Bible Strands
Leviticus 19:14
You must not curse the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God. I am the LORD.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The Lord addresses Israel through Moses, placing this command between prohibitions against wage theft and biased judging.
The words — The Hebrew תְקַלֵּל (te.ka.Lel) means "you will curse," and מִכְשֹׁל (mikh.Shol) translates literally to "a stumbling block."
The thread — The same prohibition against causing the blind to stumble appears in Deuteronomy 27:18, while the recurring command to "fear your God" connects this passage to Leviticus 19:32 and Leviticus 25:17.
Why it lands — The text explicitly forbids exploiting or harming the physically vulnerable, then grounds that concrete protection in reverence for God rather than social preference.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 27:18 ‘Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Leviticus 19:32 You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.
- Leviticus 25:17 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God; for I am the LORD your God.
- Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
- 1 Peter 2:17 Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
- Nehemiah 5:15 The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people. But I did not do this, because of my fear of God.
- 1 Corinthians 8:8 But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
- Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
- Genesis 42:18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live:
- Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.