Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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strangers as well as Israelites were punishable for other crimes. And there may be this further reason for the recognition of these laws here, God would hereby show what provision he had made for man's safety, in punishing those that were injurious to him, which should be an argument with magistrates to be jealous for his honour, and to punish those that blasphemed his name. If God took care for their comfort, they ought to take care for his glory.
18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast. 19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor; as he hath done,
so shall it be done to him;
20 breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused
a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth
a man, he shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one
of your own country: for I am the Lord your God.
23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring
forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones: and the children of Israel did as the Lord commanded Moses.
The execution of the blasphemer. Moses did, as it were, sign the warrant or it: He spoke unto the children of Israel to do it, and they did as the Lord commanded Moses, Le 24:23. This teaches that death is the wages of sin, and that blasphemy in particular is an iniquity to be punished by the judges. But, if those who thus profane the name of God escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgments. This blasphemer was the first that died by the law of Moses. Stephen, the first that died for the gospel, died by the abuse of this law; the martyr and the malefactor suffered the same death: but how vast the difference between them!