Topical Bible: Punishment: Death Penalty for Disobedience to Parents

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the death penalty for disobedience to parents is rooted in the Old Testament law, reflecting the seriousness with which familial authority and societal order were regarded in ancient Israel. This topic is addressed primarily in the Pentateuch, where the Mosaic Law outlines various offenses and their corresponding penalties.

Biblical References

1. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 : "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother, and does not listen to them when disciplined, his father and mother are to take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his city. They shall say to the elders, 'This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of his city will stone him to death. So you must purge the evil from among you, and all Israel will hear and be afraid."

This passage underscores the gravity of rebellion against parental authority, which was seen as a direct threat to the social and spiritual fabric of the community. The prescribed punishment of stoning was intended to serve as a deterrent, emphasizing the importance of honoring one's parents as commanded in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:12).

2. Exodus 21:15, 17 : "He who strikes his father or mother must surely be put to death... He who curses his father or mother must surely be put to death."

These verses further illustrate the severe consequences for actions that undermine parental authority. Striking or cursing one's parents was considered a capital offense, reflecting the high value placed on family integrity and respect within the covenant community.

Theological and Cultural Context

In the ancient Near Eastern context, the family was the fundamental unit of society, and maintaining its order was crucial for the stability of the nation. The laws concerning the death penalty for disobedience to parents were not merely punitive but served a didactic purpose, teaching the community about the sanctity of the family and the importance of obedience and respect.

The severity of these laws also highlights the holiness and justice of God, who established these statutes to guide His people in righteousness. The family was seen as a microcosm of the covenant relationship between God and Israel, and any rebellion within the family was symbolic of rebellion against God Himself.

Interpretation and Application

While these laws were specific to the theocratic society of ancient Israel, they continue to inform contemporary discussions on the nature of authority, discipline, and respect within the family. The New Testament reiterates the importance of honoring one's parents (Ephesians 6:1-3), though it does not prescribe the same civil penalties.

In modern Christian thought, these passages are often understood as emphasizing the principle of respect and obedience rather than advocating for literal application of the death penalty. They serve as a reminder of the seriousness with which God views familial relationships and the broader implications of disobedience and rebellion.

Nave's Topical Index

Deuteronomy 21:18-21
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 listen to them:
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Of the Justice of the Punishment with which Our First Parents were ...
... Whoever thinks such punishment either excessive or unjust shows ... because he became
disobedient even unto death. For where the penalty annexed to disobedience is ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/city of god/chapter 15 of the justice of.htm

Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that it was not Right to ...
... Why do we not shun the punishment? ... He says, "I have set before your face death and
life ... and fire shall devour you:" [985] this is the penalty of disobedience. ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter x answer to the objection.htm

Second Sunday after Easter
... sins against God and incur his wrath and punishment. ... us, took upon himself our sins,
suffering the penalty. ... are sacrificed, they are put to death, blotted out ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/second sunday after easter.htm

The Positive Side
... believer is emancipated from the curse or penalty of the ... deliver me from the body
of this death" (v.24 ... but to settle the apportionment of reward and punishment. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the law and the saint/the positive side.htm

The First Great Deception.
... secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression ... the wages of sin." They
suffer punishment varying in ... works," but finally ending in the second death. ...
/.../33 the first great deception.htm

The First Great Deception
... secured pardon, must receive the penalty of transgression ... the wages of sin." They
suffer punishment varying in ... works," but finally ending in the second death. ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 33 the first great.htm

Eighteenth Proposition of Arminius
... For what is death but the privation of this ... I have understood it; therefore, spiritual
punishment ought not ... But its penalty is spiritual; therefore it is unjust ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 3/eighteenth proposition of arminius.htm

Fourteenth Proposition of Arminius
... seems unjust that the transgression could deserve eternal and spiritual death, &c."
I ... Hence it follows, that if spiritual punishment was the penalty of the ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 3/fourteenth proposition of arminius.htm

The Lamb of God, the Great Atonement
... His own glory, remit this penalty without satisfaction ... of the Saviour's obedience
unto death, as the ... Guilt or obnoxiousness to punishment being removed, the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon xvi the lamb of.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... and such a magistrate to inflict the penalty, that for ... and now will vexation be mixed
with punishment, and that ... as bad, nay, worse than was that death of the ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm