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.
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.
- BSB You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
- ESV You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your 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.
- NLT “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.
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
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 leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
- Lev 19:32“‘You shall rise up before the gray head, and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God. I am Yahweh.
- Rom 14:13Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling.
- 1 Pet 2:17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
- Lev 25:17You shall not wrong one another; but you shall fear your God: for I am Yahweh your God.
- Neh 5:15But the former governors who were before me were supported by the people, and took bread and wine from them, plus forty shekels of silver; yes, even their servants ruled over the people; but I didn’t do so, because of the fear of God.
- 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.
- 1 Cor 8:8–13But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.
- Gen 42:18Joseph said to them the third day, “Do this, and live, for I fear God.
- Rom 12:14Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.
- 1 Cor 10:32Give no occasion for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the assembly of God;
- 1 Pet 1:17If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.