What is…
blasphemy

The first biblical example of blasphemy is found in Leviticus 24:11. God provided a death sentence on the blasphemer, the son of Shelomith, and also established a standing law at this time for the stoning of Israelite blasphemers (Leviticus 24:15-16). [See: Shelomith]

The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed. So they brought him to Moses. (Now his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.) —Leviticus 24:11 NASB

In the sense of speaking evil of God, this word is found in various verses.

…a foolish people has blasphemed Your name. —Psalm 74:18 NKJV

Other translators use various words, such as:
• NASB: “spurned Your name”
• CSB: “insulted your name”
• CEB: “abused your name”
• ESV: “reviles your name”
• GW, YLT, NOG and Young’s Literal: “despised Thy name”

…Again the Lord declares, “…My name is continually blasphemed all day long.” —Isaiah 52:5”

…“the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written. —Romans 2:24 NASB

…Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. —Rev. 13:1 NASB

And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. —Rev. 13:6 NASB

Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. …and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. …And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail… —Revelation 16:9, 11, 21 NASB

Blasphemy also denotes any kind of malicious, false statement or accusations, or evil-speaking, or abuse of God’s (curse) name.

She wrote in the letters, saying,
Proclaim a fast, and seat Naboth with high honor among the people; and seat two men, scoundrels, before him to bear witness against him, saying,
“You have blasphemed God and the king.”
Then take him out, and stone him, that he may die. —1 Kings 21:9-10 NKJV

…when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. —Acts 13:45 NKJV

But when they [the Jews of Corinth] opposed him [Paul] and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them,
“Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” —Acts 18:6 NKJV

Our Lord was falsely accused of blasphemy when He claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 26:65; compare Matthew 9:3; Mark 2:7).

In reality, it is those who deny Christ’s Messiahship and Divinity who blaspheme God (Luke 22:65; John 10:36).

Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10) is regarded as a continued and obstinate rejection of the Gospel, and hence is an unpardonable sin, simply because as long as a sinner remains in opposition he voluntarily excludes himself from pardon.

See: Blasphemy and “THE UNPARDONABLE SIN”—What is it? Why can some sin be unforgivable? Answer

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