The following passages of scripture focus on Public–Execution as a form of capital punishment under Mosaic Law and/or Roman Rule…
Verse Breakdown:
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him…
And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses…”
{Leviticus 24:13-14, 23 KJV}
👑 ~GOD~ commanded that a blasphemer be taken outside the camp and stoned by the entire congregation after the witnesses laid hands on him. Israel obeyed and carried out the public stoning…
“And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses…”
{Numbers 15:32-36 KJV}
👑 A man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath was brought before Moses and the congregation. The Lord ordered that the whole congregation stone him outside the camp; they did so and he died…
“And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel. And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor…”
{Numbers 25:1-5 KJV}
👑 The Lord told Moses to take the leaders who participated in idolatry and hang them up “before the LORD against the sun” as a public display to turn away ~GOD’s~ Anger…
“If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant, and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; and it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel: then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you…”
{Deuteronomy 17:2-7 KJV}
👑 The ~LORD~ gave The Israelites Instructions for public stoning of an idolater and/or blasphemer at the city gates: the witnesses cast the first stones, then all the people joined in so that evil was put away from the congregation for Israel to hear and fear ~GOD~…
“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: then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 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. 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 21:18-21 KJV}
👑 A stubborn and rebellious son was to be brought to the elders at the city gate and stoned by all the men of the city as a public act to remove evil and cause Israel to fear The ~LORD~…
“But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you. If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel. If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter: for he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her…”
{Deuteronomy 22:20-27 KJV}
👑 Here are some Laws that required public stoning at the city gate or outside for certain cases of sexual immorality, again involving the congregation so that evil was put away from Israel…
“And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day…”
{Joshua 7:23-26 KJV}
👑 After Achan’s sin was exposed, Joshua and all Israel took him, his family, and all of their possessions to the Valley of Achor and stoned them; their bodies were then burned and buried…
“And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day…”
{Joshua 8:28-29 KJV}
👑 Joshua hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening as a public display, then he took the body down and covered it with a great heap of stones…
“Then said Joshua, Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave. And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening. And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun, that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees, and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day…”
{Joshua 10:22-27 KJV}
👑 Joshua killed the five Amorite kings and hung their bodies on five trees until evening as a public display of ~GOD’s~ judgment, then he buried them in the same cave where they had hidden from the Israelites…
“And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: and set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it…”
{1 Kings 21:7-16 KJV}
👑 Naboth was falsely accused of blasphemy; then the people carried him outside the city and stoned him to death in a public execution…
“But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus…”
{Matthew 14:6-12 KJV}
👑 Herod sent an executioner to behead John The Baptist in prison; his head was then publicly presented on a platter…
“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; and set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left…”
{Matthew 27:27-38 KJV}
👑 ~JESUS~ was led outside Jerusalem to Golgotha, crucified between two thieves in a public place where passers–by, soldiers, and crowds mocked and observed Him…
“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep…”
{Acts 7:54-60 KJV}
👑 The Sanhedrin and violent crowd drug Stephen outside the city and stoned him; the witnesses layed their clothes at Saul’s feet while the stoning was taking place in public view…
Summary:
These passages of scripture show us that under both Mosaic Law and later Roman Occupation, capital punishment in The Biblical Record was frequently carried out in public. Stoning by the congregation outside the camp or at the city gate was the ordinary Israelite method of execution and was intended to involve the community, remove evil, and serve as a deterrent. Hanging or displaying bodies after death, beheading, and especially crucifixion were also public acts meant to shame the condemned and warn others. The accounts range from legal prescriptions to specific historical events, culminating in the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior ~JESUS~ Christ of Nazareth and the stoning of The Apostle Stephen…
Prayer:
Father ~JESUS~,
Lord—As I read of these solemn judgments recorded in Your Holy Word, I am reminded of the seriousness of sin and the justice You require…
Thank You, Lord for baring the ultimate public curse in my place on The Cross, taking the punishment that I deserve…
Please grant me a heart that fears You, turns from evil, and rests Fully in the Mercy and Forgiveness found only in You…
In Your Precious–Holy–And–Most Powerful–Name ~JESUS~, Amen…
✝️MARANATHA✝️
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