Did Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth falsely present lines from "Pulp Fiction" as a real biblical quote? No, that's not true: In April 2026, Hegseth described it as a prayer used by the "Sandy One" Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) mission in Iran, saying it was "meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17." He did not claim it was the actual Bible verse. Known as "CSAR 25:17," it paraphrases a speech delivered by actor Samuel L. Jackson's character in the film, which itself is not an accurate recitation of the passage from Ezekiel.
The claim appeared in a post and video (archived here) by the @EdKrassen account on X on April 16, 2026. It read:
Wow this is embarrassing!
Pete Hegseth quoted a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction at a Pentagon speech and prayer session yesterday.
The prayer was an adaptation of the monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson's character. In the movie, the character falsely attributes it to Ezekiel 25:17 before a killing, saying:
'The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. 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.'
This is what a video still from the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Image source: Post by @EdKrassen on X.)
Hegseth prayed the CSAR 25:17 prayer on April 15, 2026, during a monthly Christian prayer and worship service (archived here) hosted by the secretary of defense at the Pentagon. In explaining the prayer, Hegseth referenced a U.S. Air Force F-15 pilot rescued from Iran during a high-risk operation on April 3, 2026. He said:
This prayer was recited by 'Sandy One,' which is one of the Sandies, to all Sandies, all those A-10 crews, prior to all CSAR [Combat Search and Rescue] missions, but especially this CSAR mission that happened in real time. They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17. So the prayer is CSAR 25:17, and it reads, and pray with me, please...
"Sandy" is the call sign for the aircraft used in CSAR missions.
Hegseth's explanation and prayer can be viewed here:
'Pulp Fiction'
CSAR 25:17 was paraphrased from the speech (archived here) given by Jackson's character in "Pulp Fiction," which the character attributed to Ezekiel 25:17. It contained some elements of the Bible verse but greatly expanded upon the original. Jackson's character said:
The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.
The "Pulp Fiction" scene can be watched here:
Ezekiel 25:17
The actual version of Ezekiel 25:17 (archived here) is much shorter. In the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, it reads:
I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.
