On Wednesday, during what has become a series of Pentagon prayer services led by the Secretary of War in connection with the Iran military campaign, Hegseth spoke from a podium, offering a prayer to those in attendance.
He described how religious teachings are being used to guide policy and military decision-making, and referenced a prayer he said had been shared with him by the leader of a recent combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission involving downed Air Force personnel in Iran.
He then recalled a passage that, he explained, had been given to him in connection with that operation.
However, the quote he delivered was not from the Bible. It was instead taken from Pulp Fiction, the 1994 film in which Samuel L. Jackson’s character recites a modified version of a biblical passage while claiming it comes from Ezekiel 25:17.
From the podium, Hegseth read: “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, shepherds 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, and amen.”
In Pulp Fiction, the character attributes the words to Ezekiel 25:17. While the film’s version is loosely inspired by the Bible, it significantly alters the original scripture.
The actual verse from Ezekiel 25:17 reads: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”
Following the remarks, the moment quickly spread across social media, where users reacted with confusion and criticism.
“The Pentagon is being run like a youth pastor who watched Pulp Fiction once and thought it was actual scripture,” one user wrote on X.
Another added, “That’s quite an achievement. In one week Trump mocks Jesus, Vance mocks the Pope and Hegseth reads fake Bible quotes. Way to go boys.”
Others questioned the implications more directly, with one writing, “The only thing that should terrify you is that he didn’t know it was fake,” while another joked about a “poorly scripted reality show” atmosphere surrounding recent administration events.
A separate user commented, “I feel like I’m watching a poorly scripted reality show when it comes to pretty much everything Trump administration related.”
The Pentagon later responded through Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of war for public affairs and chief Pentagon spokesman, posting on X that Hegseth had referenced a “CSAR prayer” used by personnel involved in the Iran rescue mission, which he said was inspired by dialogue from Pulp Fiction.
Parnell added that both the prayer and the film dialogue were themselves reflections of Ezekiel 25:17, and argued that claims of misquotation were inaccurate, describing such criticism as “fake news.”