Deuteronomy 21:18
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The text highlights that this severe punishment isn't for mere childish defiance, but for a deep-seated, incorrigible stubbornness after parents have already tried to correct the child. It underscores that true rebellion is a persistent refusal to listen and obey, even after discipline has been applied.
“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage appears in a section of Deuteronomy detailing various laws for Israel, including rules about warfare and family life. It follows regulations on how to treat a captive woman taken as a wife and immediately precedes instructions for dealing with the bodies of executed criminals. The law describes a specific, extreme scenario of a son who is utterly disobedient and incorrigible, even after repeated parental discipline.
Imagine a law so severe it demands a child's life for defiance. This isn't a fairy tale; it's ancient Israelite law. What does this extreme measure tell us about God's heart and His people?
This passage describes a 'stubborn and rebellious son' who refuses to obey his parents, even after discipline. The extreme penalty prescribed – stoning to death – highlights the immense value God places on family order and respect.
A Grave Offense
Disobedience to parents wasn't just poor manners; it was seen as a direct assault on the divine order. Parents were God's representatives, and defying them was akin to defying God Himself. This law underscores that maintaining a righteous society involved upholding foundational relationships.
Preventative Justice
Commentators suggest this severe law served as a powerful deterrent. By setting such a high stake for persistent rebellion, God aimed to prevent the breakdown of family and society. It was a drastic measure for a desperate situation, meant to protect the community from individuals who, unchecked, could become a destructive force.
The law sounds harsh, but look closely. God didn't want any child condemned lightly. There were built-in safeguards designed to prevent rash judgment.
While the penalty for a stubborn and rebellious son was death, the process laid out in Deuteronomy 21 was remarkably cautious. It wasn't a parent's unchecked rage that sealed a child's fate, but a rigorous legal procedure.
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Parental Testimony Required
Both parents had to agree and bring the complaint. This was a crucial safeguard. It was assumed parents would be reluctant to condemn their own child, suggesting that only extreme, persistent rebellion would lead them to this painful step. Their testimony was vital, but not the final word.
Public Trial and Defense
The case was brought before the elders of the city – a public trial. This meant the son had the opportunity to defend himself. The elders would hear both sides, ensuring that the condemnation wasn't based on mere parental anger or a private dispute, but on established, undeniable evidence of incorrigible defiance. This public aspect also served as a solemn warning to the entire community.
Understand the original words
sorer u-moreh · Hebrew Adjective/Noun phrase
Used here to describe a child who is obstinate, hardened, and resistant to parental authority. It connotes a heart that has set itself against instruction and correction, reflecting a broader biblical theme of a heart hard toward God.
yasar · Hebrew Verb
In this context, it refers to the process of instruction, correction, and training provided by parents to shape a child's character. In Scripture, God’s discipline of His people is understood as an act of loving refinement intended to produce holiness.
This proverb directly echoes the curse on the disobedient, linking the mocking of a father and the disobedience to a mother with the raven and the eagle, highlighting the severity of such disrespect.
Romans 1:30This New Testament passage lists 'disobedient to parents' among a litany of sins, showing that the principle of honoring parents and the consequences of defying them are still relevant in the Christian faith.
Ephesians 6:1-3This passage from the New Testament directly quotes and expands on the commandment to honor parents, stating it is the 'first commandment with a promise,' reinforcing its foundational importance in God's order.
Proverbs 23:20-21These verses warn against drunkenness and gluttony and urge listening to one's father and mother, directly connecting the vices mentioned in Deuteronomy with the root of disobedience.
clarkeDeuteronomy 21:18: "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:"
The stubborn, rebellious, gluttonous, and drunken son is to be stoned to death - This law, severe as it may seem, must have acted as a powerful preventive of crime. If such a law were in force now, and duly executed, how many deaths of disobedient and profligate children would there be in al…
pooleDeuteronomy 21:18: "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:"
No text from Poole on this verse.
The text highlights that this severe punishment isn't for mere childish defiance, but for a deep-seated, incorrigible stubbornness after parents have already tried to correct the child. It underscores that true rebellion is a persistent refusal to listen and obey, even after discipline has been applied.
This passage appears in a section of Deuteronomy detailing various laws for Israel, including rules about warfare and family life. It follows regulations on how to treat a captive woman taken as a wife and immediately precedes instructions for dealing with the bodies of executed criminals. The law describes a specific, extreme scenario of a son who is utterly disobedient and incorrigible, even after repeated parental discipline.
This passage appears in a section of Deuteronomy detailing various laws for Israel, including rules about warfare and family life. It follows regulations on how to treat a captive woman taken as a wife and immediately precedes instructions for dealing with the bodies of executed criminals. The law describes a specific, extreme scenario of a son who is utterly disobedient and incorrigible, even after repeated parental discipline.
"“If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them," — The text highlights that this severe punishment isn't for mere childish defiance, but for a deep-seated, incorrigible stubbornness after parents have already tried to correct the child. It undersco…
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Last reviewed October 2026
