The Meaning of Deuteronomy 27:15 Explained

Deuteronomy 27:15

KJV: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

YLT: Cursed is the man who maketh a graven and molten image, the abomination of Jehovah, work of the hands of an artificer, and hath put it in a secret place, -- and all the people have answered and said, Amen.

Darby: Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination to Jehovah, a work of the craftsman's hand, and putteth it up secretly! And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

ASV: Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination unto Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Cursed  [be] the man  that maketh  [any] graven  or molten image,  an abomination  unto the LORD,  the work  of the hands  of the craftsman,  and putteth  [it] in [a] secret  [place]. And all the people  shall answer  and say,  Amen. 

What does Deuteronomy 27:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 27:1-26 - Curses Upon Evildoers
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were two masses of limestone rock, reaching 2700 and 2000 feet above the sea-level. Between them lay a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. At the foot and on the lower slopes of Gerizim stood the descendants of Rachel and Leah; on those of Ebal, the descendants of Zilpah and Bilhah, together with Zebulun and with Reuben, who had forfeited the rights of the first-born. The priests and the Levites, grouped beside the Ark in the valley, uttered both the benedictions and the solemn denunciations of the Law, each item eliciting the responsive "Amens."
Notice the sensitiveness of the divine Spirit! To make a blind man wander out of his way and to wrest the judgment of the fatherless, was held to be as reprehensible as to commit those terrible breaches of the law of purity. Nothing in life is insignificant or trivial when weighed in the balance of eternal justice. We can only rejoice when we realize that we are accepted in the Beloved, and that He has stood for us, Romans 3:20; Romans 5:1-3; Romans 5:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 27

1  The people are commanded to write the law upon stones
5  and to build an altar of whole stones
11  The tribes to be divided on Gerizim and Ebal
14  The curses to be pronounced on mount Ebal

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 27:15 mean?

Cursed [is] the man who makes a carved or molded image an abomination to Yahweh the work of the hands of the craftsman and sets [it] up in secret and shall answer all the people and say Amen -
אָר֣וּר הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַעֲשֶׂה֩ פֶ֨סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֜ה תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה מַעֲשֵׂ֛ה יְדֵ֥י חָרָ֖שׁ וְשָׂ֣ם בַּסָּ֑תֶר וְעָנ֧וּ כָל־ הָעָ֛ם וְאָמְר֖וּ אָמֵֽן ס

אָר֣וּר  Cursed  [is] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: אָרַר  
Sense: to curse.
הָאִ֡ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
יַעֲשֶׂה֩  makes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
פֶ֨סֶל  a  carved 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
וּמַסֵּכָ֜ה  or  molded  image 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַסֵּכָה 
Sense: a pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image, drink offering.
תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת  an  abomination  to 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תֹּועֵבָה  
Sense: a disgusting thing, abomination, abominable.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מַעֲשֵׂ֛ה  the  work 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יְדֵ֥י  of  the  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
חָרָ֖שׁ  of  the  craftsman 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶרֶשׁ 
Sense: craftsman, artisan, engraver, graver, artificer.
וְשָׂ֣ם  and  sets  [it]  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
בַּסָּ֑תֶר  in  secret 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵתֶר 
Sense: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy.
וְעָנ֧וּ  and  shall  answer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
הָעָ֛ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וְאָמְר֖וּ  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָמֵֽן  Amen 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אָמֵן  
Sense: verily, truly, amen, so be it.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation