Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Parallel translations
- WEB ‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- BSB ‘Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.’ And let all the people 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 35:31Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
- Lev 24:17And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
- Exod 21:12–14He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
- Deut 19:11–12But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
- 2 Sam 20:9–10And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him.
- 2 Sam 3:27And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
- 2 Sam 11:15–17And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
- 2 Sam 12:9–12Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
- 2 Sam 13:28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
- Exod 20:13Thou shalt not kill.
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.