This verse warns that speaking against God carries severe repercussions for the offender.
“You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear his sin.” (v.15)
This command is given to Moses while the Israelites are gathered in the wilderness, likely near Mount Sinai sometime around 1446 BC, in accordance with the covenant they entered at Mount Sinai. Here the LORD makes clear that dishonoring Him through verbal curses or irreverent speech carries a grave consequence. The phrase then he will bear his sin speaks to personal culpability, underscoring that if someone violates God’s holiness, they must face the full weight of justice. Through this decree, the LORD protects the sanctity of His name and establishes that words have spiritual and communal impact.
Cursing God amounted to a repudiation of the very relationship binding Israel to Him. As God’s chosen deliverer, Moses is instructed to convey to every generation that irreverence toward the LORD’s name endangers not only the trespasser’s standing but also threatens the unity and spiritual welfare of the community. In the wider context of the Mosaic law, this underscores that speech about God should reflect honor, love, and gratitude—qualities ultimately fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 12:36) as believers today are urged to speak blessing rather than cursing.
Each Israelite, and by extension all who commit themselves to follow God, is called to respect the Creator with words that match a life of faith and obedience. Blaspheming or cursing the LORD breaks that bond and places the individual under guilt. Even in the New Testament, Jesus and His apostles convey similar principles, urging that our words manifest a genuine heart of worship and reverence toward God.
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Leviticus 24:15 meaning
“You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If anyone curses his God, then he will bear his sin.” (v.15)
This command is given to Moses while the Israelites are gathered in the wilderness, likely near Mount Sinai sometime around 1446 BC, in accordance with the covenant they entered at Mount Sinai. Here the LORD makes clear that dishonoring Him through verbal curses or irreverent speech carries a grave consequence. The phrase then he will bear his sin speaks to personal culpability, underscoring that if someone violates God’s holiness, they must face the full weight of justice. Through this decree, the LORD protects the sanctity of His name and establishes that words have spiritual and communal impact.
Cursing God amounted to a repudiation of the very relationship binding Israel to Him. As God’s chosen deliverer, Moses is instructed to convey to every generation that irreverence toward the LORD’s name endangers not only the trespasser’s standing but also threatens the unity and spiritual welfare of the community. In the wider context of the Mosaic law, this underscores that speech about God should reflect honor, love, and gratitude—qualities ultimately fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 12:36) as believers today are urged to speak blessing rather than cursing.
Each Israelite, and by extension all who commit themselves to follow God, is called to respect the Creator with words that match a life of faith and obedience. Blaspheming or cursing the LORD breaks that bond and places the individual under guilt. Even in the New Testament, Jesus and His apostles convey similar principles, urging that our words manifest a genuine heart of worship and reverence toward God.