“And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 21:17 Mean?
The law prescribes death for cursing one's parents—"he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." The severity of the penalty reveals the gravity of the offense: in God's law, the parent-child relationship is so foundational to social order that its deliberate violation carries the ultimate consequence. Cursing a parent isn't a minor offense in God's economy. It's capital.
The word "curseth" (meqallēl) means to make light of, to treat with contempt, to declare cursed—the opposite of honor. Where the fifth commandment says "honour thy father and thy mother," this law addresses the extreme opposite: the person who not only fails to honor but actively curses. The dishonor has escalated from passive neglect to active verbal assault.
Both parents are named specifically: father or mother. The protection isn't gendered. Cursing either parent carries the same penalty. The mother receives the same legal protection as the father. In a culture where the father typically held greater legal authority, the law elevates the mother to equal protected status. Verbal assault against Mom is as serious as verbal assault against Dad.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How seriously do you take the honor of your parents—even imperfect, even difficult parents?
- 2.If the parent-child relationship is foundational to social order, what happens when a culture normalizes parental disrespect?
- 3.Both parents are protected equally. Does your family honor both mother and father with equal respect?
- 4.The penalty seems extreme. What does the severity tell you about how God values family relationships?
Devotional
Cursing your parent carries the death penalty. The severity shocks modern readers—but the severity is the point. God considers the parent-child relationship so foundational that its deliberate violation warrants the ultimate consequence. The person who curses their parent hasn't just been rude. They've attacked the foundation of the social order God designed.
The word "curseth" means more than profanity. It means to treat with contempt—to make light of, to declare worthless, to verbally assault the dignity of the person who gave you life. The opposite of honor. The extreme end of dishonor. The person who curses their parent has moved past mere disrespect into active verbal destruction of the relationship that civilization depends on.
Both parents. Father or mother. The law doesn't protect one more than the other. In a patriarchal culture, the mother receives the same legal protection as the father. Cursing your mother is as serious as cursing your father. The dignity of parenthood isn't gendered. Both parents deserve honor. Both parents are protected by the same ultimate penalty.
Before you dismiss this as barbaric, consider what the law protects: the relationship between generations. When children curse parents—when the younger generation verbally demolishes the older—the social fabric tears at its most basic seam. The family unit, which is the cell from which all other social structures grow, is destroyed from within. God's penalty communicates His priority: protect the family at all costs. Even ultimate costs.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he that curseth his father, or his mother,.... Though he does not smite them with his hand, or with any instrument…
Here is, I. A law concerning murder. He had lately said, Thou shalt not kill; here he provides, 1. For the punishing of…
Cursing a parent. Comp. Deu 27:16; Lev 20:9 (H): also Pro 20:20; Pro 30:17. In the LXX. this verse stands more suitably…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture