Leviticus 24:16
New International Version
anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.

New Living Translation
Anyone who blasphemes the Name of the LORD must be stoned to death by the whole community of Israel. Any native-born Israelite or foreigner among you who blasphemes the Name of the LORD must be put to death.

English Standard Version
Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever 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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall be put to death.

New American Standard Bible
Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The stranger as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

NASB 1995
‘Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

NASB 1977
‘Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

Legacy Standard Bible
Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of Yahweh shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

Amplified Bible
Further, the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall most certainly be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him. The stranger as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name [of the LORD].

Christian Standard Bible
Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death; the whole community is to stone him. If he blasphemes the Name, he is to be put to death, whether the resident alien or the native.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whoever blasphemes the name of Yahweh is to be put to death; the whole community must stone him. If he blasphemes the Name, he is to be put to death, whether the foreign resident or the native.”

American Standard Version
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.

English Revised Version
And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as the homeborn, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But those who curse the LORD's name must be put to death. The whole congregation must stone them to death. It makes no difference whether they are Israelites or foreigners. Whoever curses the LORD's name must die.

Good News Translation
and be put to death. Any Israelite or any foreigner living in Israel who curses the LORD shall be stoned to death by the whole community.

International Standard Version
because the one who blasphemes the name of the LORD is certainly to be put to death. The entire congregation is to stone him to death. As it is for the resident alien, so it is to be with the native born: when he blasphemes the Name, he is to be put to death.

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever 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.

NET Bible
and one who misuses the name of the LORD must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must surely stone him, whether he is a foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.

New Heart English Bible
He who blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him: the foreigner as well as the native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
He 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.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he who is execrating the Name of YHWH is certainly put to death; all the congregation certainly casts stones at him; as a sojourner so a native, in his execrating the Name, he is put to death.

Young's Literal Translation
and 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.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he vilifying the name of Jehovah, dying, shall die; stoning, all the assembly shall stone him: as the stranger so the native, in his vilifying the name, he shall die.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And 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.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and whoever will have blasphemed the name of the Lord shall be put to death. The entire multitude shall overwhelm him with stones, whether he be a citizen or a sojourner. Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death.

New American Bible
whoever utters the name of the LORD in a curse shall be put to death. The whole community shall stone that person; alien and native-born alike must be put to death for uttering the LORD’s name in a curse.

New Revised Standard Version
One who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall be put to death; the whole congregation shall stone the blasphemer. Aliens as well as citizens, when they blaspheme the Name, shall be put to death.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he who blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall surely stone him; the proselyte as well as the Israelite, when he blasphemes my name, shall be put to death.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And who ever will execrate the Name of LORD JEHOVAH surely shall be killed and surely all of the assembly shall stone him; he who is converted to me or a son of Israel, when he has execrated my Name, he shall be killed.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger, as the home-born, when he blasphemeth the Name, shall be put to death.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he that names the name of the Lord, let him die the death: let all the congregation of Israel stone him with stones; whether he be a stranger or a native, let him die for naming the name of the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Shelomith's Son Blasphemes
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.

Cross References
Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

Deuteronomy 5:11
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

Numbers 15:30-31
But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people. / He shall certainly be cut off, because he has despised the word of the LORD and broken His commandment; his guilt remains on him.”

Exodus 22:28
You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

Deuteronomy 18:20
But if any prophet dares to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of other gods, that prophet must be put to death.”

1 Kings 21:10-13
But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify, ‘You have cursed both God and the king!’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” / So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel had instructed in the letters she had written to them. / They proclaimed a fast and gave Naboth a seat of honor among the people. ...

Isaiah 8:21
They will roam the land, dejected and hungry. When they are famished, they will become enraged; and looking upward, they will curse their king and their God.

Isaiah 37:23
Whom have you taunted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!

Ezekiel 20:27
Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: In this way also your fathers blasphemed Me by their unfaithfulness against Me.

Ezekiel 36:20-23
And wherever they went among the nations, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, ‘These are the people of the LORD, yet they had to leave His land.’ / But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they had gone. / Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: It is not for your sake that I will act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations to which you went. ...

Matthew 12:31-32
Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. / Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the one to come.

Mark 3:28-29
Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter. / But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.”

Luke 12:10
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

John 10:33
“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

Acts 6:11-13
Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” / So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin, / where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.


Treasury of Scripture

And he that blasphemes 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 blasphemes the name of the Lord, shall be put to death.

Numbers 1:17
And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names:

1 Chronicles 12:31
And of the half tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, which were expressed by name, to come and make David king.

