Whoever strikes his father or motherThis phrase emphasizes the gravity of the act of striking one's parents, which is seen as a severe violation of the family structure ordained by God. In the ancient Near Eastern context, family was the foundational unit of society, and honoring one's parents was a fundamental commandment (
Exodus 20:12). The act of striking a parent was not merely a personal offense but a disruption of the social order and a direct challenge to the authority established by God. This commandment underscores the importance of respecting parental authority, which is echoed in the New Testament (
Ephesians 6:1-3).
must surely be put to death.
The prescribed punishment of death reflects the seriousness with which this offense was regarded. In the context of the Mosaic Law, certain actions that threatened the community's stability and holiness were met with capital punishment. This severe penalty served as a deterrent and underscored the sanctity of the family unit. The law aimed to maintain order and reflect God's holiness among His people (Leviticus 19:2). While the New Testament does not prescribe such penalties, the principle of honoring one's parents remains, highlighting the continuity of moral law across both covenants. This also points to the ultimate justice of God, who will judge all actions, and foreshadows the need for a Savior who fulfills the law perfectly (Matthew 5:17).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
MosesThe prophet and leader of the Israelites who received the Law from God on Mount Sinai, including the laws found in
Exodus 21.
2.
IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who were given the Law to guide their conduct and relationship with God and each other.
3.
Mount SinaiThe place where God delivered the Law to Moses, including the commandments and ordinances for the Israelites.
4.
Parents (Father and Mother)Central figures in the family unit, representing authority and the foundation of societal structure in ancient Israel.
5.
The Giving of the LawA significant event where God provided the Israelites with commandments and laws to establish a covenant relationship and societal order.
Teaching Points
The Sanctity of Family AuthorityThe commandment underscores the importance of respecting and upholding the authority of parents, which is foundational to a stable and godly society.
The Seriousness of DisobedienceThe severe penalty for striking a parent reflects the gravity of such an act and serves as a deterrent against undermining family and societal order.
Respect as a Reflection of GodlinessHonoring parents is not only a social obligation but a spiritual one, reflecting our reverence for God's established order.
The Role of the Law in Moral GuidanceThe laws given to the Israelites were meant to guide them in righteous living and to reflect God's holiness in their community.
Application in Modern ContextWhile the specific penalties may not apply today, the principle of honoring and respecting parental authority remains relevant and essential for Christian living.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Exodus 21:15?
2.How does Exodus 21:15 emphasize the importance of honoring one's parents today?
3.What consequences does Exodus 21:15 outline for striking parents, and why?
4.How does Exodus 21:15 connect with the Fifth Commandment in Exodus 20:12?
5.How can families implement the principles of Exodus 21:15 in modern parenting?
6.What societal impacts arise from neglecting the command in Exodus 21:15?
7.Why does Exodus 21:15 prescribe death for striking a parent?
8.How does Exodus 21:15 align with the commandment to honor parents?
9.What historical context explains the severity of Exodus 21:15?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 21?
11.Why does the Old Testament prescribe capital punishment for minor offenses?
12.Do you respect and honor your parents?
13.Deuteronomy 21:18-21: Does the mandate to stone a rebellious son conflict with the commandment against murder (Exodus 20:13)?
14.Who was Rufus mentioned in the Bible?What Does Exodus 21:15 Mean
Whoever- The first word broadens the command to every member of the covenant community—no age, status, or circumstance exempts anyone (Exodus 12:49;Numbers 15:30).
- Scripture consistently upholds impartial justice: “You shall not show partiality in judgment” (Deuteronomy 1:17).
- Jesus applies the same comprehensive standard when He says, “For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and mother’” (Matthew 15:4).
Strikes- The verb addresses deliberate physical violence, not a mere accident. Moses later distinguishes accidental harm in the same chapter (Exodus 21:18–19).
-Proverbs 19:26 links striking with disgrace: “He who assaults his father and drives his mother away is a son who brings shame and disgrace.”
- The law protects the weak by curbing physical aggression (Leviticus 24:19–20).
