God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 27:15
15“Whoever has a carved or metal statue, anything disgusting to the Lord that was made by a craftsman, and sets it up in secret will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
Deuteronomy 27:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
- New International Version (NIV)“Cursed is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the Lord, the work of skilled hands—and sets it up in secret.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"'Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret.' And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen.'
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ “And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’
Context of Deuteronomy 27:15
13These are the tribes that will stand on Mount Ebal to announce the curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14The Levites will declare to all the people of Israel in a loud voice: “Whoever has a carved or metal statue, anything disgusting to the Lord that was made by a craftsman, and sets it up in secret will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen. 16“Whoever curses his father or mother will himself be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen. 17“Whoever moves his neighbor’s boundary marker will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
Read all of Deuteronomy 27Deuteronomy 27:15 word by word
אָר֣וּר הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַעֲשֶׂה֩ פֶ֨סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֜ה תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה מַעֲשֵׂ֛ה יְדֵ֥י חָרָ֖שׁ וְשָׂ֣ם בַּסָּ֑תֶר וְעָנ֧וּ כָל־הָעָ֛ם וְאָמְר֖וּ אָמֵֽן׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Cursedאָרַר'ârar · to curseH779
- the manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that makethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- gravenפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- or molten imageמַסֵּכָהmassêkâh · molten metalH4541
- an abominationתּוֹעֵבַהtô‛êbah tô‛êbah · abominationH8441
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- of the handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- of the craftsmanחָרָשׁ, חֲרָשִׁיםchârâsh · artificerH2796
- and puttethשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- secretסֵ֫תֶרsêther sithrâh · secrecyH5643
- And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- shall answerעָנָה‛ânâh · to answerH6030
- and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Amenאָמֵן'âmên · amenH543
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 27:15
- Deuteronomy 28:16You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
- Genesis 9:25So he said, “Canaan is cursed! He will be the lowest slave to his brothers.
- 1 Samuel 26:19Your Majesty, please listen to my words. If the Lord has turned you against me, let him be satisfied with an offering. But if mere mortals ⌞have turned you against me⌟, let them be cursed by the Lord. They have prevented me from having a share of the Lord’s inheritance. ‘Go and serve other gods,’ they tell me.
- Jeremiah 11:3Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is anyone who doesn’t listen to the terms of this promise.
- Deuteronomy 4:16that you don’t become corrupt and make your own carved idols. Don’t make statues that represent men or women,
- Deuteronomy 5:8Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.
- Exodus 20:4Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.
- Exodus 32:1When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. They said to him, “We don’t know what has happened to this Moses, who led us out of Egypt. Make gods who will lead us.”
- Exodus 34:17“Never make an idol.
- Leviticus 19:4“Don’t turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
- Leviticus 26:1⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Never make worthless idols or set up a carved statue or a sacred stone for yourselves. Never cut figures in stone to worship them in your country, because I am the Lord your God.
- Isaiah 44:9All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.
- Hosea 13:2They keep on sinning more and more. They make idols from silver for themselves. These idols are skillfully made. All of them are the work of craftsmen. People say this about the Israelites: “They offer human sacrifices and kiss calf-shaped idols.”
- Deuteronomy 29:17You saw their disgusting gods and idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold.
- 1 Kings 11:5Solomon followed Astarte (the goddess of the Sidonians) and Milcom (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites).
- 2 Kings 23:13The king made the illegal places of worship east of Jerusalem unclean. They were on the southern part of the Hill of Destruction. King Solomon of Israel had built them for Astarte (the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians), Chemosh (the disgusting god of Moab), and Milcom (the disgusting god of the Ammonites).
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 27:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Cursed be the man, etc. - Other laws, previously made, had prohibited all these things; and penal sanctions were necessarily understood; but here God more openly declares that he who breaks them is cursed - falls under the wrath and indignation of his Maker and Judge. See the note on Exodus 20:4.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11-26Verses 11-26 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…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-26Verses 11-26 The six tribes appointed for blessing, were all children of the free women, for to such the promise belongs, Ga 4:31. Levi is here among the rest. Ministers should apply to themselves the blessing and curse they preach to others, and by faith set their own Amen to it. And they must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them with the threatenings of a curse, by declaring that a curse would be upon those…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15a carved idol or molten image: To carve or cast an idol means to make a carved image or a metal image for worship. This act directly violates the second commandment (see 5:7–10). It goes against the covenant ideal, which calls Israel to worship the Lord alone.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 27:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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