Deuteronomy 21:18-21 meaning

Moses instructs the Israelites on how to deal with a stubborn and rebellious son who continuously disobeys his parents.

Continuing the discussion of the sixth commandment, this section describes what is needed to be done if any man has a stubborn and rebellious son (v. 18). The two words stubborn (Heb. “sārar,” “stubborn,” “rebellious”) and rebellious (Heb. “mārâ,” “disobedient,” “rebellious”) form a hendiadys (a figure of speech using two unrelated words together to convey one idea). This intensifies how disobedient the son (and possibly the daughter) was to his/her parents. Today, this person might be called a juvenile delinquent. This would be a blatant and unceasing violation of the fifth commandment (“Honor your father and your mother”), and because the punishment here could be death, it falls under the sixth commandment.

This strong-willed son was one who habitually would not obey his father or his mother. Both parents are mentioned because the son must obey both of his parents and consider them valuable. Also, the fifth commandment mentions that both one’s father and mother must be honored (Deuteronomy 5:16). However, the rebellious son did just the opposite: when his parents chastised him, he would not even listen to them. The verb chastise (Heb. “yāsar”) implies confronting the son with the idea of teaching him correct behavior (Leviticus 26:18; Deuteronomy 22:18). That means, the son would not obey his parents even after they disciplined him with corporal punishment (Deuteronomy. 22:18; Proverbs 13:24).

In such a case where there was no hope of correction for that rebellious son, Moses prescribed this remedy: Then his father and mother shall seize him (v. 19). Moses emphasized that both the father and the mother of the rebellious son were to seize him (Heb. “tāpa’”) or to take hold of him. Mentioning both parents shows that they were to be in agreement that their son was incorrigible and that they needed to bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. The gateway was the place where the elders would judge on civil matters brought before them.

The elders were men who held high esteem within the Israelite community. They were well-known (well-respected) and often served as authorities in their cities (Deuteronomy 1:13). They were the political leaders. So, it was to these elders that the parents brought their rebellious son. They were to say to them that this son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard (v. 20). The Greeks called this Epicureanism, whose philosophy was “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” Today, this would be called a hedonistic lifestyle. According to the book of Proverbs, the “heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty” (Proverbs 23:21).

This type of life is not what the LORD wants for His people and was not to be tolerated by the covenant community. So, Moses commanded that all the men of his city shall stone him to death (v. 21). In Old Testament times, stoning was the most common form of capital punishment (Leviticus 24:14; Numbers 15:35; Deuteronomy 13:10), because it allowed the whole community of Israel to actively participate in the process of killing the condemned. In this case, all the men of the city in which the rebellious son lived were to participate in killing him.

The purpose for a seemingly harsh judgment (i.e. killing the rebellious son as opposed to a less lethal penalty) was twofold. First, it would remove the evil from the midst of the Israelite community. The purity of the covenant community was extremely important to the LORD (Leviticus. 19:2; Deuteronomy 23:14). Tolerating a person obsessed with a hedonistic lifestyle would send a message to the community that it allowed such behavior and (even worse) the LORD was not opposed to it.

Second, when capital punishment was done here, the result would be that all Israel will hear of it, and fear. They were to fear the LORD Himself and fear that there would be terrible consequences if such behavior (a blatant violation of the fifth commandment) was allowed and tolerated.

It is interesting to note that there is no mention of this provision ever being carried out. The Talmud, which reflects oral tradition, states that it was never applied. It would seem reasonable that the mere possibility would be sufficient to create a change of behavior. It also seems reasonable that it would be difficult for rebellion to rise to the level of gaining approval of both parents, as was required in this statute. It also seems likely that the elders would be called on to intervene and aid the discipline of the child prior to pronouncing a death sentence. It seems reasonable to presume that this provision led to elders coming to the aid of parents in distress over how to deal with difficult children.

Biblical Text

¹⁸If any man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or his mother, and when they chastise him, he will not even listen to them, ¹⁹then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown. ²⁰They shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey us, he is a glutton and a drunkard.’ ²¹Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death; so you shall remove the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear of it and fear.

