Leviticus 20:9 (ASV)

Passage

For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am Jehovah your God.

Leviticus 20:8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am Jehovah who sanctifieth you.

Leviticus 20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man`s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor`s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

Leviticus 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father`s wife hath uncovered his father`s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "curseth", "father", "mother", "shall", "surely", "death", "hath", and "cursed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "curseth" and "father", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "And ye shall keep my statutes and..." into verse 10's "And the man that committeth adultery with...", so "curseth" and "father" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "curseth" and "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.