Topical Bible: Idolatry: Punishment of Judicial Death

◄ Idolatry: Punishment of Judicial Death ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Idolatry, the worship of idols or false gods, is a grave sin in the biblical tradition, directly violating the first two commandments given by God to the Israelites. The severity of this transgression is underscored by the prescribed punishment of judicial death for those found guilty of idolatry, as outlined in the Old Testament.

The Mosaic Law explicitly commands the Israelites to abstain from idolatry and prescribes severe consequences for those who engage in it. In Deuteronomy 13:6-10 , the text provides a clear directive regarding the punishment for idolatry: "If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, 'Let us go and worship other gods'—gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, the gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the earth to the other—you must not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity, and do not spare him or shield him. Instead, you must surely kill him. Your hand must be the first against him to put him to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must stone him to death, because he has tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."

This passage highlights the communal responsibility in eradicating idolatry from among the people of Israel. The act of stoning, a communal form of execution, serves as both a punishment and a deterrent, reinforcing the seriousness with which idolatry is viewed. The involvement of the entire community in the execution underscores the collective commitment to uphold the covenant with God and maintain the purity of worship.

Further, Deuteronomy 17:2-5 reiterates the judicial process for dealing with idolatry: "If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God is giving you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and violating His covenant by going and serving other gods and bowing down to them, or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—and if it is reported to you and you hear about it, then you must investigate it thoroughly. If it is true and confirmed that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, you must bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death."

The judicial process involves a thorough investigation to confirm the truth of the accusation, ensuring that the punishment is justly administered. This reflects the importance of justice and due process within the community, even in matters as serious as idolatry.

The punishment of judicial death for idolatry serves as a stark reminder of the exclusivity of worship that God demands from His people. It underscores the theological principle that allegiance to God must be absolute, with no tolerance for the worship of other deities. The prescribed punishment reflects the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where idolatry is seen as a direct affront to God's sovereignty and holiness.

Throughout the Old Testament, the theme of idolatry and its consequences is recurrent, serving as a warning to the Israelites and, by extension, to all believers, about the dangers of turning away from the one true God. The prescribed punishment of judicial death for idolatry is a testament to the seriousness with which God views the sin of idolatry and the lengths to which His people must go to preserve their covenantal relationship with Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 17:2-5
If there be found among you, within any of your gates which the LORD your God gives you, man or woman, that has worked wickedness in the sight of the LORD your God, in transgressing his covenant,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether the Judicial Precepts were Suitably Framed as to the ...
... 1: It would seem that the judicial precepts were ... The punishment of absolute exile
was not prescribed by ... all other nations were given to idolatry: wherefore if ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the judicial precepts were 3.htm

Whether the Old Law Set Forth Suitable Precepts About the Members ...
... that the Law put forth unsuitable judicial precepts about ... his liberty: while for
slaying, the punishment was that ... lest they should be led astray into idolatry. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the old law set.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... as it is written, for the destruction of sin and death; begotten of ... this command
of our clemency, shall celebrate sacrifices, let a punishment appropriate to ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

The Law of God
... from evil, through a fear of punishment and a ... and thus they were preserved pure from
idolatry and superstition ... X. The Judicial Law is that which God prescribed ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 12 the law of.htm

The Divided Kingdom.
... (3) The reign of Jehoshaphat whose judicial, military and ... his son, who followed him
as king to introduce idolatry into Judah ... (6) All punishment is administered ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter xiii the divided kingdom.htm

Aron, Brother of Moses, 486, 487.
... of mind and heart, [129]18; judicial punishment of sin ... temptation, [490]110; is darkness
and death, [491]211 ... Idols and Idolatry, refutation of, [567]477, [568]478 ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/aron brother of moses 486.htm

The Consensus and Dissensus of Creeds.
... of saints, and the eternal punishment of the ... All other worship is gross or refined
idolatry. ... identical with sanctification);"or a judicial and declaratory ...
/.../ 115 the consensus and.htm

All Mankind Guilty; Or, Every Man Knows More than He Practises.
... visited with a more severe punishment than the ... feeble and ignorant beings from judicial
condemnation and ... the prophet Jeremiah for their idolatry and pollution ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/all mankind guilty or every.htm

Paul in Jerusalem.
... which he was involved, the just punishment of his ... law to death, without a judicial
trial ... Heathen idolatry and Mahometan superstition are established throughout ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxv paul in jerusalem.htm

Pontius Pilate
... The punishment of turbulence was with the rigour of ... which looked with scorn on the
"idolatry" of the ... from the responsibility of committing a judicial murder. ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/pontius pilate.htm