‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- KJV Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
- NKJV ‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’
- NASB ‘Cursed is he who attacks his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- NLT ‘Cursed is anyone who attacks a neighbor in secret.’ 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 secret murder, where the killer escapes human justice but not God's.
Overview
Though a murderer may evade earthly courts, God sees and judges hidden bloodshed. This curse upholds the sanctity of human life made in God's image. It assures that no crime ultimately goes unanswered before the righteous Judge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Num 35:31You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
- Lev 24:17And if a man takes the life of anyone else, he must surely be put to death.
- Exod 21:12–14Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.
- Deut 19:11–12If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
- 2 Sam 20:9–10“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
- 2 Sam 3:27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
- 2 Sam 11:15–17In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
- 2 Sam 12:9–12Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
- 2 Sam 13:28Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!”
- Exod 20:13You shall not murder.
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 27:24 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.