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Deuteronomy 27:18

‘Cursed is one who misleads a person who is blind on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Deuteronomy 27:18 · New American Standard Bible
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.
  • BSB ‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
  • NKJV ‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off 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 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 19:14“‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
  • Prov 28:10Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.
  • Matt 15:14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
  • Job 29:15I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame.
  • Isa 56:10His watchmen are blind. They are all without knowledge. They are all mute dogs. They can’t bark; dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.
  • Rev 2:14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (10)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Deuteronomy videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Deuteronomy 27:18YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on DeuteronomyMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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.