Isaiah 62:2
And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

1 Kings 21:10-13
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die…

Psalm 74:10,18
O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? …

Jump to Previous
Alien Assembly Birth Blasphemes Blasphemeth Born Company Congregation Death Entire Evil Foreigner Holy Home-Born Israelite Moreover Nation Native Native-Born Sojourner Stone Stoned Stranger Surely Whether
Jump to Next
Alien Assembly Birth Blasphemes Blasphemeth Born Company Congregation Death Entire Evil Foreigner Holy Home-Born Israelite Moreover Nation Native Native-Born Sojourner Stone Stoned Stranger Surely Whether
Leviticus 24
1. The oil for the lamps
5. The showbread
10. Shelomith's son blasphemes
13. The law of blasphemy
17. Of murder
18. Of damage
23. The blasphemer is stoned














Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD
Blasphemy in the biblical context refers to showing contempt or lack of reverence for God. The "name of the LORD" signifies God's character and authority. In ancient Israel, God's name was considered sacred and inviolable, reflecting His holiness and the covenant relationship with His people. This command underscores the seriousness of maintaining reverence for God, as seen in the Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7).

must surely be put to death;
The death penalty for blasphemy highlights the gravity of the offense in the theocratic society of Israel. It served as a deterrent to prevent the community from falling into idolatry or disrespecting God. This reflects the holiness code in Leviticus, emphasizing purity and reverence. The severity of the punishment underscores the importance of God's holiness and the need for the community to uphold it.

the whole assembly must surely stone him,
Stoning was a communal act, involving the entire assembly, which reinforced the collective responsibility of the community to uphold God's laws. This method of execution was public and served as a powerful deterrent. It also ensured that the community was united in maintaining the sanctity of God's name, as seen in other instances of communal judgment (Deuteronomy 17:7).

whether he is a foreign resident or native;
This phrase indicates that God's laws applied equally to everyone within the community, regardless of their origin. It reflects the inclusive nature of God's covenant, where both Israelites and foreigners living among them were subject to the same standards of holiness. This principle is echoed in the New Testament, where salvation and God's laws are extended to all people (Galatians 3:28).

if he blasphemes the Name,
The repetition emphasizes the seriousness of the offense. "The Name" is a metonym for God Himself, indicating the deep respect and reverence required for God's identity. This reflects the broader biblical theme of the power and sanctity of God's name, as seen in the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9).

he must be put to death.
The reiteration of the death penalty underscores the unchanging nature of God's justice and the importance of upholding His holiness. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin and the need for atonement, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who bore the penalty for sin on behalf of humanity (Romans 6:23).

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, representing His holiness and authority.

2. The Congregation of Israel
The assembly of the Israelites, responsible for upholding God's laws.

3. Foreign Resident (Ger)
A non-Israelite living among the Israelites, subject to the same laws.

4. Blasphemer
An individual who speaks irreverently or disrespectfully about God.

5. Stoning
A method of capital punishment used in ancient Israel for certain transgressions.
Teaching Points
Reverence for God's Name
God's name is holy and should be treated with the utmost respect. This commandment underscores the importance of honoring God in our speech and actions.

Community Responsibility
The entire congregation was involved in the execution of justice, highlighting the communal responsibility to uphold God's laws and maintain holiness within the community.

Equality Before the Law
Both native Israelites and foreign residents were subject to the same laws, demonstrating God's impartiality and the universal application of His standards.

Seriousness of Blasphemy
Blasphemy is a grave sin with severe consequences, reflecting the seriousness with which God views the misuse of His name.

New Testament Perspective
While the New Testament does not prescribe stoning, it continues to emphasize the importance of reverence for God and the seriousness of blasphemy, calling believers to a higher standard of speech and conduct.(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 Leviticus 24:11.)



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Whoever blasphemes
וְנֹקֵ֤ב (wə·nō·qêḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 5344: To puncture

the name
שֵׁם־ (šêm-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

must to be put to death;
מ֣וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

the whole
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

assembly
הָעֵדָ֑ה (hā·‘ê·ḏāh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5712: A stated assemblage

surely must stone
רָג֥וֹם (rā·ḡō·wm)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 7275: To cast together, to lapidate

him,
ב֖וֹ (ḇōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

whether he is a foreign resident
כַּגֵּר֙ (kag·gêr)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1616: A guest, a foreigner

or native;
כָּֽאֶזְרָ֔ח (kā·’ez·rāḥ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 249: A spontaneous growth, native

if he blasphemes
בְּנָקְבוֹ־ (bə·nā·qə·ḇōw-)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5344: To puncture

the Name,
שֵׁ֖ם (šêm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8034: A name

he must be put to death.
יוּמָֽת׃ (yū·māṯ)
Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT Law: Leviticus 24:16 He who blasphemes the name of Yahweh (Le Lv Lev.)
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