Deuteronomy 21:21

21 The people of the city shall oppress him with stones, and he shall die, (so) that ye do away evil from the midst of you, and that all Israel hear (of) it, and dread.

Deuteronomy 21:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 21:21

And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that
he die
The populace; that is, after his trial is finished, and he is condemned to die; and he was not stoned until the three first judges were there (by whom he was admonished, and ordered to be beaten), as it it said, "this is our son", this is he that was beaten before you F6; and according to the Targum of Jonathan,

``if he feared (God, and showed any token of repentance) and received instruction, and they (his parents) desired to preserve him alive, they preserved him; but if he refused and was rebellious, then they stoned him;''

but the Jews say this law, and that of retaliation, were never put into execution:

so shalt thou put away evil from among you;
put a stop to, and prevent such an evil for the future, and remove the guilt of it; or, as the Targum of Jonathan, him that doeth that evil:

and all Israel shall hear, and fear;
it being to be publicly notified throughout the land, that such an one suffered death for such a crime, which would be a means of deterring others from the same; so Jarchi remarks,

``here (says he) a proclamation was necessary to be made by the sanhedrim, as that such an one was stoned because he was stubborn and rebellious;''

for the mystical sense of this see ( Ephesians 2:2 ) ( Colossians 3:6 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F6 Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 3. sect. 4.

Deuteronomy 21:21 In-Context

19 they shall take him, and lead him to the elder men of that city, and to the gate of doom, (or of judgement);
20 and they shall say to them, This our son is overthwart, and (a) rebel; he despiseth to hear our behests, or admonishings, he giveth attention to gluttonies, and to lechery, and to feasts. (and they shall say to them, Our son here is froward and rebellious; he despiseth to hear our commands, or our admonishments, and he only giveth attention to gluttonies, and to lechery, and to feasts.)
21 The people of the city shall oppress him with stones, and he shall die, (so) that ye do away evil from the midst of you, and that all Israel hear (of) it, and dread.
22 When a man doeth a sin which is worthy to be punished by death, and he is deemed to (be put to) death, and is hanged in a gibbet (and is hanged on a gallows),
23 his carrion shall not dwell in the tree, but it shall be buried in the same day; for he that hangeth in the tree/for he that hangeth in the cross is cursed of God, and thou shalt not defoul thy land which thy Lord God gave thee into possession. (his corpse shall not remain on the gallows, but it shall be buried on the same day; for he who hangeth on a tree is cursed by God, and thou shalt not defile thy land which the Lord thy God shall give thee for a possession.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.