then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city.
Parallel translations
- WEB then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.
- KJV Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
- BSB his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown,
- NASB then his father and mother shall seize him, and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gateway of his hometown.
- NLT In such a case, the father and mother must take the son to the elders as they hold court at the town gate.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The parents must bring the incorrigible son before the town elders at the gate. The matter is taken out of private hands into public justice.
Overview
Both parents jointly bring the case to the elders at the city gate, the place of legal judgment. This safeguard prevents private vengeance and ensures impartial community oversight. By requiring public adjudication, the law restrains parental anger and guarantees due process, even in so grave a charge.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Deut 25:7If the man doesn’t want to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.”
- Zech 13:3It will happen that, when anyone still prophesies, then his father and his mother who bore him will tell him, ‘You must die, because you speak lies in Yahweh’s name;’ and his father and his mother who bore him will stab him when he prophesies.
- Deut 16:18You shall make judges and officers in all your gates, which Yahweh your God gives you, according to your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
- Deut 21:2then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure to the cities which are around him who is slain.
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 21:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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