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Solomon names a serious offense in Proverbs 20:20: He who curses his father or his mother, his lamp will go out in time of darkness (v. 20). Cursing parents was treated in Israel as a covenant offense of the highest order (Exodus 21:17 and Leviticus 20:9).
To curse his father or his mother is to turn against the soil one's own life is rooted in. Family is the first arena Proverbs has trained the student to honor (Proverbs 1:8). Solomon does not repeat the legal penalty here; he describes the inner result.
His lamp will go out in time of darkness. The picture is one of being cut off from light, hope, and direction at the very moment those are most needed. The dark hour will come for everyone. The one who has cursed his parents will face it without a lamp.
Used with permission from TheBibleSays.com.
You can access the original article here:Proverbs 20:20 Meaning
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