Deuteronomy 21:19

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

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.

---

FOOTNOTES:

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

Deuteronomy 21:19 In-Context

17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

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:

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.