THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
How should we interpret the statement, “Whosoever shall curse his God shall receive sin; but he that nameth the name of the Lord shall die a death?” A man was apprehended for speaking against the Almighty; however, the explicit law regarding blasphemy had not yet been established. Consequently, Moses instructed that he be imprisoned, and the following day he sought guidance from the Lord regarding the punishment for this wicked individual. God commanded that he should face stoning, with those who had witnessed the blasphemy being the first to cast stones. This also formalized the law concerning blasphemy. Furthermore, while God identified false deities, He stated that one who blasphemes such an idol incurs sin, yet He did not deem them deserving of death.
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It is not the devout person who sins by denouncing a false god but rather the individual who, despite believing in that falsehood, engages in blasphemy against what they themselves honor. Thus, this blasphemy is termed a sin—not due to the stature of the entity being blasphemed but based on the understanding of the blasphemer, who insults not as one who addresses a false god but as one addressing the true God. Consequently, it was commanded that anyone blaspheming against the true God should be stoned. Additionally, the law of murder should be considered alongside the laws governing blasphemy, as the blasphemer, lacking the ability to take life, seeks to strike at the Creator with their words.