, emphasizing the severity of sin and the consequences of dishonoring God.

Commentary

Keil-Delitzsch
John Gill

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

Jehovah ordered the blasphemer to be taken out of the camp, and the witnesses to lay their hands upon his head, and the whole congregation to stone him; and published at the same time the general law, that whoever cursed his God should bear (i.e., atone for) his sin (cf. Exo 22:27), and whoever blasphemed the name of Jehovah should be stoned, the native as well as the foreigner. By laying (resting, cf. Lev 1:4) their hands upon the head of the blasphemer, the hearers or witnesses were to throw off from themselves the blasphemy which they had heard, and return it upon the head of the blasphemer, for him to expiate. The washing of hands in Deu 21:6 is analogous; but the reference made by Knobel to Deu 17:7, where the witnesses are commanded to turn their hand against an idolater who had been condemned to death, i.e., to stone him, is out of place.