His father or mother- Targeting parents violates the Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12) and tears at the fabric God established for family order.
- Old Testament wisdom repeatedly warns against dishonoring parents: “Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness” (Proverbs 20:20).
- Paul reaffirms parental honor as “the first commandment with a promise” (Ephesians 6:2), showing its continued moral force.
Must surely be put to death- The double emphasis in Hebrew (reflected in “must surely”) underscores certainty of judgment, not a mere recommendation (Leviticus 20:9).
- Capital punishment in Israel served three purposes:
• Publicly vindicating God’s holiness (Deuteronomy 21:21).
• Purging evil from the community (Deuteronomy 13:5).
• Deterring further rebellion (Deuteronomy 19:20).
- Jesus cites this penalty to expose Pharisaic hypocrisy, demonstrating He embraced the law’s moral weight (Mark 7:10).
- While Christ fulfills the ceremonial and civil aspects of the law (Matthew 5:17), the principle remains: God takes violence against parental authority with utmost seriousness (Romans 1:30–32).
summaryExodus 21:15 teaches that any person who violently attacks father or mother forfeits his life under God’s righteous standard. The command defends family order, honors parental authority, and warns the community that rebellion against God-given structures invites severe judgment. Though the church today is not a theocratic nation administering capital punishment, the passage still proclaims God’s unchanging view of parental honor and the grave sin of violence against those He has placed over us.
(15-17)
And he that smiteth his father . . .-With homicide are conjoined some other offences, regarded as of a heinous character, and made punishable by death: viz. (1), striking a parent; (2) kidnapping; and (3) cursing a parent. The immediate sequence of these crimes upon murder, and their punishment by the same penalty, marks strongly God's abhorrence of them. The parent is viewed as God's representative, and to smite him is to offer God an insult in his person. To curse him implies, if possible, a greater want of reverence; and, since curses can only be effectual as appeals to God, it is an attempt to enlist God on our side against His representative. Kidnapping is a crime against the person only a very little short of murder, since it is to deprive a man of that which gives life its chief value--liberty. Many a man would prefer death to slavery; and to almost all the passing into the slave condition would be a calamity of the most terrible kind, Involving life-long misery. Its suddenness and unexpectedness, when the result of kidnapping, would augment its grievousness, and render it the most crushing of all misfortunes. Joseph's history shows us how easy it was to sell a free man as a slave, and obtain his immediate removal into a distant country (
Genesis 37:25-28). The Egyptian annals tell us of bloody wars carried on for kidnapping purposes (Lenormant,
Histoire Ancienne,vol. i., pp. 423, 424). In the classical times and countries, the slaves offered for sale in the markets had usually been obtained in this way. The stringent law of the Mosaic code (
Exodus 21:16) was greatly needed to check an atrocious crime very widely committed.
Verses 15-17. -
Other capital offences. The unsystematic character of the arrangement in this chapter is remarkably shown by this interruption of the consideration of different sorts of homicide, in order to introduce offences of quite a different character, and those not very closely allied to each other -
e.g.,
1. Striking a parent;
2. Kidnapping;
3. Cursing a parent.Verse 15. -He that smiteth his father, etc. To "smite" here is simply to "strike" - to offer the indignity of a blow - not to kill, which had already been made capital (ver. 12), not in the case of parents only, but in every case. The severity of the law is very remarkable, and strongly emphasises the dignity and authority of parents. There is no parallel to it in any other known code, though of course thepatria potestas of the Roman father gave him the power of punishing a son who had struck him, capitally.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
He who strikesוּמַכֵּ֥ה(ū·mak·kêh)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5221:To strikehis fatherאָבִ֛יו(’ā·ḇîw)Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1:Fatheror motherוְאִמּ֖וֹ(wə·’im·mōw)Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 517:A mother, )must surelyמ֥וֹת(mō·wṯ)Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4191:To die, to killbe put to death.יוּמָֽת׃(yū·māṯ)Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191:To die, to kill
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OT Law: Exodus 21:15 Anyone who attacks his father or his (Exo. Ex) 
