What is the meaning of Exodus 21:15? Whoever - The first word broadens the command to every member of the covenant community—no age, status, or circumstance exempts anyone (Exodus 12:49; Numbers 15:30). - Scripture consistently upholds impartial justice: “You shall not show partiality in judgment” (Deuteronomy 1:17). - Jesus applies the same comprehensive standard when He says, “For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and mother’” (Matthew 15:4). Strikes - The verb addresses deliberate physical violence, not a mere accident. Moses later distinguishes accidental harm in the same chapter (Exodus 21:18–19). - Proverbs 19:26 links striking with disgrace: “He who assaults his father and drives his mother away is a son who brings shame and disgrace.” - The law protects the weak by curbing physical aggression (Leviticus 24:19–20). His father or mother - Targeting parents violates the Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12) and tears at the fabric God established for family order. - Old Testament wisdom repeatedly warns against dishonoring parents: “Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness” (Proverbs 20:20). - Paul reaffirms parental honor as “the first commandment with a promise” (Ephesians 6:2), showing its continued moral force. Must surely be put to death - The double emphasis in Hebrew (reflected in “must surely”) underscores certainty of judgment, not a mere recommendation (Leviticus 20:9). - Capital punishment in Israel served three purposes: • Publicly vindicating God’s holiness (Deuteronomy 21:21). • Purging evil from the community (Deuteronomy 13:5). • Deterring further rebellion (Deuteronomy 19:20). - Jesus cites this penalty to expose Pharisaic hypocrisy, demonstrating He embraced the law’s moral weight (Mark 7:10). - While Christ fulfills the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law (Matthew 5:17), the principle remains: God takes violence against parental authority with utmost seriousness (Romans 1:30–32). summary Exodus 21:15 teaches that any person who violently attacks father or mother forfeits his life under God’s righteous standard. The command defends family order, honors parental authority, and warns the community that rebellion against God-given structures invites severe judgment. Though the church today is not a theocratic nation administering capital punishment, the passage still proclaims God’s unchanging view of parental honor and the grave sin of violence against those He has placed over us. |
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