Cursed is he who lies with any animal.' And let all the people say, 'Amen!' Cursed is heThe word "cursed" in Hebrew is "אָרוּר" (arur), which signifies being under a divine curse or ban. In the context of Deuteronomy, it reflects the seriousness of violating God's commandments. The use of "cursed" here underscores the gravity of the sin and the separation it causes between the individual and God. This curse is not merely a social or legal consequence but a spiritual one, indicating a breach in the covenant relationship with God. who has sexual relations
The phrase "has sexual relations" is derived from the Hebrew verb "שָׁכַב" (shakab), meaning to lie down or to have sexual intercourse. This term is used throughout the Old Testament to describe illicit sexual behavior, emphasizing the physical act that transgresses divine law. The specificity of this phrase highlights the physical and moral boundaries set by God for His people, reflecting His desire for purity and holiness in their lives. with any animal
The Hebrew term for "animal" here is "בְּהֵמָה" (behemah), which generally refers to beasts or cattle. This prohibition against bestiality is part of a broader set of laws intended to maintain the sanctity and order of creation. Historically, such practices were associated with pagan rituals and idolatry, which Israel was called to reject. The commandment serves as a reminder of the distinctiveness of God's people and their call to live according to His standards. And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
The word "Amen" is a transliteration of the Hebrew "אָמֵן," meaning "so be it" or "truly." It is an affirmation of truth and agreement. In this context, the collective response of "Amen" by the people signifies communal acknowledgment and acceptance of God's laws. It reflects the unity and shared responsibility of the community to uphold God's commandments. This public affirmation serves as a powerful reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and His people, where obedience brings blessing and disobedience results in curses. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who delivered God's laws and commands, including the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy. 2. The IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, receiving the law as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. 3. Mount Ebal and Mount GerizimThe locations where the blessings and curses were to be proclaimed to the people of Israel. 4. The LevitesThe tribe responsible for proclaiming the curses to the people. 5. CanaanThe land the Israelites were about to enter, where they were to uphold God's laws. Teaching Points The Sanctity of God's Creation OrderGod's laws reflect His design for human relationships and the sanctity of His creation. Violating these boundaries is a serious offense against His order. The Seriousness of SinThe pronouncement of a curse underscores the gravity of sin and its consequences. It serves as a warning to uphold God's standards. Community ResponsibilityThe communal response of "Amen" signifies collective agreement and responsibility in upholding God's laws. It reminds us of the importance of community accountability in maintaining holiness. The Call to HolinessAs believers, we are called to live holy lives, set apart for God. This involves adhering to His commands and avoiding practices that defile us. Repentance and RestorationWhile the curse highlights the severity of sin, it also points to the need for repentance and the possibility of restoration through God's grace. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the communal response of "Amen" in Deuteronomy 27:21 reflect the importance of community accountability in our spiritual lives today? 2. In what ways can we uphold the sanctity of God's creation order in our personal and communal lives? 3. How do the prohibitions in Deuteronomy 27:21 and related scriptures inform our understanding of sexual immorality and its consequences? 4. What steps can we take to ensure that we are living lives that are set apart and holy, in accordance with God's commands? 5. How can we support one another in repentance and restoration when someone falls into sin, as highlighted by the seriousness of the curses in Deuteronomy 27? Connections to Other Scriptures Leviticus 18:23 and 20:15-16 These passages also address the prohibition against bestiality, emphasizing the severity of this sin and its consequences. Romans 1:24-27Paul discusses the consequences of abandoning natural relations, which can be connected to the broader theme of sexual immorality and its spiritual implications. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20Paul urges believers to flee from sexual immorality, highlighting the importance of honoring God with our bodies. People Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Moses, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, ZebulunPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Jordan River, Mount Ebal, Mount GerizimTopics Amen, Animal, Beast, Cursed, Kind, Lies, Lieth, Lying, Manner, Relations, Sex, Sexual, SortDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 27:1-26 7797 teaching Deuteronomy 27:9-26 5827 curse Deuteronomy 27:15-26 1461 truth, nature of
5783 agreement Deuteronomy 27:20-23 5681 family, nature of Library Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten CommandmentsIn Judæa and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and Theology - Jews and Samaritans.
We have no means of determining how long Jesus may have tarried in Jerusalem after the events recorded in the previous two chapters. The Evangelic narrative [1850] only marks an indefinite period of time, which, as we judge from internal probability, cannot have been protracted. From the city He retired with His disciples to the country,' which formed the province of Judæa. There He taught and His disciples baptized. [1851] [1852] From what had been so lately witnessed in Jerusalem, as well …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah How Christ is Made Use of for Justification as a Way.
What Christ hath done to purchase, procure, and bring about our justification before God, is mentioned already, viz. That he stood in the room of sinners, engaging for them as their cautioner, undertaking, and at length paying down the ransom; becoming sin, or a sacrifice for sin, and a curse for them, and so laying down his life a ransom to satisfy divine justice; and this he hath made known in the gospel, calling sinners to an accepting of him as their only Mediator, and to a resting upon him for …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Gilgal, in Deuteronomy 11:30 what the Place Was.
That which is said by Moses, that "Gerizim and Ebal were over-against Gilgal," Deuteronomy 11:30, is so obscure, that it is rendered into contrary significations by interpreters. Some take it in that sense, as if it were near to Gilgal: some far off from Gilgal: the Targumists read, "before Gilgal": while, as I think, they do not touch the difficulty; which lies not so much in the signification of the word Mul, as in the ambiguity of the word Gilgal. These do all seem to understand that Gilgal which …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ.
O wretched Man! where shall I begin to describe thine endless misery, who art condemned as soon as conceived; and adjudged to eternal death, before thou wast born to a temporal life? A beginning indeed, I find, but no end of thy miseries. For when Adam and Eve, being created after God's own image, and placed in Paradise, that they and their posterity might live in a blessed state of life immortal, having dominion over all earthly creatures, and only restrained from the fruit of one tree, as a sign …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion: Or, to Communicate with Saints, as Saints, Proved Lawful.
IN ANSWER TO A BOOK WRITTEN BY THE BAPTISTS, AND PUBLISHED BY MR. T. PAUL AND MR. W. KIFFIN, ENTITLED, 'SOME SERIOUS REFLECTIONS ON THAT PART OF MR BUNYAN'S CONFESSION OF FAITH, TOUCHING CHURCH COMMUNION WITH UNBAPTIZED BELIEVERS.' WHEREIN THEIR OBJECTIONS AND ARGUMENTS ARE ANSWERED, AND THE DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION STILL ASSERTED AND VINDICATED. HERE IS ALSO MR. HENRY JESSE'S JUDGMENT IN THE CASE, FULLY DECLARING THE DOCTRINE I HAVE ASSERTED. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'Should not the multitude of words be answered? …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 27:21 NIVDeuteronomy 27:21 NLTDeuteronomy 27:21 ESVDeuteronomy 27:21 NASBDeuteronomy 27:21 KJV
Deuteronomy 27:21 Commentaries
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