Deuteronomy 21:19

19 His father and mother must take him to the leaders of the city at the city gate.

Deuteronomy 21:19 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 21:19

Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him
With their own hands, or cause him to be apprehended by others, in which they were to agree, and which the Jews gather from hence;

``if (say they ^F25) the father is willing (to bring him to justice), and the mother not willing, if his father is not willing and the mother is willing, he is not reckoned a stubborn or rebellious son, until they both agree:''

and bring him out unto the elders of his city;
according to the Misnah {z}, the sanhedrim, or court of judicature, consisting of twenty three; for they say, that after he has been admonished and scourged by order of the bench of three, if he returns to his corrupt and wicked ways again, he is judged by the court of twenty three:

and unto the gate of his place;
or city, where the court sat; so the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan, to the gate of the sanhedrim of his place.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 8. sect. 4.
F26 Ibid.

Deuteronomy 21:19 In-Context

17 Instead, he must recognize the son of the wife he doesn't love as the firstborn. He must give that son a double portion of whatever he owns. That son is the very first son he had. The rights of the firstborn son are his.

18 Parents might have a stubborn and rebellious son who doesn't obey them. Even though they punish him, he still won't listen to them.

19 His father and mother must take him to the leaders of the city at the city gate.

20 They will say to the leaders of the city, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He won't obey us. He eats too much and is a drunk."

21 All the men of the city should stone him to death. You must get rid of this evil. When all Israel hears about it, they will be afraid.