New King James Version
Deuteronomy 27:15
15‘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!’
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 Living Translation (NLT)‘Cursed is anyone who carves or casts an idol and secretly sets it up. These idols, the work of craftsmen, are detestable to the Lord.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
Context of Deuteronomy 27:15
13and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14“And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel: ‘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!’ 16‘Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’ “And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ 17‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ “And all the people shall 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 28:16“Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.
- Genesis 9:25Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.”
- 1 Samuel 26:19Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
- Jeremiah 11:3and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant
- Deuteronomy 4:16lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,
- Deuteronomy 5:8‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
- Exodus 20:4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
- Exodus 32:1Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
- Exodus 34:17“You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.
- Leviticus 19:4‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.
- Leviticus 26:1‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.
- Isaiah 44:9Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
- Hosea 13:2Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”
- Deuteronomy 29:17and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold);
- 1 Kings 11:5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
- 2 Kings 23:13Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries