Leviticus 24:10-16 · Bible study
Leviticus 24:10-16 Commentary: Blasphemy of Shelomith's Son
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why highlight the blasphemer's mixed parentage? How this incident shaped Israel's law on blasphemy and the sacredness of God's name.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A half-Israelite blasphemer triggers a divine law establishing death for cursing God's name, applied equally to native and foreigner.
- Key words: H5344 (נָקַב, "slander/blaspheme"), H7043 (קָלַל, "curse/make light of"), H8034 (שֵׁם, "the Name" as divine title), H1616 (גֵּר, "sojourner").
- Main debate: Whether the blasphemer's Egyptian father was the man Moses killed (Jewish tradition) or merely a member of the mixed multitude (most modern commentators).
- Theological theme: The absolute holiness of God's name and the community's responsibility to protect it through justice.
- Best use: A sermon or lesson on the third commandment, reverence for God, and the tension between grace and judgment in the Old Testament.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
10Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite.
11The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a curse. So they brought him to Moses. (His mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.)
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.
15And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin.
16Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death; the whole assembly must surely stone him, whether he is a foreign resident or native; if he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
WEB World English Bible 2000
10The son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp.
11The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12They put him in custody until Yahweh’s will should be declared to them.
13Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
14“Bring him who cursed out of the camp; and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
15You shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.
16He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name.
KJV King James Version 1769
10And 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;
11And 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:)
12And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them.
13And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
14Bring 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.
15And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
16And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
10And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp:
11and the son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12And they put him in ward, that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of Jehovah.
13And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
14Bring 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.
15And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
16And he that blasphemeth the name of Jehovah, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the sojourner, as the home-born, when he blasphemeth the name of Jehovah, shall be put to death.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
10And a son of an Israelitish woman goeth out (and he is son of an Egyptian man), in the midst of the sons of Israel, and strive in the camp do the son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel,
11and the son of the Israelitish woman execrateth the Name, and revileth; and they bring him in unto Moses; and his mother's name is Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan;
12and he causeth him to rest in charge--to explain to them by the mouth of Jehovah.
13And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
14`Bring out the reviler unto the outside of the camp; and all those hearing have laid their hands on his head, and all the company have stoned him.
15`And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak, saying, When any man revileth his God--then he hath borne his sin;
16and he who is execrating the name of Jehovah is certainly put to death; all the company do certainly cast stones at him; as a sojourner so a native, in his execrating the Name, is put to death.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
10And the son of an Israelitish woman — but withal the son of an Egyptian, — went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelitess and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
11and the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him to Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.
12And they confined him, that they might decide at the mouth of Jehovah.
13And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
14Lead the reviler outside the camp; and all that heard [him] shall lay their hands upon his head, and the whole assembly shall stone him.
15And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Every one when he revileth his God shall bear his sin.
16And he that blasphemeth the name of Jehovah shall certainly be put to death; all the assembly shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger as he that is home-born, when he blasphemeth the Name, shall be put to death.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
10And behold there went out the son of a woman of Israel, whom she had of an Egyptian, among the children of Israel: and fell at words in the camp with a man of Israel.
11And when he had blasphemed the name, and had cursed it, he was brought to Moses. (Now his mother was called Salumith, the daughter of Dabri, of the tribe of Dan.)
12And they put him into prison, till they might know what the Lord would command.
13And the Lord spoke to Moses,
14Saying: Bring forth the blasphemer without the camp: and let them that heard him, put their hands upon his head: and let all the people stone him.
15And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel: The man that curseth his God, shall bear his sin:
16And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying let him die. All the multitude shall stone him, whether he be a native or a stranger. He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, dying let him die.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 24:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this passage records the first case of blasphemy in Israel and the law that arose from it. The man's mixed parentage, an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father, is not incidental. Wesley notes it shows the danger of marriages with people of wicked principles, and that God would not let this sin go unpunished among His people regardless of the offender's background. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Poole point out that his father was likely from the "mixed multitude" that left Egypt (Exodus 12:38). The quarrel with an Israelite, described in the text, escalated into blasphemy when the man cursed "the Name", Yahweh's personal name, the sacred tetragrammaton. Because no specific civil penalty had been given for such an act (only the general warning of Exodus 20:7), Moses placed him in custody until God's will was declared. The divine sentence was death by stoning, with witnesses laying hands on his head to transfer guilt. Calvin and Henry emphasize that God used this occurrence to publish a clear law protecting His holy name, applicable equally to native and foreigner.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Mixed identity as cause: Several commentators (Wesley, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Poole) argue that the man's half-Egyptian background created social friction and religious confusion, leading directly to the blasphemy.
