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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

Deuteronomy 27:24

‘Cursed is the one who kills his neighbor in private.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Amen;   Assassination;   Curse;   Homicide;   Instruction;   Law;   Responsive Religious Service;   Reward;   Word of God;   Worship;   The Topic Concordance - Curses;   Profit;   Violence;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ebal;   Gerizim;   Marriage;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Amen;   Curse;   Neighbour;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apostasy;   Blessing;   Curse, Accursed;   Murder;   Worship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Amen;   Moses;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Amen;   Ebal;   Law;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Amen;   Ark of the Covenant;   Blessing and Cursing;   Covenant;   Neighbor;   Temple of Jerusalem;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Crimes and Punishments;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Bond ;   Synagogue;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Amen;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Gerizim;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Amen;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Peculiarities of the Law of Moses;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apostasy;   Covenant, in the Old Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Judaism;   Taḳḳanah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
‘The one who secretly kills his neighbor is cursed.’
Hebrew Names Version
Cursed be he who strikes his neighbor in secret. All the people shall say, Amein.
King James Version
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Lexham English Bible
‘Cursed be the one who strikes down his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'
English Standard Version
"‘Cursed be anyone who strikes down his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'
New Century Version
"Anyone will be cursed who kills a neighbor secretly." Then all the people will say, "Amen!"
Amplified Bible
'Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
New American Standard Bible
'Cursed is he who attacks his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
Geneva Bible (1587)
Cursed be hee that smiteth his neyghbour secretly: And all the people shal say: So be it.
Legacy Standard Bible
‘Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.'
Complete Jewish Bible
"‘A curse on anyone who secretly attacks a fellow member of the community.' All the people are to say, ‘Amen!'
Darby Translation
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly! And all the people shall say, Amen.
Easy-to-Read Version
"The Levites will say, ‘Cursed is the one who kills anyone, even if he is not caught!' "Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'
George Lamsa Translation
Cursed be he who smites his neighbor secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Good News Translation
"‘God's curse on anyone who secretly commits murder.' "And all the people will answer, ‘Amen!'
Literal Translation
Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor secretly! And all the people shall say, Amen!
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Cursed be he that slayeth his neghboure secretly. And all the people shal saye, Amen.
American Standard Version
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Bible in Basic English
Cursed is he who takes his neighbour's life secretly. And let all the people say, So be it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Cursed be he that smyteth his neighbour secretly: and all the people shall say, Amen.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour in secret. And all the people shall say: Amen.
King James Version (1611)
Cursed be hee that smiteth his neighbour secretly: and all the people shall say, Amen.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Cursed is he that smites his neighbour secretly: and all the people shall say, So be it.
English Revised Version
Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour in secret. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Berean Standard Bible
'Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Cursid is he that sleeth pryueli his neiybore; and al the puple schal seie, Amen! Cursid is he that slepith with `the wijf of his neiybore; and al the puple schal seie, Amen!
Young's Literal Translation
`Cursed [is] he who is smiting his neighbour in secret, -- and all the people have said, Amen.
Update Bible Version
Cursed be he that smites his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Webster's Bible Translation
Cursed [be] he that smiteth his neighbor secretly: and all the people shall say, Amen.
World English Bible
Cursed be he who strikes his neighbor in secret. All the people shall say, Amen.
New King James Version
"Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.' "And all the people shall say, "Amen!'
New Living Translation
‘Cursed is anyone who attacks a neighbor in secret.' And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.'
New Life Bible
‘Cursed is the one who hits his neighbor in secret.' And all the people will say, ‘Let it be so.'
New Revised Standard
"Cursed be anyone who strikes down a neighbor in secret." All the people shall say, "Amen!"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Cursed, be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say - Amen.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Cursed be he that secretly killeth his neighbour: and all the people shall say: Amen.
Revised Standard Version
"'Cursed be he who slays his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

Contextual Overview

11 Moreover, Moses commanded the people that day: 12 "The following tribes must stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these other tribes must stand for the curse on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 "The Levites will call out to every Israelite with a loud voice: 15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or metal image—something abhorrent to the Lord , the work of the craftsman—and sets it up in a secret place.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' 16 ‘Cursed is the one who disrespects his father and mother.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' 17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's boundary marker.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' 18 ‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' 19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!' 20 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his father's former wife, for he dishonors his father.' Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!'