Check out our other commentaries:

Revelation 2:12-13 meaning
Jesus, the one who has God’s word, greets the church in Pergamum and commends them on standing firm in their faith even as they live......
Revelation 19:3-8 meaning
Another assembly of voices from Heaven celebrates the completeness of the old world’s defeat. The corrupted world system which exploited humans and defied God will......
Acts 1:9-11 meaning
The disciples watch as Jesus is lifted up into the sky and disappears behind a cloud. Angels tell the disciples that they shouldn’t stand watching,......
Exodus 4:1-9 meaning
Moses’ third objection deals with unbelief on the part of the Israelites. “What if they do not believe me?” seems to be the issue. The......
Proverbs 3:19-20 meaning
Wisdom is woven into the fabric of creation. It is an essential element of God’s created order. By embracing wisdom, we embrace the reality of......

Additional Resources

Book Theme

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Torah (“law”). It continues the story of the first 4 books and picks up exactly where the book of Numbers ends (with the people on the plain of Moab). Therefore, as we set the context for the book of Deuteronomy, it is important that we briefly summarize the theme of the previous books to see how the story of God unfolds.

Genesis describes God’s plan to bless the Israelites and the world through one man named Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). Exodus focuses on God’s loving act by which He rescued the Israelites from Egypt in order to have a covenant relationship with them. Once the children of Israel are redeemed, Leviticus instructs them to live a holy life that reflects the life of their covenant redeemer (cf. Lev. 19). Since the first generation of the Israelites failed to obey God wholeheartedly, the book of Numbers displays a strong contrast between God’s faithfulness and the nation’s failure. That is why the book of Deuteronomy reiterates and expands on the covenant to a new generation of Israelites poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land. The message of the book is centered around two key terms: love and loyalty (Deut. 6:4-5).

Outline of Deuteronomy:

I. Introduction: Moses will explain the law (1:1 – 5)
II. Moses’ First Sermon – a Recounting of the LORD’s Faithfulness (1:6 – 4:43)
III. Introduction to Second Sermon on expositing the Law (4:44 – 49)
IV. Moses’ Second Sermon – an Exposition of the Law Given at Mt. Sinai (5:1 – 26:19)
V. Script for Covenant Renewal Ceremony Once they enter the land (27:1 – 29:1)
VI. Moses’ Third Sermon – a Call to Obedience (29:2 – 30:20)
VII. The Last Acts of Moses (31:1 – 34:12)

Chapter Context

Continuing his exposition of categories generally related to the sixth commandment (“You shall not murder”—Deuteronomy 5:17), Moses looks at five case laws that appear to fit within the general category of caring for human life.

The first deals with the issue of murder when the killer is unknown (vv. 1-9). The second case regulates how an Israelite man treats a woman captured in battle (vv. 10-14). The third commands the Israelite man who has two wives to give a double portion of his inheritance to the firstborn son, even if his mother is less favored than the other (vv. 15-17). The fourth case provides guidance to parents as to how to deal with a stubborn and rebellious son who continuously disobeys his parents (vv. 18-21). The fifth case deals with the case of the dead body of a person who committed a capital offense and has been put to death (vv. 22-23).

All five of these sections are in the form of conditional statements (“if” or “when,” followed by a prescribed response). These case laws serve to ensure that the Israelites live righteously before their Suzerain (Ruler) God. These are detailed laws that prescribe how to apply the principles of self-governance and “love your neighbor.”

Deuteronomy 21 can be outlined as follows:

The Law Concerning Unsolved Murders (Deuteronomy 20:1 – 9)
The Law Concerning the Marriage of an Israelite and a Captive Woman (Deuteronomy 20:10 – 14)
The Law Concerning the Inheritance of a Firstborn Son (Deuteronomy 20:15 – 17)
The Law Concerning a Rebellious Son (Deuteronomy 20:18 – 21)
The Law Concerning the Burial of a Person Who was Hanged (Deuteronomy 20:22 – 23)

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 meaning

Check out our other commentaries:

Revelation 2:12-13 meaning

Revelation 19:3-8 meaning

Acts 1:9-11 meaning

Exodus 4:1-9 meaning

Proverbs 3:19-20 meaning

Additional Resources

Book Theme

Chapter Context

Maps and Charts

Videos

The Bible Project - Deuteronomy Summary

Download Commentary