Topical Bible: Punishment: Death Penalty: Stoning

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Stoning is a form of capital punishment prescribed in the Old Testament of the Bible, primarily within the Mosaic Law. It is a method by which a group of people would throw stones at an individual until they died. This form of execution was intended to serve as a severe deterrent against certain sins and transgressions, reflecting the gravity of violating God's commandments.

Biblical Instances and Prescriptions

Stoning is mentioned in several instances throughout the Old Testament as a divinely sanctioned punishment for specific offenses. The Mosaic Law outlines various crimes that warranted stoning, emphasizing the holiness and justice of God and the need for communal purity.

1. Blasphemy and Idolatry: One of the most notable offenses punishable by stoning was blasphemy. Leviticus 24:16 states, "Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD must surely be put to death. The whole congregation must stone him." Similarly, idolatry, or the worship of false gods, was met with the same penalty, as seen in Deuteronomy 17:2-5, where it is commanded that those found guilty of serving other gods should be stoned to death.

2. Sabbath Violation: The sanctity of the Sabbath was underscored by the severe punishment for its violation. In Numbers 15:32-36, a man found gathering wood on the Sabbath was brought before Moses and the congregation, and by the LORD's command, he was stoned to death.

3. Adultery and Sexual Immorality: The law also prescribed stoning for certain sexual sins. In Deuteronomy 22:23-24, if a betrothed virgin was found to have committed adultery within the city, both she and the man involved were to be stoned. This punishment underscored the importance of sexual purity and the sanctity of marriage.

4. Rebellion and Disobedience: The law extended to familial relationships, where a rebellious son who refused to obey his parents could be stoned, as described in Deuteronomy 21:18-21. This was intended to maintain order and respect within the family unit.

Theological Significance

Stoning as a form of capital punishment in the Old Testament reflects the seriousness with which God views sin and the necessity of upholding His law. It served as a communal act, involving the participation of the congregation, which reinforced the collective responsibility to maintain holiness and deter others from similar transgressions.

The New Testament provides further insight into the practice of stoning, particularly in the context of Jesus' ministry and the early church. In John 8:3-11, the account of the woman caught in adultery highlights Jesus' response to the law of stoning, emphasizing mercy and forgiveness. While the law prescribed stoning, Jesus' intervention pointed to a new covenant of grace.

Historical and Cultural Context

In ancient Israel, stoning was not only a legal procedure but also a cultural practice that underscored the community's role in executing justice. The public nature of stoning served as a powerful deterrent and a reminder of the consequences of sin. It was a communal act that required the participation of witnesses, as seen in Deuteronomy 17:7, where the witnesses were to be the first to cast stones.

Stoning, as a form of capital punishment, reflects the broader ancient Near Eastern context, where similar practices were employed by other cultures. However, within the biblical framework, it was uniquely tied to the covenant relationship between God and Israel, emphasizing the need for purity and obedience to divine law.

Conclusion

Stoning, as prescribed in the Old Testament, was a severe form of capital punishment intended to uphold the holiness of God's people and deter egregious sins. While it reflects the justice of God under the Mosaic Law, the New Testament introduces a shift towards grace and redemption through Jesus Christ, offering a new perspective on sin and punishment.

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Leviticus 20:2,27
Again, you shall say to the children of Israel, Whoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that gives any of his seed to Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
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Leviticus 24:14
Bring forth him that has cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
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Numbers 14:10
But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
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Numbers 15:33-36
And they that found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation.
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Deuteronomy 13:10
And you shall stone him with stones, that he die; because he has sought to thrust you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
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Deuteronomy 17:5
Then shall you bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, to your gates, even that man or that woman, and shall stone them with stones, till they die.
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Deuteronomy 22:21,24
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she has worked folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shall you put evil away from among you.
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Joshua 7:25
And Joshua said, Why have you troubled us? the LORD shall trouble you this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.
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1 Kings 21:10
And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, You did blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
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Ezekiel 16:40
They shall also bring up a company against you, and they shall stone you with stones, and thrust you through with their swords.
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Library

Christ Before Pilate.
... But they could not inflict the death penalty. ... method of execution, but he had "signified
what death he should ... This was the method of punishment that the Roman ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/christ before pilate.htm

Religious and Social State.
... The death penalty for adultery (vv.43, 45) is in agreement ... 41 seems to regard
precipitation as equivalent to stoning. ... I' of v.62 both this punishment and that ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/religious and social state 2.htm

Chapter ix.
... say that murder is punished by a more severe penalty under the ... disgrace of the gehenna
followed as an intensification of death; but the punishment is one ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter ix.htm

Pontius Pilate
... sentence on Stephen in the Jewish mode, by stoning, and still ... For scourging was a
savage punishment. ... of course he ought to receive the death-penalty for the ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/pontius pilate.htm

End of Three Months' Ministry in Jerusalem.
... is endless existence in a state of punishment, while eternal ... Death and destruction
are not used in the sense of ... he and the Father are one, the penalty of which ...
/.../the new testament commentary vol iii john/end of three months ministry.htm

Chapter xxxviii
... been informed, the reason for the death of the ... that Judah designed an especially
rigorous punishment for her. ... The Mosaic law fixed the penalty of burning only ...
/.../leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxviii.htm

Acts XVI
... we come within an inch of death, like the ... as though they had simply suffered the
penalty due them ... authorities, Paul might have procured their punishment; but he ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xvi.htm

On Pentecost.
... would be visited with a very severe penalty, even if ... his brother whom he put to death;
his brother ... Cain's punishment he says was sevenfold, corresponding to his ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xli on pentecost.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... (5) There is but one grade of punishment and one ... the Lord: nay, of the two, he prefers
the faith of the father to that of the daughter who met death with grief ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day ...
... nature; nor in the ministration of death, written and ... me more scrupulous, because
that the punishment due to ... men from the beginning, the penalty or punishment ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/questions about the nature and.htm