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10 A man born of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and in the camp a fight broke out between the son of the Israelite woman and an Israelite man. 11 The son of the Israelite woman uttered the Lord’s name in a curse and blasphemed. So he was brought to Moses—now his mother’s name was Shelomith, daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan— 12 and he was kept in custody till a decision from the Lord should settle the case for them.(A) 13 The Lord then said to Moses: 14 Take the blasphemer outside the camp, and when all who heard him have laid their hands[a] on his head,(B) let the whole community stone him. 15 Tell the Israelites: Anyone who blasphemes God shall bear the penalty; 16 whoever utters the name of the Lord in a curse shall be put to death.(C) 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 24:14 Laid their hands: see notes on 1:4 and 16:21. It may be that blasphemy generated a type of pollution which the hearers return to the culprit by this gesture.

A Blasphemer Put to Death

10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name(A) with a curse;(B) so they brought him to Moses.(C) (His mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)(D) 12 They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them.(E)

13 Then the Lord said to Moses: 14 “Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him.(F) 15 Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God(G) will be held responsible;(H) 16 anyone who blasphemes(I) the name of the Lord is to be put to death.(J) The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.

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