Definition and Usage:
The term "stonest" is an archaic form of the verb "stone," which means to throw stones at someone or something, typically as a form of execution or punishment. In biblical contexts, stoning was a method of capital punishment prescribed in the Mosaic Law for certain offenses. It was a communal act, often involving the participation of the entire community, symbolizing collective judgment and the upholding of divine law.

Biblical Context:
Stoning is mentioned numerous times throughout the Old Testament as a prescribed punishment for various transgressions. It was considered a severe form of punishment, reflecting the gravity of the offense in the eyes of the community and God.

Old Testament References:
1. Leviticus 20:2 · "You are to say to the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who sacrifices any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The members of the community must stone him.’"
· This passage highlights the use of stoning as a punishment for idolatry, specifically the abominable practice of child sacrifice to the pagan god Molech.

2. Deuteronomy 22:24 · "you shall bring both of them to the gate of that city and stone them to death—the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he has violated his neighbor’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you."
· Here, stoning is prescribed for sexual immorality, emphasizing the importance of maintaining purity and righteousness within the community.

3. Numbers 15:35-36 · "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'The man must surely be put to death. The entire congregation is to stone him outside the camp.' So the whole congregation took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the LORD had commanded Moses."
· This account involves a man who violated the Sabbath, demonstrating the seriousness with which the Israelites were to observe God's commandments.

New Testament References:
While the New Testament does not prescribe stoning, it does reference the practice, often in the context of illustrating the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant of grace through Jesus Christ.

1. John 8:7 · "When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.'"
· In this passage, Jesus addresses the Pharisees who brought a woman caught in adultery, challenging them to consider their own sinfulness before executing judgment. This reflects a shift from the strict legalism of the Old Testament to the mercy and forgiveness offered through Christ.

2. Acts 7:58-59 · "They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'"
· The stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, illustrates the early church's persecution and the fulfillment of Jesus' teachings on suffering for righteousness' sake.

Theological Significance:
Stoning in the Bible serves as a stark reminder of the holiness and justice of God, as well as the seriousness of sin. It underscores the communal responsibility to uphold God's laws and the severe consequences of transgression. In the New Testament, the references to stoning highlight the transformative power of Christ's message of grace, forgiveness, and redemption, moving believers from the letter of the law to the spirit of love and mercy.

Warning.
... he went up Mount Olivet, His heart seemed to be greatly moved and He cried, "Oh,
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter viii warning.htm

An Unheeded Warning
... the thirty-seventh to the thirty-ninth verse, inclusive, we hear him saying, "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/an unheeded warning.htm

The Universality of Actual Grace
... XXIII, 37: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them
that are sent unto thee, how often would I((volui) have gathered together ...
/.../pohle/grace actual and habitual/section 3 the universality of.htm

The King's Farewell
... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the kings farewell.htm

That the Jews Should Lose Jerusalem, and Should Leave the Land ...
... and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." [3852] Also in the Gospel the Lord
says: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets, and stonest them that ...
/.../cyprian/three books of testimonies against the jews/6 that the jews should.htm

Christ Predicts the Divine Judgments Upon Jerusalem. (Matt. ...
... "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which,
are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together ...
/.../section 253 christ predicts the.htm

The Last Words in the Temple.
... "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are
sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xxxvii the last words.htm

Of the Pharisees who Sit in the Seat of Moses, and Enjoin Things ...
... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent
unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen ...
/.../augustine/the harmony of the gospels/chapter lxxv of the pharisees who.htm

That it is the Prerogative of the Same Power to be Beneficent and ...
... He uses this species in the Gospel: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets,
and stonest them that are sent unto thee!" The reduplication of the ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter ix that it is the.htm

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... house is left unto you desolate." With tears He has prophesied its downfall: "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

Stonest (2 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Stonest (2 Occurrences). Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest...
/s/stonest.htm - 7k

Killest (3 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children ...
/k/killest.htm - 7k

Desired (144 Occurrences)
... BBE). Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou who murderest the Prophets
and stonest those who have been sent to thee! how often ...
/d/desired.htm - 34k

Murderest (2 Occurrences)
... Murderest (2 Occurrences). Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! thou who murderest
the Prophets and stonest those who have been sent to thee! ...
/m/murderest.htm - 7k

Gathereth (65 Occurrences)
... Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children ...
/g/gathereth.htm - 26k

Chickens (1 Occurrence)
... Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest
them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children ...
/c/chickens.htm - 6k

Stoneth (4 Occurrences)

/s/stoneth.htm - 7k

Stone-squarers (1 Occurrence)
Stone-squarers. Stonesquarers, Stone-squarers. Stonest . Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia ... (WBS). Stonesquarers, Stone-squarers. Stonest . Reference Bible
/s/stone-squarers.htm - 7k

Gathered (384 Occurrences)
... Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them
that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together ...
/g/gathered.htm - 35k

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