Leviticus 20:9 kjv
For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
Leviticus 20:9 nkjv
'For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.
Leviticus 20:9 niv
"?'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.
Leviticus 20:9 esv
For anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.
Leviticus 20:9 nlt
"Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense.
Leviticus 20 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:12 | "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long..." | The 5th commandment, foundational for family. |
| Deut 5:16 | "Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you..." | Reiterates the 5th commandment in Deuteronomy. |
| Exod 21:15 | "Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death." | Death penalty for physical assault on parents. |
| Exod 21:17 | "Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death." | Direct parallel law, reiterating punishment. |
| Deut 27:16 | "Cursed be anyone who dishonors his father or his mother..." | General curse for dishonoring, publicly proclaimed. |
| Prov 20:20 | "If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out..." | Consequences of dishonoring parents in Proverbs. |
| Prov 30:11 | "There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers." | Descriptive of a rebellious generation. |
| Prov 30:17 | "The eye that mocks a father and scorns a mother will be picked out..." | Vivid imagery of the grim outcome for disobedience. |
| Deut 21:18-21 | Law of the stubborn and rebellious son, leading to stoning. | A broader legal context for severe filial rebellion. |
| Lev 20:2 | On giving offspring to Molech, also punishable by death. | Comparison with other severe capital crimes. |
| Lev 20:10-21 | Various sexual immoralities, most punishable by death. | Context of severe moral purity laws. |
| Num 15:30-31 | "The person who does anything with a high hand...shall be cut off..." | Principle of "cutting off" for deliberate sin. |
| Matt 15:3-6 | Jesus condemns the Corban tradition for nullifying honoring parents. | Jesus upholds the command to honor parents. |
| Mark 7:10-13 | "For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother...’" | Mark's parallel account of Jesus' teaching. |
| Eph 6:1-3 | "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right..." | New Testament principle of obedience, with promise. |
| Col 3:20 | "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord." | Emphasizes the pleasing nature of obedience to God. |
| Rom 1:30 | Lists "disobedient to parents" among signs of a reprobate mind. | Spiritual consequences of disobedience. |
| 2 Tim 3:2 | "For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money...disobedient to parents..." | A characteristic of perilous times in the last days. |
| Isa 3:5 | "The youth will be insolent against the elder..." | Prophetic warning of societal breakdown from disrespect. |
| Ezek 22:7 | "Father and mother are treated with contempt in you..." | Prophet denounces Israel's contempt for parents. |
| Judg 17:2 | Micah steals from his mother, showing family breakdown. | Example of familial disobedience and lack of honor. |
| Gen 9:20-27 | Noah and Ham, cursed for disrespecting a parent. | Biblical narrative of parental disrespect and curse. |
Leviticus 20 verses
Leviticus 20 9 Meaning
This verse declares that any individual, man or woman, who curses their father or mother shall certainly be put to death. The explicit repetition that "he has cursed his father or his mother" underscores the definitive nature of the transgression, while the concluding phrase "his blood is upon him" signifies that the offender is solely responsible for their demise, highlighting the righteousness and justice of the verdict.
Leviticus 20 9 Context
Leviticus 20 is part of the "Holiness Code" (Leviticus 17-26), which prescribes the laws by which the covenant people of Israel are to live to distinguish themselves as holy to the Lord. Following a detailed list of illicit sexual relationships in chapter 18, chapter 20 outlines the severe penalties, often capital punishment or "cutting off," for a range of behaviors deemed defiling or abhorrent. This chapter functions as a strong enforcement of the principles of holiness, reinforcing the social and moral order necessary for Israel to dwell in God's presence and occupy His land. The laws here, including that concerning cursing parents, were foundational to maintaining social purity, family integrity, and national stability in the face of Canaanite practices and moral decay. Disrespecting parental authority was not merely a domestic issue but a fundamental challenge to the divine order, as parental authority was ordained by God himself and reflective of His own fatherhood. The death penalty underscored the absolute gravity of such an offense, serving as a deterrent and a statement of the premium placed on respect for family authority within God's covenant community.
