And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. (Deuteronomy 21:21)
The young man was incorrigible, yet the carrying out of so severe a penalty was not left to the father’s judgment; it was the solemn responsibility of the men of the city (see chs. 13:10; 17:5; 22:24). To discipline with severity was within the province of the parent (Prov. 19:18), but not the carrying out of the death penalty. For other crimes that merited the death penalty, see Ex. 21:15, 17; Lev. 20:2, 27; cf. Joshua 7:25.