Deuteronomy 27:26 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 27:26 Commentary: The Curse on Those Who Do Not Uphold the Law
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study of Deuteronomy 27:26: the final curse from Mount Ebal, its demand for perfect obedience, and how Paul uses it in Galatians 3 to point us to
Research Summary
- Meaning: Everyone who does not perfectly and continually obey the whole law stands under God’s curse.
- Key words: Yakim (uphold/establish, Hiphil of qum), active confirmation; kol (all), total scope; Amen, solemn agreement.
- Main debate: Whether “all” is original in Hebrew, and how the curse relates to Christians under the new covenant.
- Theological theme: The law demands total obedience; the gospel provides a substitute who bore the curse.
- Best use: To show the need for grace, as a foundation for preaching Christ’s substitutionary work.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
WEB World English Bible 2000
‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
KJV King James Version 1769
Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Cursed is he who doth not establish the words of this law, to do them, --and all the people have said, Amen.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them! And all the people shall say, Amen.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Cursed be he that abideth not in the words of this law, and fulfilleth them not in work: and all the people shall say: Amen.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Maldito el que no confirmare las palabras de esta ley para cumplirlas. Y dirá todo el pueblo: Amén.
Maldito o que não confirmar as palavras desta lei para as cumprir. E dirá todo o povo: Amém.
Maudit soit celui qui n’ accomplit point les paroles de cette loi, et qui ne les met point en pratique! Et tout le peuple dira: Amen!
Verflucht sei, wer nicht alle Worte dieses Gesetzes erfüllt, daß er darnach tue! Und alles Volk soll sagen: Amen.
Vervloekt zij, die de woorden dezer wet niet zal bevestigen, doende dezelve! En al het volk zal zeggen: Amen.
Maledetto chi non si attiene alle parole di questa legge, per metterle in pratica! E tutto il popolo dirà: Amen.
Przeklęty, kto by nie został przy słowach zakonu tego, aby je czynił; i rzecze wszystek lud Amen.
Проклят [всякий человек], кто не исполнит [всех] слов закона сего и не будет поступать по ним! И весь народ скажет: аминь.
「『 不 堅守 遵行 這 律法 言語的，必受咒詛！』百姓 都 要說：『阿們！』
Cursed is he who does not take this law to heart to do it. And let all the people say, So be it.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 27:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse pronounces a curse on anyone who fails to perfectly and constantly obey the whole law. Calvin states that the curse extends “to all iniquities of whatever kind,” and from this Paul rightly infers that those who rely on works of the law are under the curse (Galatians 3:10). Wesley notes that to this we must all say “Amen,” owning ourselves to be under the curse. The people’s response makes them participants, acknowledging that the law’s demand is total. The consensus: this curse is universal, and no one can escape it by their own effort, which is why Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Cursory and universal: The verse is a general curse covering all law-breaking, as Calvin and Paul argue; it demands perfect obedience and shows everyone is under sin.
- Conditional on covenant response: The people’s 'Amen' makes the curse conditional on their own affirmation; some see it as a covenantal self-curse rather than a blanket condemnation.
- Limited by textual omission of 'all': If 'all' is not original, the curse covers only the preceding specific violations, not every possible transgression.
What is clear: The verse declares that God’s law carries a sanction for disobedience, and the people’s 'Amen' shows their acceptance of the covenant terms.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The inclusion of 'all' (kol) in the Hebrew text | Both sides agree that the verse pronounces a curse on failing to keep the law fully. | Some manuscripts omit 'all,' while the Samaritan, Septuagint, and Paul's quotation include it. This affects whether the curse explicitly covers every single command or is general in scope. |
| Application to New Testament believers | Christians agree that Christ fulfilled the law and became a curse for us (Gal 3:13). | Some traditions stress that the curse no longer applies because of Christ's atonement; others emphasize that believers still face discipline and that the principle of sowing/reaping remains. |
| The people's 'Amen' as self-imprecation | The response shows the congregation's acceptance of the covenant terms. | Whether this 'Amen' is merely an affirmation of God's judgment or a self-curse that brings personal liability. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 27 describes a covenant renewal ceremony at Shechem, between Mount Gerizim (for blessing) and Mount Ebal (for curse). Six tribes stood on each mountain. The Levites pronounced twelve specific curses covering idolatry, dishonoring parents, hidden sins, sexual offenses, and injustices. These curses enforced the Decalogue, as Dr. Kennicott argued (cited by Clarke). The final curse is general: whoever does not “confirm” or “uphold” all the words of this law by doing them is cursed.
The ceremony was public and dramatic. The people answered “Amen” to each curse, binding themselves to the covenant. The verb yakim (Hiphil of qum) means “to cause to stand, establish, fulfill.” It implies active, continuous confirmation of the law. The law required not just outward compliance but a wholehearted upholding of every command.
The word “all” (kol) appears in the Septuagint, Samaritan, and Paul’s quotation, though some Hebrew manuscripts omit it. Clarke notes that Jews may have suppressed it to avoid the burden of obeying every precept. Whether original or implied, the effect is the same: the law demands total obedience.
This curse was not merely theoretical. It taught Israel that sin carries real consequences even when hidden. And it set the stage for the prophets who called the people back to covenant faithfulness, and ultimately for the New Testament’s teaching that Christ bore the curse for us.
