Question 1

Who is the “son of an Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian”?

Accepted Answer

He is a man with a mixed background, born to an Israelite mother named Shelomith from the tribe of Dan and an Egyptian father. He went out among the people in the camp and got into a quarrel with an Israelite man. In that conflict he spoke against God’s name and cursed. His story shows that even though he had some connection to Israel, he was still fully accountable for how he spoke about God, just like anyone else living among the people.

Question 2

What does it mean that he “blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed”?

Accepted Answer

To blaspheme God’s name here means to speak in a way that tears down God’s honor, not just using a bad word, but attacking who God is. In the heat of a dispute, this man spoke against God and likely against God’s rule and judgments. The picture is that he “pierced” or “transfixed” God’s name with his words, treating the holy name that should be praised with open contempt. The passage shows that careless or angry speech about God is no small thing to Him.

Question 3

Why was the blasphemer put in custody before God gave a judgment?

Accepted Answer

The people heard his words and brought him to Moses, but they did not rush into punishment. They put him under guard so they could wait to hear clearly what God wanted done. They knew blasphemy broke God’s command, but the exact sentence had not yet been spelled out. This pause shows careful justice: even when the sin was obvious, they would not act on their own ideas but sought God’s mind about the kind of punishment and how it should be carried out.

Question 4

Why did God command that he be taken outside the camp and stoned?

Accepted Answer

Being taken outside the camp showed that this man, by his sin, had cut himself off from God’s people and their holy God. Stoning by the congregation meant the whole community took part in rejecting what he had done. Those who heard him laid hands on his head, showing that the guilt was truly his and that their testimony was true. The severe sentence underlined how serious it is to treat God’s name with contempt and taught Israel to guard their lips and honor God together.

Question 5

What does “whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin” mean here?

Accepted Answer

To “bear his sin” means the person carries the guilt and its consequences before God. In this context, cursing God or speaking contemptuously of the one you acknowledge as God brings real judgment. The passage seems to include not only direct blasphemy of God’s name but also reviling God’s rule and His appointed judges. The exact form of punishment for every case is not spelled out in that line, but the idea is clear: such sin does not pass by lightly or without accountability.

Question 6

Why does the law say both stranger and native are punished for blasphemy?

Accepted Answer

God makes it clear that His name must be honored by everyone who lives among His people, not just those born into Israel. The same penalty applies to the foreigner living in the land and to the Israelite by birth. This shows that respect for God’s name is not just a family or tribal rule but a standard for all who share in the life of the community. No one is excused because of background. If they live among God’s people, they must not speak against the God of Israel.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about God’s name and character?

Accepted Answer

This passage shows that God’s name is holy and must not be dragged through the mud. Words that accuse God of wrong, mock Him, or treat Him as common are treated very seriously. At the same time, God does not leave judgment to human anger. He gives clear direction through Moses about what should be done. So we see both His holiness and His order: He demands honor for His name, and He also cares that justice be carried out in a careful, measured way, not in blind rage.

Question 8

Why is this story hard to understand for many readers today?

Accepted Answer

Many readers struggle with this story because the punishment feels very severe compared to how lightly people often treat God’s name now. The setting helps explain it. God was shaping a new people in the wilderness, teaching them that He is holy and that their words about Him matter deeply. In that early setting, public blasphemy was treated as open rebellion against the God who had rescued them. While the exact penalty belonged to that time and covenant, the seriousness of honoring God’s name still stands.

Leviticus 24:10

¶ And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;

Punishment for Blasphemy

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Leviticus 24:10

¶ And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;

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Punishment for Blasphemy

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