- Legal precedent triggered by any blasphemer: Calvin and Keil focus on the divine response rather than the man's identity: the incident served to publish a needed law, and the man's background is merely circumstantial.
What is clear: All Christians agree that blasphemy against the name of God is a grave sin, and that God's name must be treated with reverence and honor.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the Egyptian father | All traditions agree the man had an Egyptian father, making him part of the mixed multitude that left Egypt (Exodus 12:38). | Jewish tradition identifies him as the Egyptian Moses killed (Exodus 2:12); most modern commentators see this as speculation and focus instead on the social tensions his mixed heritage created. |
| Meaning of 'curses his God' in v.15 | The phrase refers to speaking contemptuously of the deity someone worships. | Some interpreters (Gill, older commentators) see it as a general law applying to any god a person reveres, while others limit it to the God of Israel, since the context is about blaspheming Yahweh's name. |
| Application to foreigners | The final verse explicitly includes the foreign resident (ger) under the same penalty as the native-born. | Some argue this applied only to sojourners living within the Israelite camp who had voluntarily placed themselves under covenant law; others see it as a universal principle that God's name is to be honored by all people. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events at Sinai took place as Israel camped as a holy nation, with God's presence dwelling in the tabernacle. A "mixed multitude" (Exodus 12:38) had accompanied Israel out of Egypt, bringing with them varied cultural and religious backgrounds. The man's Egyptian father likely came from this group, and his mother Shelomith was of the tribe of Dan (v.11). Jewish tradition, cited by Gill and others, adds detail: the man tried to pitch his tent among the Danites, claiming his mother's tribe, but an Israelite disputed this right. This quarrel took place before the rulers, and when judgment went against him, he exploded into blasphemy.
There was no existing civil penalty for cursing God's name, only the third commandment's warning that God would not hold the guilty innocent (Exodus 20:7). Moses therefore placed the man in custody (mishmar, a guardhouse) to await divine instruction. God's reply came, likely through the mercy seat or by Urim and Thummim (Ellicott). The sentence included a symbolic hand-laying by the witnesses, Clarke explains this was a public testimony transferring the guilt back on the offender's head, making the execution lawful. Stoning outside the camp removed the pollution from the community, as later done with the Sabbath-breaker (Numbers 15:35-36). The law was then generalized: anyone, whether native or sojourner (ger), who blasphemed the Name must die.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note that in verses 11 and 16, some Hebrew manuscripts omit the phrase "of the LORD" (Yahweh), leaving simply "the Name." Lange's commentary observes that this is likely original, as "the Name" (haShem) functioned in Israel as a respectful circumlocution for the tetragrammaton. The variant does not affect the meaning: the context makes clear it is Yahweh's name that was blasphemed.
Reception History
This passage became foundational for Jewish law on blasphemy, as later developed in the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 7:5), which required the explicit pronunciation of the divine name for conviction. Early Christian writers read the stoning outside the camp as a type of Christ's own suffering "outside the gate" (Hebrews 13:12-13). The parallel incident in Numbers 15:32-36 (the Sabbath-breaker) reinforces the pattern of divine law given through a test case. During the Reformation, Calvin used these verses to emphasize the third commandment's demand for reverence, noting that God's name must not be treated lightly. Modern readers across traditions recognize the passage as a sobering illustration of how seriously God guards His holiness, while also wrestling with how to apply such stringent penalties in a post-cross context.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Mixed identities can lead to conflict. The man's half-Israelite, half-Egyptian heritage placed him between two worlds. When that identity was challenged in a dispute, it erupted into open blasphemy against God.
- Blasphemy is a capital offense against a holy God. Cursing the divine Name was not merely angry speech, it attacked the very foundation of Israel's covenant community and the honor of the King of kings.
- God's law applies to everyone. The final verse makes explicit that the foreigner and the native-born face the same standard. No one is exempt from reverence for the Name.
Five-point outline
- The trigger: A fight between two men in the camp over tribal placement (according to Jewish tradition).
- The escalation: The half-Israelite cursed God's Name, using the sacred tetragrammaton in anger.
- The procedure: Moses placed him in custody and sought God's will, no human judgment could invent a penalty for so grave an offense.
- The verdict: Death by stoning, with the witnesses laying hands on his head to transfer the guilt publicly.
- The application: A standing law for all Israel, covering both native and foreigner, protecting the Name from dishonor.
