Leviticus 20:9
New International Version
“’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.

New Living Translation
“Anyone who dishonors father or mother must be put to death. Such a person is guilty of a capital offense.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
‘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.

New American Standard Bible
‘If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall certainly be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and has brought his own death upon himself.

NASB 1995
If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his bloodguiltiness is upon him.

NASB 1977
‘If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his bloodguiltiness is upon him.

Legacy Standard Bible
‘If there is anyone who curses his father or his mother, he shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother. His bloodguiltiness is upon him.

Amplified Bible
‘If anyone curses his father or mother, he shall most certainly be put to death; he has cursed his father or mother; his blood is on him [that is, he bears full responsibility for the consequences].

Christian Standard Bible
“If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his death is his own fault.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood is on his own hands.

American Standard Version
For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Contemporary English Version
If you curse your father or mother, you will be put to death, and it will be your own fault.

English Revised Version
For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother and deserves to die.

Good News Translation
The LORD gave the following regulations. Any of you that curse your father or mother shall be put to death; you are responsible for your own death.

International Standard Version
"Anyone who curses his father or mother is certainly to be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother, so his guilt will remain his responsibility."

Majority Standard Bible
If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.

NET Bible
"'If anyone curses his father and mother he must be put to death. He has cursed his father and mother; his blood guilt is on himself.

New Heart English Bible
"'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.

Webster's Bible Translation
For every one that curseth his father or his mother, shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

World English Bible
“‘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 himself.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For any man who reviles his father and his mother is certainly put to death; he has reviled his father and his mother: his blood [is] on him.

Young's Literal Translation
For any man who revileth his father and his mother is certainly put to death; his father and his mother he hath reviled: his blood is on him.

Smith's Literal Translation
When a man, a man who shall lightly esteem his father and his mother, dying, he shall die: he lightly esteemed ha father and his mother: his blood is upon him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that curseth his father, or mother, dying let him die: he hath cursed his father, and mother, let his blood be upon him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Whoever curses his father or mother shall die a death; he has cursed his father and mother. So let his blood be upon him.

New American Bible
Anyone who curses father or mother shall be put to death; and having cursed father or mother, such a one will bear the bloodguilt.

New Revised Standard Version
All who curse father or mother shall be put to death; having cursed father or mother, their blood is upon them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he who curses his father or his mother shall be surely put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And a man who will curse his father or his mother shall certainly be killed; he cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For whatsoever man there be that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death; he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Every man who shall speak evil of his father or of his mother, let him die the death; has he spoken evil of his father or his mother? he shall be guilty.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Punishments for Disobedience
8And you shall keep My statutes and practice them. I am the LORD who sanctifies you. 9If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Cross References
Exodus 21:17
Anyone who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined, / his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown, / and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” ...

Matthew 15:4
For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

Mark 7:10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

Proverbs 20:20
Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.

Proverbs 30:17
As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.

Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. / “Honor your father and mother” (which is the first commandment with a promise), / “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”

Colossians 3:20
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord.

Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Deuteronomy 5:16
Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

Matthew 19:19
honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Luke 18:20
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother.’”

Romans 1:30
slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents.

2 Timothy 3:2
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Genesis 9:6
Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.


Treasury of Scripture

For every one that curses his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be on him.

Exodus 21:17
And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.

Deuteronomy 27:16
Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Proverbs 20:20
Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

his blood

Leviticus 20:11-13,16,27
And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them…

Joshua 2:19
And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

Judges 9:24
That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.

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Leviticus 20
1. Of him who gives his seed to Moloch
4. Of him who favors such an one
6. Of going to wizards
7. Of sanctification
9. Of him who curses his parents
11. Of incest
13. Of sodomy
15. Of bestiality
18. Of uncleanness
22. Obedience is required with holiness
27. Wizards must be put to death














If anyone curses
The phrase "If anyone curses" is a translation of the Hebrew word "qalal," which means to make light of, to despise, or to treat with contempt. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the family unit was foundational to societal structure, and respect for parents was paramount. The act of cursing one's parents was not merely about uttering profanities but involved a deep-seated disrespect and rebellion against the God-ordained authority of parents. This command underscores the gravity of maintaining familial respect and the social order that God established.

his father or mother
The mention of "his father or mother" highlights the dual authority figures within the family. In the Hebrew culture, both parents were to be honored equally, reflecting the commandment in Exodus 20:12, "Honor your father and your mother." This equality in honor emphasizes the importance of both paternal and maternal roles in the upbringing and spiritual guidance of children. The family was seen as a microcosm of the covenant community, and any disruption in this unit was a serious offense against God's order.

he must be put to death
The phrase "he must be put to death" indicates the severity of the offense. In the theocratic society of ancient Israel, certain sins were considered capital offenses because they threatened the covenant relationship between God and His people. The death penalty for cursing parents served as a deterrent and a means of purging evil from the community. It reflects the holiness and justice of God, who demands that His people live in a manner that upholds His statutes and commands.

He has cursed his father or mother
Reiterating "He has cursed his father or mother" serves to emphasize the personal responsibility and the deliberate nature of the sin. The repetition underscores the seriousness of the act and the conscious decision to rebel against parental authority. In a broader theological sense, this rebellion against earthly parents is symbolic of rebellion against God, the ultimate Father.

his blood is upon him
The phrase "his blood is upon him" signifies that the individual bears full responsibility for the consequences of his actions. This expression is a legal formula indicating that the guilt and resulting punishment are solely on the perpetrator. It reflects the biblical principle of personal accountability before God. In the context of the covenant community, it also serves as a warning to others about the seriousness of sin and the importance of maintaining the sanctity of family relationships.

(9) For every one that curseth his father.--Though the administrators of the Law during the second Temple have laid down the most minute regulation with regard to filial obedience (see Leviticus 19:3), and though nothing can exceed the tenderness with which they instilled into the hearts of children the Biblical precepts on this subject (Exodus 20:12), yet they enacted that the child only incurred the penalty of death when he used the ineffable name God when cursing his parent, who was either alive or dead, and that if he used an attribute of the Deity, such as Almighty, the Merciful, &c, he was simply to be beaten with stripes. This will account for the rendering of this passage in the ancient Chaldee Version, "who curseth his father or his mother by the inexpressible name," i.e., Jehovah.

Verse 9. - See above, the note on chapter Leviticus 19:14, which shows how God's word is made of none effect by man's traditions. God says that a man who curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death. Human authority, incontrovertible throughout a great part of Christendom, declares that in most cases it is no grave sin.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

anyone
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

curses
יְקַלֵּ֧ל (yə·qal·lêl)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling

his father
אָבִ֛יו (’ā·ḇîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

or mother,
אִמּ֖וֹ (’im·mōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

he must be put to death.
מ֣וֹת (mō·wṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill

He has cursed
קִלֵּ֖ל (qil·lêl)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7043: To be slight, swift or trifling

his father
אָבִ֧יו (’ā·ḇîw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1: Father

or mother;
וְאִמּ֛וֹ (wə·’im·mōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517: A mother, )

his blood
דָּמָ֥יו (dā·māw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1818: Blood, of man, an animal, the juice of the grape, bloodshed

[shall be] upon him.
בּֽוֹ׃ (bōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Law: Leviticus 20:9 For everyone who curses his father (Le Lv Lev.)
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