Stoning Disobedient Children
Rev. William Einwechter
January 1999
If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which
will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother
... all the men of the city shall stone him with stones, that
he die ....(Dt.
21:18, 21)
Deuteronomy 21:18-21
contains what is, perhaps, the most vilified law of the Old Testament.
It is widely believed that this law authorizes the stoning of
children who disobey their parents. Accordingly, this law is used
to prove how harsh, severe, and unworkable Old Testament law is
in "the New Testament age of love and grace." When theonomists
advocate the use of the case laws as the standard for ethics and
civil law today, often one of the first remarks they hear is something
like, "So you advocate the stoning of children who disobey
their parents." The supposition is that by merely referring
to this "harsh" law, they have proven that the theonomic
view is absurd and cannot possibly be the standard for Christians
today. Detractors of theonomy believe that the mere mention of
the law of "stoning children" in Deuteronomy
21:18-21 will silence the theonomist, and prove to all thinking
Christians that these "cruel" Old Testament case laws
should not govern our lives in this "age of grace."
But as with most attacks on theonomic ethics, this objection
to the use of the Old Testament case laws is based on a shallow
reading of the law, a misunderstanding of the actual case law
requirement,1 and an attachment to sentimental impulses
as opposed to a commitment to the high ethical provisions of Biblical
law.2 When this case law, which applies the moral law
of the Fifth Commandment to a specific circumstance, is understood
it will prove to be "holy, just, and good," a delight
to the heart of God's true people (Rom. 7:12, 22).
This law is given in the standard case law formulation of "if
. . . then." The genius of the case laws is that they establish
justice (or duty) in a specific case so as to enable us to know
how to proceed (act righteously) in all such related cases. The
particular case at hand involves a "stubborn and rebellious"
son who will not heed the admonitions of his parents, nor submit
to their discipline (v.
18). It is vital to proper interpretation and application
that the precise nature of the case be ascertained.
A Grown Son
First, the person in view is a not a small child but a grown
"son." The Hebrew term for "son" (ben)
employed here is indefinite. It is sometimes used of children of
both sexes (Ex.
21:5) but most often of the male offspring of parents, and
that is clearly the sense in this text. Of itself, the word "son"
does not give any indication of age. It can refer to a child or
a young man (cf. 1
Sam. 4:4; 19:1;
1
Kg. 1:33); age must be determined from the context. In this
case, the son in view is not a child, for the sins brought forth
in testimony to show his contumacious manner are gluttony and drunkenness
(v.
20), hardly the sins of the average 6 or 10 year old! The
case also indicates that the parents have tried to restrain their
son, but all their efforts have failed (vv.
18, 20); specifying that he is physically beyond
their control. Furthermore, the parents bring their son to the magistrates
to judge the matter (v.
19); hence, the son would have opportunity to speak on his
own behalf. All of this indicates that the "son" in question
is no mere child, but, rather, a young man at least in his middle
teens or older. As Wright observes, "The law is not talking
about naughty children but about seriously delinquent young adults."3
Severe Disobedience
Second, the problems associated with this son are severe.
This is not the case of a child who has failed to do his chores,
spoke back to his parents, or even committed a serious act of
disobedience, but of a son of dissolute character who is in full
rebellion to the authority of his parentshe holds them and
their word in contempt. The text says that the son is "stubborn"
and "rebellious" (vv. 18, 20). Both of these
descriptive terms are active participles, thus indicating habitual
action. The son does not display a stubborn streak now and then,
or act rebelliously from time to time, but is continuously stubborn
and rebellious. The word "stubborn" refers to one who
is obstinate in his resistance to authority. It is used in the
Old Testament of a wild, untamed heifer (Hos. 4:16); of
a immoral woman who has cast off restraint and indulges in lust
(Pr. 7:11); and of Israel as a stubborn people who will
not submit to God's authority (Ps. 78:8; Is. 1:23).
The word "rebellious" means, literally, to strike or
lash, and is used of those who contend against authority and refuse
to heed their words. The "rebellious" individual lashes
out in contempt against those who have authority over him verbally,
and perhaps even physically. In light of this, it is important
to note that the law of the covenant prescribes death for anyone
who strikes his parents (Ex. 21:15) or curses his parents
(Ex. 21:17). There is, therefore, reason to suppose that
the son in this case law has broken the law of the covenant in
one or both of these ways. The parents also describe the character
of their son as being a "glutton" and a "drunkard."
These sins are put forth as examples of a life lived without restraint.