Textual Notes
The main textual variant is the presence of the word “all” (Hebrew kol). It is absent from most printed Hebrew editions but appears in the Samaritan Pentateuch, six Hebrew manuscripts (according to Kennicott and De Rossi), the Septuagint, and Paul’s quotation in Galatians 3:10. Adam Clarke notes that Jerome claimed Jews suppressed the word so they would not be bound to fulfill every precept. The Bibles of the Reformation (KJV, ASV, Geneva) include “all,” as does the YLT. The WEB, BSB, and others also include it. The sense is not materially different, but the verse's connection to Paul’s argument in Galatians is strengthened by noting the scope.
Reception History
In the early church, this verse was understood alongside Galatians 3 to demonstrate the universality of sin and the need for a Redeemer. Church fathers such as Jerome and Augustine saw the curse as showing that no one could be justified by the law. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther used it to argue for justification by faith alone: the law’s curse drives believers to Christ. Wesley and the Methodist tradition emphasized the impossibility of perfect obedience and the joy of deliverance through Christ’s substitution. Contemporary interpreters often read the verse as a backdrop for Paul’s gospel of grace, affirming the law’s holy demand and Christ’s sufficient sacrifice.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Law Demands Total Obedience, The verse requires confirming “all the words of this law to do them.” No exceptions. No partial compliance.
- The Curse Falls on Everyone, Because no one can perfectly uphold the law, every person stands under its curse (Gal. 3:10). The congregation’s “Amen” is both confession and warning.
- Christ Delivers Us from the Curse, Paul declares that Christ became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). What the law could not do, God did by sending His Son.
Five-Point Outline
- The setting: a covenant ceremony with blessings and curses.
- The twelve specific curses and their function.
- The final general curse: keeping the whole law.
- The people’s “Amen”: owning the covenant terms.
- The gospel response: Christ our curse-bearer.
Illustration Hooks
- A mortgage agreement that lists penalties for tiny defaults, the fine print shows we can’t meet every clause.
- A student who studies hard but fails one question on a pass/fail test, one failure means failure of the whole.
- An athlete who trains for years but violates the drug rule, the entire career is disqualified.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does this mean God is angry with me every time I fail?
- If Christ took the curse, why do I still feel guilty when I sin?
- Does this curse apply to Christians under the new covenant?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts us with the law’s high standard. Read Deuteronomy 27:26, then Galatians 3:10, 14. Talk about how the old covenant curse drives us to Christ.
Discussion Questions
- What does it mean to “confirm” or “uphold” all the words of the law? Why is “do them” added?
- Why do you think the final curse is general rather than specific like the previous twelve?
- How does the crowd’s “Amen” change the meaning? What would it feel like to say “Amen” to your own curse?
- How does Paul use this verse in Galatians 3:10? What point is he making?
- If Christ has become a curse for us, what should be our attitude toward the law?
- How does this passage shape your view of God’s holiness and mercy?
- What difference does it make in daily life that Christ bore the curse?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 27:15 | ‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’ |
| Deuteronomy 28:15 | But it shall come to pass, if you will not listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come on you and overtake you. |
| Deuteronomy 28:68 | Yahweh will bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way of which I told you that you would never see it again. There you will offer yourselves to your enemies for male and female slaves, and nobody will buy you. |
| Psalms 119:21 | You have rebuked the proud who are cursed, who wander from your commandments. |
| Jeremiah 11:3 | and say to them, Yahweh, the God of Israel says: ‘Cursed is the man who doesn’t hear the words of this covenant, |
| Jeremiah 11:5 | that I may establish the oath which I swore to your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey,’ as it is today.” Then I answered, and said, “Amen, Yahweh.” |
| Ezekiel 18:24 | “But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, should he live? None of his righteous deeds that he has done will be remembered. In his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them he shall die. |
| Matthew 25:41 | Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to a textual detail: the word "all" is missing from most Hebrew manuscripts of this verse, though it appears in the Samaritan text and is quoted by Paul. He notes that some ancient writers believed Jewish scribes deliberately removed the word to avoid the full weight of the law's demands. Clarke then reports, without endorsing, Kennicott's theory linking these curses to the Ten Commandments.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads this verse as a blanket curse on everyone, not just on hidden sins. He argues that even the most careful person fails in at least one point, making all people lost under the law's condemnation. This drives us to embrace Christ, who bore the curse to redeem us.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that this list of twelve curses stands apart from the surrounding text: here only the Levites pronounce curses, with no blessing, and the sins condemned come from sources beyond Deuteronomy itself. The unusual phrasing Levites and unto all the men of Israel suggests a late editor added it from an independent liturgy, not from the same hand as the preceding passage.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the wordes of this Law, to do them: And all the people shall say: So be it.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill observes that the curse here rests on failing to give the law the perfect and constant obedience it demands. The law does not allow for partial or occasional compliance; it requires complete and sustained performance of every command. The people's "Amen" shows their solemn agreement to this standard.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the stone monument inscription keeps the law as an external, fixed standard, but the sacrifices on the altar transform it into an inward reality. The writing on Ebal, the mount of curse, shows the law's condemning power, while the peace-offerings point to the curse being removed through sacrifice, allowing joyful fellowship with God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that the curses were not just spoken over the people but were answered by their own "Amen," making each Israelite a voluntary party to the covenant. This ceremony taught that even secret sins, like those listed, cannot hide from God, and the nation as a whole bound itself to uphold His law.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that "confirms" here means "performs," pointing to the failure to keep the whole law. He calls every believer to personally say "Amen" to their own condemnation under the curse, recognizing that only Christ's becoming a curse could rescue them from eternal destruction.