You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
- KJV Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.
- NKJV You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the Lord.
- NASB You shall not curse a person who is deaf, nor put a stumbling block before a person who is blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the Lord.
- NLT “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.
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
Israel must not curse the deaf or trip the blind, but fear God.
Overview
This law protects those who cannot defend themselves from hidden cruelty. Because the deaf cannot hear a curse and the blind cannot see a snare, only the fear of God restrains such mistreatment. It reveals that true holiness extends even to how we treat the most vulnerable when no one is watching.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Deut 27:18‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Lev 19:32You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
- Rom 14:13Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
- 1 Pet 2:17Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Lev 25:17Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.
- Neh 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
- 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.
- 1 Cor 8:8–13But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
- Gen 42:18and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
- Rom 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- 1 Cor 10:32Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God—
- 1 Pet 1:17Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 19:14 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.