John Gill Commentary Leviticus 24:14

"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)

Bring forth him that has cursed without the camp
To show that he has no part nor lot in Israel, and that he was unworthy to be a member of their civil community, or of their church state; and, besides, the place of stoning, or where malefactors suffered any kind of death, was without the camp, as afterwards without the city, see (Hebrews 13:12Hebrews 13:13) ;

let all that heard [him] lay their hands upon his head ;
the Targum of Jonathan adds,``and the judges;'' so Jarchi remarks, that they that "heard him" are the witnesses, and the word "all" comprehends the judges: Maimonides says <sup>F5</sup> the same, and observes that hands were laid on no malefactor but the blasphemer; and this was done to show that the one had bore a faithful testimony, and the other had pronounced a righteous sentence on him; and that he had brought this guilt and punishment upon himself by his sin; wherefore it was usual for them to say, as the same writers observe, ``thy blood be upon thine own head, and we not punished for thy death, which you have been the cause of to yourself:''

and let all the congregation stone him ;
which Aben Ezra interprets of the great men of Israel; nor can it be thought that every individual of the people could cast a stone at him, but it was to be done by some of them, in the presence of them all, or as many as could conveniently get together to behold it; and this was done to show their detestation of the sin, and to deter from the commission of it:

it was the same kind of punishment that was ordered to be inflicted on him that cursed his father or mother, (Leviticus 20:9) ; God, the God of mercy, requiring no sorer punishment, though it deterred a greater, for such a sin against himself, than against a common parent.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F5: Hilchot Obede Cochabim, c. 2. sect. 10.