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 19:11, Deuteronomy 19:12, Exodus 20:13, Exodus 21:12-14, Leviticus 24:17, Numbers 35:31, 2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 11:15-17, 2 Samuel 12:9-12, 2 Samuel 13:28, 2 Samuel 20:9, 2 Samuel 20:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:6 - secret Exodus 21:14 - slay Exodus 21:15 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 27:7
‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.'
Genesis 27:8
Now then, my son, do exactly what I tell you!
1 Samuel 21:2
David replied to Ahimelech the priest, "The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, ‘Don't let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.' I have told my soldiers to wait at a certain place.
1 Samuel 21:13
He altered his behavior in their presence. Since he was in their power, he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard.
1 Samuel 27:10
When Achish would ask, "Where did you raid today?" David would say, "The Negev of Judah" or "The Negev of Jeharmeel" or "The Negev of the Kenites."
2 Samuel 14:5
The king replied to her, "What do you want?" She answered, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.
Job 15:5
Your sin inspires your mouth; you choose the language of the crafty.
Proverbs 12:19
The one who tells the truth will endure forever, but the one who lies will last only for a moment.
Proverbs 12:22
The Lord abhors a person who lies, but those who deal truthfully are his delight.
Proverbs 30:8
Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches, feed me with my allotted portion of bread,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Cursed [be] he that smiteth his neighbour secretly,.... And kills him, and the murder is not known; the curse of God follows such, and overtakes them sooner or later. Some interpret this of smiting with the tongue, of secret backbiting and slander; so the Targum of Jonathan,

"that smiteth with the third tongue;''

or false accusation:

and all the people shall say Amen; as disapproving of and condemning such a practice, even slander, and especially murder.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Joshua 8:32-35. The solemnity was apparently designed only for the single occasion on which it actually took place.

Deuteronomy 27:12, Deuteronomy 27:13

The tribes appointed to stand on Gerizim to bless the people all sprang from the two wives of Jacob, Leah and Rachel. All the four tribes which sprang from the handmaids Zilpah and Bilhah are located on Ebal. But in order, as it would seem, to effect an equal division, two tribes are added to the latter from the descendants of the wives, that of Reuben, probably because he forfeited his primogeniture Genesis 49:4; and of Zebulun, apparently because he was the youngest son of Leah.

The transaction presents itself as a solemn renewal of the covenant made by God with Abraham and Isaac, but more especially with Jacob and his family. Accordingly the genealogical basis of the “twelve patriarchs” (compare Acts 7:12; Revelation 7:4 ff), the sons of Jacob, is here assumed. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh are merged in the name of Joseph, their father; and Levi regains on this occasion his place collaterally with the others. “The Levites” of Deuteronomy 27:14 are no doubt “the priests the Levites” (compareJoshua 8:33; Joshua 8:33), in whom the ministerial character attaching to the tribe was more particularly manifested. It is noteworthy that the group of tribes which stood on Gerizim far exceeded the other in numbers and in importance, thus perhaps indicating that even by the Law the blessing should at length prevail.

Deuteronomy 27:15

The “Amen” attested the conviction of the utterers that the sentences to which they responded were true, just, and certain; so in Numbers 5:22, and in our own Commination Office, which is modelled after this ordinance of Moses.

Deuteronomy 27:15-26

Twelve curses against transgressions of the covenant. The first eleven are directed against special sins which are selected by way of example, the last comprehensively sums up in general terms and condemns all and every offence against God’s Law. Compare the marginal references.


 
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