Leviticus 24:11-16

24:11 The Israelite woman’s son misused the Name and cursed, ¹  so they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) 24:12 So they placed him in custody until they were able ²  to make a clear legal decision for themselves based on words from the mouth of the Lord. ³ 

24:13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 24:14 “Bring the one who cursed outside the camp, and all who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the whole congregation is to stone him to death. ⁴  24:15 Moreover, ⁵  you are to tell the Israelites, ‘If any man curses his God ⁶  he will bear responsibility for his sin, 24:16 and one who misuses ⁷  the name of the Lord must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must surely stone him, whether he is a foreigner or a native citizen; when he misuses the Name he must be put to death.

John 19:7

19:7 The Jewish leaders ⁸  replied, ⁹  “We have a law, ¹⁰  and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” ¹¹ 

Acts 7:52

7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ¹²  not persecute? ¹³  They ¹⁴  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ¹⁵  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ¹⁶ 

Acts 13:27-28

13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ¹⁷  him, ¹⁸  and they fulfilled the sayings ¹⁹  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ²⁰  him. ²¹  13:28 Though ²²  they found ²³  no basis ²⁴  for a death sentence, ²⁵  they asked Pilate to have him executed.

James 5:6

5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. ²⁶ 

[24:11]  ¹ tn The verb rendered “misused” means literally “to bore through, to pierce” (HALOT 719 s.v. נקב qal); it is from נָקַב (naqav), not קָבַב (qavav; see the participial form in v. 16a). Its exact meaning here is uncertain. The two verbs together may form a hendiadys, “he pronounced by cursing blasphemously” (B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 166), the idea being one of the following: (1) he pronounced the name “Yahweh” in a way or with words that amounted to “some sort of verbal aggression against Yahweh himself” (E. S. Gerstenberger, Leviticus [OTL], 362), (2) he pronounced a curse against the man using the name “Yahweh” (N. H. Snaith, Leviticus and Numbers [NCBC], 110; G. J. Wenham, Leviticus [NICOT], 311), or (3) he pronounced the name “Yahweh” and thereby blasphemed, since the “Name” was never to be pronounced (a standard Jewish explanation). In one way or another, the offense surely violated Exod 20:7, one of the ten commandments, and the same verb for cursing is used explicitly in Exod 22:28 (27 HT) prohibition against “cursing” God. For a full discussion of these and related options for interpreting this verse see P. J. Budd, Leviticus (NCBC), 335-36; J. E. Hartley, Leviticus (WBC), 408-9; and Levine, 166.

[24:12]  ² tn The words “until they were able” are not in the Hebrew text, but are implied.

[24:12]  ³ tn The Hebrew here is awkward. A literal reading would be something like the following: “And they placed him in custody to give a clear decision [HALOT 976 s.v. פרשׁ qal] for themselves on the mouth of the Lord.” In any case, they were apparently waiting for a direct word from the Lord regarding this matter (see vv. 13ff).

[24:14]  ⁴ tn The words “to death” are supplied in the translation as a clarification; they are clearly implied from v. 16.

[24:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “And.”

[24:15]  ⁶ sn See the note on v. 11 above and esp. Exod 22:28 [27 HT].

[24:16]  ⁷ sn See the note on v. 11 above.

[19:7]  ⁸ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6).

[19:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “answered him.”

[19:7]  ¹⁰ sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.

[19:7]  ¹¹ tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”

[7:52]  ¹² tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:52]  ¹³ sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.

[7:52]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[7:52]  ¹⁵ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.

[7:52]  ¹⁶ sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).

[13:27]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 12-13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b gives “not to know w. acc. of pers.” as the meaning here, but “recognize” is a better translation in this context because recognition of the true identity of the one they condemned is the issue. See Acts 2:22-24; 4:26-28.

[13:27]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “this one.”

[13:27]  ¹⁹ tn Usually φωνή (fwnh) means “voice,” but BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c has “Also of sayings in scripture…Ac 13:27.”

[13:27]  ²⁰ tn The participle κρίναντες (krinante") is instrumental here.

[13:27]  ²¹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:28]  ²² tn Grk “And though.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:28]  ²³ tn The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[13:28]  ²⁴ sn No basis. Luke insists on Jesus’ innocence again and again in Luke 23:1-25.

[13:28]  ²⁵ tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.

[5:6]  ²⁶ tn Literally a series of verbs without connectives, “you have condemned, you have murdered…he does not resist.”