What Does Leviticus 24:12 Mean in the King James?
And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The accused remains under guard while the LORD’s ruling waits to be spoken plainly.
THE MEANING
The accused is held under guard while the judgment remains undisclosed. The verse holds both facts together: the custody is real, and the ruling awaits the LORD’s word.
THE ROOT
לְפָרֵשׁ
ləfārēš
GROWS FROM
פרשׁ
p-r-sh
Make distinct, set out clearly, explain.
“shewed” in this verse is ləfārēš. The KJV’s “mind” conveys the ruling being sought; the Hebrew verb frames that ruling as something made clear. The phrase עַל־פִּי יְהוָה (ʿal-pî YHWH) means “by the mouth of the LORD”: what is pending is a declared decision, not a guess about an inward thought.
ALSO GROWS
meforash: Made explicit or explained distinctly.
מְפֹרָשׁ
It echoes the verse’s movement from an unresolved matter to a ruling made clear.
parash: To separate or set out distinctly.
פָּרַשׁ
It carries the root’s sense of drawing a matter into clear distinction.
מִשְׁמָר
mishmar
GROWS FROM
שׁמר
sh-m-r
Keep, watch, guard.
The Hebrew word for “ward” belongs to the root שָׁמַר (shamar), “to keep or guard.” The custody is a watch that continues while the ruling is awaited, holding together the person’s confinement and the community’s uncertainty.
ALSO GROWS
shamar: To keep, watch, or guard.
שָׁמַר
This verb names the guarding contained in the word “ward.”
mishmeret: A charge, duty, or watch.
מִשְׁמֶרֶת
It shows how this root can describe something held under watch or entrusted care.
shomer: A keeper or watchman.
שֹׁמֵר
This branch names the one who maintains the watch surrounding the accused.
THE PATTERN
Judgment waits for the matter to be heard or made clear before it is declared.
And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.THE THREAD
And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.Numbers 15:34 uses the same Hebrew word מִשְׁמָר (mishmar), “guard” or “custody.” The shared root שׁמר (sh-m-r), “keep or guard,” makes the waiting visible: the person is held under watch until the ruling is declared.
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