Deuteronomy 21:18-21
New English Translation
18 If a person has a stubborn, rebellious son who pays no attention to his father or mother, and they discipline him to no avail,[a] 19 his father and mother must seize him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his city. 20 They must declare to the elders[b] of his city, “Our son is stubborn and rebellious and pays no attention to what we say—he is a glutton and drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his city must stone him to death. In this way you will purge[c] wickedness from among you, and all Israel[d] will hear about it and be afraid.
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- Deuteronomy 21:18 tn Heb “and he does not listen to them.”
- Deuteronomy 21:20 tc The LXX and Smr read “to the men,” probably to conform to this phrase in v. 21. However, since judicial cases were the responsibility of the elders in such instances (cf. Deut 19:12; 21:3, 6; 25:7-8) the reading of the MT is likely original and correct here.
- Deuteronomy 21:21 tn The Hebrew term בִּעַרְתָּה (biʿartah), here and elsewhere in such contexts (cf. Deut 13:5; 17:7, 12; 19:19; 21:9), suggests God’s anger which consumes like fire (thus בָּעַר, baʿar, “to burn”). See H. Ringgren, TDOT 2:203-4.
- Deuteronomy 21:21 tc Some LXX traditions read הַנִּשְׁאָרִים (hannishʾarim, “those who remain”) for the MT’s יִשְׂרָאֵל (yisraʾel, “Israel”), understandable in light of Deut 19:20. However, the more difficult reading found in the MT is more likely original.
Deuteronomy 21:18-21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Rebellious Children
18 “If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father and mother, who does not heed them when they discipline him,(A) 19 then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town at the gate of that place. 20 They shall say to the elders of his town, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’ 21 Then all the men of the town shall stone him to death. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel will hear and be afraid.(B)
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