Illustration hooks
- A workplace dispute where one person attacks what a coworker holds sacred, not because they disagree but to wound. The escalation reveals what matters most to both.
- A referee's call in a heated game triggers a player to curse his own coach's name, the immediate anger is about the call, but the outburst targets the person who represents the team. Blasphemy targets God as the ultimate authority behind the rules.
- A community's shared commitment to respect a sacred space, like a war memorial or a church building. When someone defaces it, the outrage is not just about property but about what the space represents.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really require the death penalty for words? How does this fit with grace in the New Testament?
- What counts as blasphemy today? Is it only using God's name as a curse, or does it include mocking Him, claiming His authority falsely, or treating His word with contempt?
- If a person blasphemes but later repents, is there forgiveness? (The passage does not say; but the law's severity shows how seriously God takes the offense, and the cross addresses even this.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the weight of God's name in a community that knew His presence at Sinai. The incident is raw and disturbing: a fight, cursing, and execution. But it raises foundational questions about honor, identity, and holiness.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about the blasphemer from verses 10, 11? Why do you think the writer includes his mother's name and tribe but not his father's name?
- The quarrel started over an everyday conflict, where to pitch a tent. How do small disputes sometimes escalate into attacks on God Himself?
- Moses did not assume he knew the punishment but sought God's will. What does this tell us about humility in leadership and the need for divine guidance in matters of justice?
- The witnesses laid hands on the blasphemer's head before the stoning. According to Clarke and others, this transferred the guilt back to him. What does this ceremony say about the community's responsibility?
- Read Exodus 20:7. How does the law in Leviticus 24:15, 16 fill out the third commandment? What new clarity does it add?
- The law applies to "the foreigner as well as the native-born." Why would God include non-Israelites in this requirement? What does it say about the holiness of His name?
- In what ways can we dishonor God's name today without using profanity? Think about hypocrisy, empty worship, or speaking of God flippantly.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 12:38 | A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much livestock. |
| Numbers 11:4 | The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? |
| Exodus 3:15 | God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations. |
| Exodus 18:22 | Let them judge the people at all times. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they shall judge themselves. So shall it be easier for you, and they shall share the load with you. |
| Exodus 18:26 | They judged the people at all times. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. |
| Exodus 20:7 | “You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. |
| Numbers 15:33 | Those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. |
| Numbers 15:35 | Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke observes that the ancient Hebrew text and all early translations of the blasphemer's story lack the divine name Jehovah in verse 11. He argues that the Jewish custom of substituting haShem, meaning The Name, came later from rabbinical tradition, not from the original Scripture.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that no explicit law against blasphemy yet existed; it was only implied from other statutes. He interprets the laying on of hands as a symbolic protest, transferring the guilt back onto the offender before the community carries out the stoning.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that God providentially chose a half-Egyptian, not a full Israelite, as the first blasphemer punished by death. This made the lesson sharper: if a foreigner's insult to God's name was treated so severely, no one in the covenant community could plead ignorance or expect leniency.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the blasphemer was only half Israelite, a detail that links this incident to later Jewish concerns about foreign influence. After the Return, alliances with Egyptians and other nations were banned because mixed marriages were seen as a threat to the Jewish faith.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the blasphemer's crime grew out of a specific tribal dispute over tent placement, rooted in his mixed Egyptian-Israelite parentage. Since no clear penalty for blasphemy had been given, Moses sought God's direction, leading to the command for stoning outside the camp. Gill also notes that this death penalty applied equally to native Israelites and resident foreigners.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB traces the blasphemer's offense to his Egyptian father's cultural habit of cursing idols when angry. This half-Israelite youth, in a quarrel, turned that practice against the God of Israel. The commentary also notes that strangers who lived in the camp, even if uncircumcised, became bound by the law against blasphemy.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch emphasize that this account was placed here not just as an example, but because the actual blasphemy occurred exactly while God was giving laws on sanctification. They note that the witnesses laid hands on the blasphemer’s head to symbolically return the heard blasphemy onto him for him to bear.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues this narrative belongs exactly where it stands because the name of Jehovah is the foundation of all consecration. Blasphemy against that name is the supreme crime in Israel, ranked above murder itself, and the whole congregation must carry out the punishment to show the crime touches everyone.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that this single act of blasphemy became the occasion for God to establish a clear, written law on the matter. What began as a man's wicked outburst led to a broader statute protecting God's name and ensuring equal justice for both native-born and foreigner.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees the blasphemer's Egyptian father as a warning against marriages with wicked people. He emphasizes that blasp