April 17, 2026 | 07:31 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to mistakenly quote a line from Pulp Fiction, a 1994 film directed by Quentin Tarantino, while attempting to reference a Bible verse during a Pentagon prayer service, according to a report by Variety.
Speaking at a worship service on Wednesday, Hegseth delivered a prayer related to a combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission involving a U.S. fighter pilot stranded in Iran. He said the verse is frequently spoken by rescue crews, referring to it as “CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Book of Ezekiel 25:17.”
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men…” Hegseth said, before continuing: “And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
As noted by Variety, the lines recited by Hegseth closely mirror a famous monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction, which is not a direct biblical quote but a stylized, fictional adaptation loosely inspired by Ezekiel 25:17. The discrepancy was first flagged by the blog A Public Witness.
The original passage in the King James Bible differs significantly, reading: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord…”
According to Variety, the version popularized in Pulp Fiction was adapted by director Quentin Tarantino from the 1973 Japanese martial arts film Bodyguard Kiba, further distancing it from the actual scripture.
Responding to the controversy, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell rejected claims that Hegseth had confused the movie quote with scripture. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Parnell said the prayer was a custom CSAR tradition used by military personnel and acknowledged its inspiration from Pulp Fiction.
“Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer… which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction,” Parnell wrote on X, adding that both the prayer and the film dialogue reflect themes from Ezekiel 25:17. He dismissed criticism as “fake news.”
Meanwhile, Pulp Fiction co-writer Roger Avary weighed in on the debate, saying he had no issue with the reference if it helped protect U.S. troops.
“I am perfectly fine with [Hegseth] quoting Jules in Pulp Fiction if it keeps bullets from hitting our soldiers,” Avary wrote on X.
In a separate press conference on Thursday, Hegseth again invoked biblical imagery, comparing journalists to the Pharisees—figures in the New Testament known for opposing Jesus—and accusing the media of persistent negativity toward former President Donald Trump’s policies on Iran.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host appointed by Trump in 2025, has frequently incorporated religious language into official remarks. According to the Los Angeles Times, he has previously used prayer sessions to call for forceful military action, including asking God to “grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence” during a sermon last month.
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