SPECIAL TOPIC: STONE TO DEATH

SPECIAL TOPIC: STONE TO DEATH (from Deut. 13:10)

The MT has the verb for "stoning to death" (BDB 709, KB 768, Qal perfect) and the term for "stone" (BDB 6), which literally would be "stone him with stones." Stoning was a capital punishment which was done by the whole covenantal community (cf. Lev. 20:2,27; 24:13-23; Num. 15:32-36; Deut. 13:10; 21:21; Jos. 7:22-26) to rid itself of evil.

This is not the regular term used for judicial capital punishment. This term speaks of the urgency of immediate, radical purging of evil (cf. Exod. 32:27; Lev. 20:15,16; Num. 25:5; Deut. 13:10; Ezek. 9:6).

Persons were stoned by the community for:

1. idolatry, Lev. 20:2-5 (also possibly 6-8); Deut. 13:1-5; 17:2-7

2. blasphemy, Lev. 24:10-23; 1 Kings 11-14; Luke 4:29; Acts 7:58 (both reflect Exod. 22:28); also note John 8:59; 10:31; 11:8

3. rejection of parental authority, Deut. 21:18-21 (possibly Lev. 20:9)

4. marital unfaithfulness, Deut. 22:22,23-27 (possibly Lev. 20:10-16)

5. treason (known disobedience to YHWH), Joshua 7