If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

DEUTERONOMY 21:18KJV
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Deuteronomy 21:18 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 21:18 mean?

Deuteronomy 21:18 describes a situation where a son is persistently stubborn and rebellious, refusing to listen to his father or mother even after they have tried to correct him. The verse sets up a case where parental discipline has failed, and the child will not respond to their guidance.

In this part of Deuteronomy, Moses is speaking to the Israelites, giving them laws for community life as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. This verse introduces a specific family problem: a son who continually rejects both parental authority and repeated attempts at correction. The focus is on the seriousness of ongoing disobedience within the family and the community’s role in addressing it.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 21:18

  • עַתָּה (ish, H376): This word for "man" here refers to a father, but the context includes both parents, showing the shared responsibility in raising children.
  • סוֹרֵר (sorer, H5637): Translated as "stubborn," this word often means someone who turns away or refuses to be guided, highlighting a willful resistance rather than a one-time mistake.
  • מוֹרֶה (moreh, H4784): "Rebellious" carries the sense of open defiance, not just passive resistance, making clear that the son’s actions are deliberate and ongoing.
  • יִסְּרוּ (yisru, H3256): "Chastened" means disciplined or corrected, showing that the parents have made real efforts to guide the son before reaching this point.
  • שָׁמַע (shama, H8085): Used for both "obey" and "hearken," this verb means to listen with the intent to act, so the verse emphasizes not just hearing words but responding to them.

Why Deuteronomy 21:18 matters

  • This verse clarifies that the law addresses repeated, ongoing disobedience, not a single act of rebellion or a minor disagreement.
  • The emphasis on both parents and their efforts to discipline shows that the community’s involvement comes only after family attempts have truly failed.
  • Deuteronomy 21:18 sets the stage for the following verses, which describe how the community is to respond, highlighting the balance between family authority and communal responsibility in ancient Israel.

Where else these words appear

“stubborn” Hebrew H5637 · used in 16 verses

  • Deuteronomy 21:20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
  • Psalms 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
  • Jeremiah 5:23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.

“chastened” Hebrew H3256 · used in 38 verses

  • Leviticus 26:18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.
  • Psalms 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
  • Proverbs 31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

“rebellious” Hebrew H4784 · used in 43 verses

  • Numbers 20:10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
  • 1 Kings 13:26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
  • Isaiah 1:20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.