“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This law, though severe, highlights how the honor due to parents reflects the honor due to God. Striking a parent wasn't just a physical act, but a profound insult to the divine order and authority God established. It was a crime against heaven itself, enacted through the person of the parent.
“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage follows the laws concerning homicide and introduces other capital offenses, emphasizing the extreme seriousness with which God viewed certain transgressions against family and person. It sets up a section detailing punishments for striking or cursing parents, and kidnapping, highlighting God's deep concern for the sanctity of life and familial honor.
Why would striking a parent carry the death penalty in ancient Israel? This law seems incredibly severe to modern eyes.
This law in Exodus 21:15 isn't just about physical discipline; it's a profound declaration about the sanctity of the parent-child relationship.
A Reflection of God's Own Order
In a society where parents were the primary authority figures, akin to God's representatives on earth, striking them was seen as a direct insult to God himself. The Mosaic Law often mirrored heavenly principles, and the hierarchical structure within the family reflected divine order. To strike a parent was to rebel not just against human authority, but against the very structure God established.
Protection and Respect Enshrined
The severity of the penalty underscores how vital this respect was for the stability of Israelite society. It wasn't just about punishing a crime; it was about protecting the foundational unit of the nation and ensuring deep respect for those in positions of authority God ordained.
Was this law intended for every single instance of striking a parent, no matter how minor?
While the law is stark, understanding its context reveals it targets more than just a simple slap. It speaks to a deep-seated rebellion.
More Than Just a Blow
Scholarly insights suggest this law applied to acts that caused injury or left a mark, not necessarily accidental bumps. The intent and the result mattered. More importantly, later passages, like Deuteronomy 21, clarify that this capital offense often followed repeated admonitions and a persistent lack of repentance.
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A Sign of Deeper Wickedness
Striking a parent was seen as evidence of 'most audacious wickedness' and profound ingratitude. It signified a heart that had moved beyond disrespect into outright contempt, a condition that threatened the fabric of society and familial loyalty.
This passage echoes the deep respect demanded for parents, stating, 'Every one of you shall fear his mother and his father.' Exodus 21:15 underscores the extreme penalty for violating this foundational command.
Deuteronomy 27:16This verse directly curses anyone who 'dishonors his father or his mother,' reinforcing the gravity of disrespect towards parents that Exodus 21:15 addresses with capital punishment.
Proverbs 20:20This proverb warns, 'If a man curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness,' highlighting the severe consequences for disrespecting parents, paralleling the capital offense in Exodus 21:15.
Matthew 15:4Jesus himself quotes Exodus when confronting the Pharisees, stating, 'For God commanded, “Honor your father and your mother,” and, “Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.”' This shows the enduring divine principle behind the law in Exodus.
gillExodus 21:15: "And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death."
And he that smiteth his father or his mother,.... With his fist, or with a stick, or cane, or such thing, though they died not with the blow, yet it occasioned any wound, or caused a bruise, or the part smitten black and blue, or left any print of the blow; for, as Jarchi says, the party was not guilty, less by smiting there was a bruise, or weal, made, or any mark or scar: but if so it was, then he sha…
pulpitExodus 21:15: "And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death."
Verses 15-17. - Other capital offences. The unsystematic character of the arrangement in this chapter is remarkably shown by this interruption of the consideration of different sorts of homicide, in order to introduce offences of quite a different character, and those not very closely allied to each other - e.g., 1. Striking a parent; 2. Kidnapping; 3. Cursing a parent. Verse 15. - He that smiteth his f…
This law, though severe, highlights how the honor due to parents reflects the honor due to God. Striking a parent wasn't just a physical act, but a profound insult to the divine order and authority God established. It was a crime against heaven itself, enacted through the person of the parent.
This passage follows the laws concerning homicide and introduces other capital offenses, emphasizing the extreme seriousness with which God viewed certain transgressions against family and person. It sets up a section detailing punishments for striking or cursing parents, and kidnapping, highlighting God's deep concern for the sanctity of life and familial honor.
This passage follows the laws concerning homicide and introduces other capital offenses, emphasizing the extreme seriousness with which God viewed certain transgressions against family and person. It sets up a section detailing punishments for striking or cursing parents, and kidnapping, highlighting God's deep concern for the sanctity of life and familial honor.
"“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death." — This law, though severe, highlights how the honor due to parents reflects the honor due to God. Striking a parent wasn't just a physical act, but a profound insult to the divine order and authority G…
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Last reviewed October 2026