Leviticus 24:15

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Then tell the people of Isra'el, 'Whoever curses his God will bear the consequences of his sin;

Berean Standard Bible:

And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If anyone curses his God, he shall bear the consequences of his sin.

American Standard Version:

And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And thou shalt speak^{H1696} unto the children^{H1121} of Israel^{H3478}, saying^{H559}, Whosoever^{H376} curseth^{{H3588}{H7043}} his God^{H430} shall bear^{H5375} his sin^{H2399}.

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Commentary for Leviticus 24:15

Leviticus 24:15 is part of the Holiness Code in the Book of Leviticus, which contains a series of laws and rituals given to Moses by God for the Israelite community. The verse reflects the theme of respect for God and the sanctity of the divine name, which is central to the Israelite religious and moral code.

**Themes:**

1. **Sacrilege and Blasphemy:** The verse emphasizes the gravity of cursing God. In the immediate context, it follows the account of a man who blasphemed the Name of the Lord, which was considered a severe offense. The theme underscores the sacredness of God's name and the prohibition against its desecration.

2. **Personal Responsibility:** The idea that an individual must bear the consequences of their own sins is a recurring theme in Leviticus. This verse reinforces the principle that each person is accountable for their actions, particularly in the realm of religious offenses.

3. **Community Boundaries:** The law served to delineate the boundaries of acceptable behavior within the Israelite community. By specifying the punishment for blasphemy, it reinforced the community's identity as a people set apart for God.

**Historical Context:**

The Book of Leviticus is traditionally attributed to Moses and is set during the time of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. The laws and rituals outlined in the book were intended to govern the religious and social life of the Israelites, distinguishing them from their pagan neighbors and establishing a unique covenantal relationship with God.

The specific context of Leviticus 24:15 involves a case brought to Moses where a man of mixed Israelite-Egyptian descent publicly blasphemed the Name of the Lord. This incident led to a divine revelation clarifying the law regarding blasphemy. The historical context reflects the need to maintain the purity of the worship of Yahweh and to prevent the infiltration of pagan practices and disrespect towards the deity, which could undermine the religious and national identity of the Israelites.

In summary, Leviticus 24:15 addresses the serious nature of blasphemy, the personal accountability for religious offenses, and the importance of maintaining the sanctity of God's name within the Israelite community during their formative years in the wilderness.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H1696
   There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָבַר
   Transliteration: dâbar
   Pronunciation: daw-bar'
   Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.
   
2. Strong's Number: H1121
   There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֵּן
   Transliteration: bên
   Pronunciation: bane
   Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
   
3. Strong's Number: H3478
   There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל
   Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl
   Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale'
   Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.
   
4. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
5. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
6. Strong's Number: H3588
   There are 43 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כִּי
   Transliteration: kîy
   Pronunciation: kee
   Description: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed; and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
   
7. Strong's Number: H7043
   There are 79 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָלַל
   Transliteration: qâlal
   Pronunciation: kaw-lal'
   Description: a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) light, literally (swift, small, sharp, etc.) or figuratively (easy, trifling, vile, etc.); abate, make bright, bring into contempt, (ac-) curse, despise, (be) ease(-y, -ier), (be a, make, make somewhat, move, seem a, set) light(-en, -er, -ly, -ly afflict, -ly esteem, thing), [idiom] slight(-ly), be swift(-er), (be, be more, make, re-) vile, whet.
   
8. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
9. Strong's Number: H5375
   There are 611 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נָשָׂא
   Transliteration: nâsâʼ
   Pronunciation: naw-saw'
   Description: or נָסָה; (Psalm 4:6 (אֲבַד)), a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable ([phrase] man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, [idiom] needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, [phrase] swear, take (away, up), [idiom] utterly, wear, yield.
   
10. Strong's Number: H2399
    There are 33 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חֵטְא
    Transliteration: chêṭᵉʼ
    Pronunciation: khate
    Description: from חָטָא; a crime or its penalty; fault, [idiom] grievously, offence, (punishment of) sin.