Leviticus 24:10-24

A man whose mother was an Israelite and whose father was an Egyptian¹ came out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a certain Israelite began fighting² in the camp. The Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name in a curse.³ And they brought him to Moses—now his mother’s name was Shelomith, daughter of Dibri,⁴ of the tribe of Dan—and they put him in custody, until the decision of the Lord should be made clear to them.⁵

The Lord said to Moses, saying: “Take the blasphemer outside the camp; and let all who were within hearing lay their hands on his head,⁶ and let the whole congregation stone him.⁷ And speak to the people of Israel, saying: Anyone who curses God shall bear the sin. One who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death;⁸ the whole congregation⁹ shall stone the blasphemer. Aliens as well as citizens, when they blaspheme the Name, shall be put to death.”¹⁰

“Anyone who kills a human being shall be put to death.¹¹ Anyone who kills an animal¹² shall make restitution for it, life for life.¹³ Anyone who maims another shall suffer the same injury in return: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth;¹⁴ the injury inflicted is the injury to be suffered.¹⁵ One who kills an animal shall make restitution for it; but one who kills a human being shall be put to death. You shall have one law for the alien and for the citizen: for I am the Lord your God.”

Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel; and they took the blasphemer outside the camp, and stoned him to death.¹⁶ The people of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses.

1 The fact they are in a mixed marriage is explicitly stated, which may implicitly condemn them.

2 In this situation, fighting is a sin barely worth mentioning.

3 Blasphemy in a curse, even in an unrelated passionate moment, is a great sin.

4 Why these specifics about his mother's name and tribe.

5 The law so far is not enough – they need specific instructions from God

6 To me this appeared to verify the witnesses of the sin, but my Study Bible states that it “transfers the contamination of hearing the blasphemy back to the perpetrator”.

7 The penalty is death.

8 Not only in this case, but in all cases blasphemers shall be put to death.

9 “whole congregation” seems unlikely/impossible.

10 Even non-Israelites shall be put to death for blasphemy. Is there any free will to worship?

11 Death penalty for all murder once again made clear.

12 Interesting to see animals placed here.

13 Killing an animal does not result in a true penalty, but only restitution.

14 Imagining these penalties being carried out is just brutal. Study Bible suggests that the maiming portion was never actually carried out, but is rhetorical flourish.

15 The famous passage, perhaps limiting revenge violence at the time, but revised by Jesus in Matthew 5:38-47

16 This all takes place in the context of the blasphemer...strange, since it is about violence, not blasphemy.

Take-home: The penalty for blasphemy is serious, and an example is made so that this is abundantly clear. Foreigners are just as liable to this penalty as Israelites. Penalties against various forms of violence are also legislated.