Text: Deuteronomy 21:18
OT Text Referred to: Exodus 21:15
Subject: rebellious son
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): None
Significance: Exodus 21:15 assigns the death penalty for striking one's parents, and Deuteronomy 21:18 addresses the related case of a son who is "stubborn and rebellious" (סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה, sorer umoreh)—one who refuses all parental discipline. Both laws protect the authority of parents within Israel's social order, treating parental assault and persistent defiance as equally capital offenses. The connection reveals that the fifth commandment's demand to "honor your father and mother" carried the weightiest possible sanctions, with both physical violence against parents (Exodus) and chronic insubordination (Deuteronomy) threatening the fabric of covenant community life.