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Anyone who curses father or mother shall be put to death;[a](A) and having cursed father or mother, such a one will bear the bloodguilt.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 20:9 Curses father or mother…put to death: this is more than a simple expletive uttered in anger against one’s parents. See note on Ex 21:17.
  2. 20:9–21 Bloodguilt: these penalties, beginning with cursing one’s parents, reflect the concerns of a patriarchal society that the breakdown of one’s relations with one’s parents can lead to the breakdown of all other familial relationships, resulting in the breakdown of society.

12 [a](A)Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 20:12–17 The Decalogue falls into two parts: the preceding precepts refer to God, the following refer primarily to one’s fellow Israelites.