Leviticus 20 9 Word analysis
- כִּי־אִ֣ישׁ אִ֗ישׁ (kî-ʾîš ʾîš): "For anyone, any man..." or "If any man whatsoever." This double "man" (אִ֣ישׁ) construction is an emphatic idiom in Hebrew, meaning "every person," "whoever he may be," or "any man, any woman." It highlights the universality and uncompromising nature of the law across the Israelite community, irrespective of status.
- אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְקַלֵּ֤ל (ʾăšer yəqallēl): "who curses." This verb derives from the root קלל (qalal), which fundamentally means "to be light," "to treat lightly," or "to despise." In the piel form (as used here), it signifies to "treat lightly," "vilify," "despise," and specifically "to curse." This is not merely a verbal insult but an act of treating with extreme contempt, expressing malediction, or invoking harm upon another. It suggests a profound disrespect that undermines the parent's dignity and God-given authority.
- אֶת־אָבִיו֙ וְאֶת־אִמּ֔וֹ (ʾeṯ-ʾāvîw wəʾeṯ-ʾimmô): "his father or his mother." The inclusion of both parents is crucial, demonstrating equal regard and protection for both parental figures in the household. It shows that both hold divinely ordained authority and respect, and that contempt for either is a direct offense.
- מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖ת (mōṯ yûmāṯ): "shall surely be put to death" or "he shall certainly die." This is a Hebrew legal infinitive absolute construction (
verbinfinitive form) used to emphasize certainty and severity. It removes any ambiguity: the penalty is unavoidable and absolute. It indicates capital punishment. - אֶת־אָבִ֨יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֤וֹ קִלֵּל֙ (ʾeṯ-ʾāvîw wəʾeṯ-ʾimmô qillēl): "he has cursed his father or his mother." This is a repetition of the crime, serving as a causal clause, "for he has cursed his father or his mother." It acts as a clear explanation and justification for the death penalty, explicitly linking the punishment to the offense. It confirms that the legal grounds for execution are sound and evident.
- דָּמָ֖יו בּֽוֹ׃ (dāmāyw bô): "his blood is upon him" or "his bloodguilt is on him." This phrase indicates self-inflicted judgment. It means that the responsibility for the person's death lies entirely with them because of their action. It absolves the community or the executioners of any bloodguilt for carrying out the divine justice, asserting that the individual has brought this fate upon themselves through their heinous act against God's established order. It signals just retribution.
Leviticus 20 9 Bonus section
This strong prohibition and its accompanying death penalty demonstrate the sanctity of the family unit as the core building block of the Israelite community, designed by God. The gravity of the law ensured social cohesion and upheld moral standards reflecting God's own holiness. The act of cursing parents was deemed so offensive because it represented a direct defiance of the Fifth Commandment, undermining the very basis of authority and respect that was to mirror God's own relationship with His people. It highlighted that sin against humanity (specifically parents) was ultimately sin against God.
Leviticus 20 9 Commentary
Leviticus 20:9 underscores the extreme gravity with which God viewed disrespect for parental authority in ancient Israel. The command to "honor your father and mother" (Exod 20:12) was not a mere suggestion but a fundamental cornerstone of Israelite society, enshrined in the Decalogue. Cursing parents was an assault not only on the family unit, the foundational structure of the community, but ultimately on God Himself, who instituted such authority. The use of the strong verb "qalal" for cursing suggests a profound act of vilification or despising, more than just rude speech; it implies a deep-seated rebellion against the natural and divine order.
The mandated death penalty, similar to punishments for crimes like child sacrifice to Molech or various sexual sins in the same chapter, places cursing parents among the most severe offenses in the covenant community. This highlights that contempt for parents was seen as striking at the very heart of the social fabric and divine authority. The repetition of the offense and the concluding phrase "his blood is upon him" leave no doubt about the perpetrator's culpability and the justness of the severe consequence, emphasizing that they are authors of their own doom. While the literal death penalty is not applied in the New Covenant, the principle of honoring parents remains vitally important (Eph 6:2-3; Col 3:20) as a reflection of spiritual health and a right relationship with God.