‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘Cursed is he who leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- KJV Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
- ESV “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- NKJV ‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
- NASB ‘Cursed is one who misleads a person who is blind on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- NLT ‘Cursed is anyone who leads a blind person astray on the road.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A curse falls on anyone who misleads a blind person, exploiting the helpless.
Overview
Leading the blind astray represents cruelty toward those who cannot defend themselves. God's law demands compassion and integrity, especially toward the vulnerable. This reflects the heart of God, who later in Christ shows mercy to the blind and weak.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Lev 19:14You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
- Prov 28:10He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.
- Matt 15:14Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
- Job 29:15I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame.
- Isa 56:10Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
- Rev 2:14But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 27:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.