Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 21:20
and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The parents speak to the city elders at the gate, formally presenting their son for adjudication after he consistently defies their authority.
The words — The Hebrew terms סוֹרֵר (so.Rer) and מֹרֶה (mo.Reh) literally mean “stubborn” and “rebellious,” denoting a fixed, unyielding posture of defiance.
The thread — The text’s warning against excess and unwise conduct runs through Proverbs 20:1, which names strong drink a brawler, and Proverbs 23:29, which catalogs the physical and social ruin of habitual drinking.
Why it lands — The passage requires the community to treat persistent, unrepentant rebellion coupled with gluttony and drunkenness as a structural threat, mandating decisive public action to preserve covenant order.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
- Proverbs 23:29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?
- Proverbs 23:19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.
- Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will bring delight to your soul.
- Proverbs 19:26 He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.