In the case of such rebellion and riotous living, and after all
attempts at discipline and control have failed, the parents are
to bring their son before the magistrates for judgment. If the
magistrates concur in the parents' estimate of the situation,
they are to order the men of the city to stone the rebel with
stones so that he dies (vv.
20-21). The purpose to be served in the execution of the
rebellious son is to "put evil away from among you"
and that all will "hear and fear" (v.
21).
The Real Meaning
Therefore, the law of Deuteronomy 21:18-21 is not about
stoning disobedient children. The Bible does not instruct parents
to use stoning in dealing with the rebellious nature and disobedience
of their children, but to use the rod and reproof (Pr. 29:15).
Children are to be trained from a young age by consistent and
loving discipline so that the foolishness that is bound up in
them can be driven out (Pr. 22:15), and they will learn
to honor and obey their parents and all those whom God has placed
in authority over them. The case law in discussion does not apply
to young children during the formative years, but applies, instead,
to a grown son (and by extension to a daughter as well) who, for
whatever reason, has rebelled against the authority of his parents
and will not profit from any of their discipline nor obey their
voice in any thing. It is a case of habitual contempt of parental
authority characterized by a young adult living a life without
moral restraint who lashes out verbally and/or physically against
his mother and father. It is a case where the evil character of
the son is apparently set, and there is no reasonable
hope of his ever changing.
The kind of rebellion against parental authority described in
this case law is called "evil" (v.
21). It is evil because it holds both God and his law
(i.e., the command to honor parents) in derision. It is
evil because it threatens the very existence of the family, and
therefore, of society itself. It is evil because it signals the
rejection of all God-ordained authority and leads to civil and
ecclesiastical disorder. God considers it such a dangerous evil
that it must be extinguished by death at the hands of the civil
magistrate.4
Inescapable Death
Those who consider death as a horrible punishment here must realize
that in such a case as described in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, "death"
is inescapable. Contempt of parental authority, if left
unchecked, is the death of the family, law, and order. The question
then is: Who or what should die? The rebel, or family and society?
Furthermore, the life of a rebel inevitably leads to the grave
(sheol; cf. Pr. 30:17); he will die an early death,
and probably take others with him. Finally, God himself declares
that even if such a rebel against parental authority escapes the
judgment of man, his curse is upon that man and he shall be cut
off (DT 27:16; Pr. 30:17). Therefore, the execution
of the rebel in view is just, merciful, and preventive. Just,
in that the transgressor deserves to die; merciful, in that his
quick death prevents the destruction of the family, society, and
others; preventive, in that it strikes fear in the heart of other
would-be rebels and restrains them from taking a similar ruinous
course.
Theonomists must not be embarrassed by the law of Deuteronomy
21:18-21, nor should they be chagrined when others try to
use it to discredit the case laws of the Old Testament. Properly
understood, it displays the wisdom and mercy of God in restraining
wickedness so that the righteous might flourish in peace. It is
those who reject this case law that should be embarrassed, for
they have cast reproach on God and his law, cast aside the testimony
of Christ,5 and have substituted
their own imaginations (Jer.
7:24) for the blessed word of God.
Notes
1. To understand and properly apply the case laws of the Bible
requires diligent work. The Lord anticipates this need by repeatedly
reminding us of the need to "meditate" in the law of
the Lord "day and night" (cf.Ps. 1:2; 119:15,
97-99; Jos. 1:8). The wisdom and justice of God's
law is perceived by those who diligently search for it as for
hidden treasure (Pr. 2:1-9).
2. By nature, we are bent to reject
the standards of a just and holy God for "that which seemeth
right in our own eyes."
3. Christopher Wright, Deuteronomy
(Peabody, MA, 1996), 235.
4. The family does not have the
power of the sword. Only the state has the authority to execute
those who are worthy of death. Therefore, if a state refuses to
follow the law of Deuteronomy
21:18-21, parents are left only with the option of covenantal
death (i.e., disinheritance by the family and, where applicable,
excommunication by the church).
5. Jesus himself specifically endorsed
the death penalty for cursing parents (Ex.
21:17) in Matthew
15:4.
William O. Einwechter (Th.M.) is an ordained minister. He currently
serves as the Vice-Moderator of the Association of Free Reformed
Churches and Vice-President of the National Reform Association.
He is also the author of the books Ethics and God's Law: An
Introduction to Theonomy,and English Bible Translations:
By What Standard? and editor of the newly released Explicitly
Christian Politics and The Christian Statesman. He can
be contacted at 9385 Royer Rd., Mercersburg, PA 17236, or by e-mail
at WEinwechte@aol.com.
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