Exodus 21:17 - Exposition

He that curseth his father , etc. Blasphemy against God, and imprecations upon parents, were the only two sins of the tongue which the law expressly required to be punished with death (Le Exodus 24:16 ). In later times analogy was held to require that "cursing the ruler of the people" ( Exodus 22:28 ) should be visited with the same penalty ( 2 Samuel 19:22 ; 1 Kings 2:8 , 1 Kings 2:9 , 1 Kings 2:46 ). The severity of the sentence indicates that in God' s sight such sins are of the deepest dye.