Albert Barnes Commentary Leviticus 24
Albert Barnes Commentary
Leviticus 24
Albert Barnes Commentary
Leviticus 24
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. Without the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron keep it in order from evening to morning before Jehovah continually: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations. He shall keep in order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before Jehovah continually. And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth parts [of an ephah] shall be in one cake. And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before Jehovah. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be to the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto Jehovah. Every sabbath day he shall set it in order before Jehovah continually; it is on the behalf of the children of Israel, an everlasting covenant. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons; and they shall eat it in a holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire by a perpetual statute." — Leviticus 24:1-9 (ASV)
The oil for the lamps of the tabernacle and the meal for the showbread were to be offerings from the Congregation, like the meal for the Pentecostal loaves (Leviticus 23:17). It appears that the responsibility of keeping up the lights rested on the high priest, but the actual service might be performed, on ordinary occasions, by the common priests.
Each cake or loaf of unleavened bread (Leviticus 2:11) was to contain about six pounds and a quarter (see Exodus 29:40 note) of fine flour (Leviticus 24:5). The material was the same, both in quality and in quantity, as that of each one of the wave-loaves of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:17). In the service of the temple, the preparation and arrangement of the cakes was committed to the Levites (1 Chronicles 9:32; 1 Chronicles 23:29; 2 Chronicles 13:11).
Two rows, six on a row (Leviticus 24:6) — Rather, two piles, six in a pile. On the table, see Exodus 25:23-30.
The frankincense as a memorial (Leviticus 24:7; like the handful of the meat-offering, Leviticus 2:2), was most likely cast upon the altar fire as an offering made by fire unto the LORD when the bread was removed from the table on the Sabbath day (Leviticus 24:8; 1 Samuel 21:6). The frankincense was put into small gold cups, one of which was placed upon each pile of bread (See Exodus 25:23-30 note).
Being taken from the children of Israel (Leviticus 24:8) — Each cake represented the offering of a tribe.
(See Leviticus 2:3 note; Leviticus 24:9). It could have been only by a stretch of the law that Ahimelech gave a portion of the showbread to David and his men, on the ground that they were free from ceremonial defilement (1 Samuel 21:4–6; Matthew 12:4).
The showbread was a true meat-offering . The special form in which it was offered, especially in its being brought into the tabernacle and in its consisting of twelve loaves, distinguishes it as an offering made on behalf of the nation.
"And they put him in ward, that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of Jehovah." — Leviticus 24:12 (ASV)
The offender may already have been pronounced guilty by the rulers , and the case was referred to Moses in order that the punishment might be awarded by the divine decree. No law had yet been enacted against blasphemy except by implication. See Exodus 21:17; Exodus 22:28.
"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." — Leviticus 24:14 (ASV)
Lay their hands upon his head - As a protest against the impiety of the criminal, symbolically laying the guilt upon his head. Compare the washing of hands (Deuteronomy 21:6; Matthew 27:24).
Let all the congregation stone him - See Leviticus 20:2 note.
"And 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." — Leviticus 24:16 (ASV)
Stranger - that is, foreigner. See Leviticus 16:29 note.
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