Leviticus 20 · Verse 9

Leviticus 20:9

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, King James Version

Leviticus 20:9 in other translations

BSBIf 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.
WEB“‘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.
ASVFor 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.
YLT‘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.
DARBYWhatever man revileth his father and his mother shall certainly be put to death: he hath reviled his father and his mother; his blood is upon him.
BBEEvery man cursing his father or his mother is certainly to be put to death; because of his curse on his father or his mother, his blood will be on him.
WebsterFor 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.

What does Leviticus 20:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Leviticus 20:7-19

7-19. Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy--The minute specification of the incestuous and unnatural crimes here enumerated shows their sad prevalence amongst the idolatrous nations around, and the extreme proneness of the Israelites to follow the customs of their neighbors. It is to be understood, that, whenever mention is made that the offender was "to be put to death" without describing the mode, stoning…

Read the full comment on Leviticus 20:7-19 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Curseth his father or his mother - See the notes on Gen 48:12, and Exo 20:12 (note). He who conscientiously keeps the fifth commandment can be in no danger of this judgment. The term יקלל yekallel signifies, not only to curse, but to speak of a person contemptuously and disrespectfully, to make light of; so that all speeches which have a tendency to lessen our parents in the eyes of others, or to render their judgment, piety, etc., suspected and contemptible, may be here included; though the act of cursing, or of treating the parent with injurious and opprobrious language, is that which is particularly intended.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 20:1-9

Are we shocked at the unnatural cruelty of the ancient idolaters in sacrificing their children? We may justly be so. But are there not very many parents, who, by bad teaching and wicked examples, and by the mysteries of iniquity which they show their children, devote them to the service of Satan, and forward their everlasting ruin, in a manner even more to be lamented? What an account must such parents render to…

Read the full comment on Leviticus 20:1-9 →

Leviticus 20:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּֽי\־ki-ifH3588
אִ֣ישׁ'isha personH376
אִ֗ישׁ'Isha personH376
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhoH834
יְקַלֵּ֧לye.ka.Lelhe will curseH7043
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
אָבִ֛יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
אִמּ֖וֹ'i.Momother hisH517
מ֣וֹתMotcertainly <to die>H4191
יוּמָ֑תyu.Mathe will be put to deathH4191
אָבִ֧יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וְאִמּ֛וֹve.'i.Moand mother hisH517
קִלֵּ֖לki.Lelhe has cursedH7043
דָּמָ֥יוda.Mavblood<s> hisH1818
בּֽוֹ\׃bo[are] on <the> him

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 20:9

  • Exodus 21:17

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

  • Mark 7:10

    For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

  • Deuteronomy 27:16

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

  • Matthew 15:4

    For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

  • Proverbs 20:20

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

  • Proverbs 30:17

    The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

  • 2 Samuel 1:16

    And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the Lord’s anointed.

  • Proverbs 30:11

    There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

  • 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.

  • Leviticus 20:11-13

    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. And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them. If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

  • Matthew 27:25

    Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
curseth.The term {yekallel} signifies not only to curse, but to speak contemptuously, disrespectfully, or to make light of a person: so that all speeches which have a tendency to lessen our parents in the eyes of others, or to render their judgment, piety, etc., suspected or contemptible, is here included; though the act of cursing, or of treating the parent with injurious or opprobrious language, is what is particularly intended. He who conscientiously keeps the fifth commandment, can be in no danger of the judgment here denounced.
Ex 21:17; De 27:16; Pr 20:20; 30:11,17; Mt 15:4; Mr 7:10
his blood.
11-13,16,27; Jos 2:19; Jud 9:24; 2Sa 1:16; 1Ki 2:32; Mt 27:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Leviticus 20:8

    And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.

  • Leviticus 20:9

    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 20:10

    And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Read all of Leviticus 20

Leviticus 20:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Porque varón que maldijere á su padre ó á su madre, de cierto morirá: á su padre ó á su madre maldijo; su sangre será sobre él.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Tout homme qui maudira son père et sa mère sera certainement mis à mort; il a maudit son père et sa mère, son sang est sur lui.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jedermann, der seinem Vater oder seiner Mutter flucht, soll gewißlich getötet werden; er hat seinem Vater oder seiner Mutter geflucht, sein Blut ist auf ihm.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui maledixerit patri suo, aut matri, morte moriatur: patri matrique maledixit: sanguis ejus sit super eum.