The Meaning of Deuteronomy 21:20 Explained

Deuteronomy 21:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: and have said unto the elders of his city, Our son -- this one -- is apostatizing and rebellious; he is not hearkening to our voice -- a glutton and drunkard;

Darby: and they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is unmanageable and rebellious, he hearkeneth not unto our voice; he is a profligate and a drunkard.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 21:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 21

1  The Atonement for an Unsolved Murder
10  The usage of a captive taken to wife
15  The firstborn is not to be disinherited upon private affection
18  A rebellious son is to be stoned to death
22  The malefactor must not hang all night on a tree

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 21:20 mean?

and they shall say to the elders of his city son of ours is this stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard
וְאָמְר֞וּ אֶל־ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֗וֹ בְּנֵ֤נוּ זֶה֙ סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמֹרֶ֔ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ בְּקֹלֵ֑נוּ זוֹלֵ֖ל וְסֹבֵֽא

וְאָמְר֞וּ  and  they  shall  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
זִקְנֵ֣י  the  elders 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural construct
Root: זָקֵן  
Sense: old.
עִיר֗וֹ  of  his  city 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בְּנֵ֤נוּ  son  of  ours  is 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
זֶה֙  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
סוֹרֵ֣ר  stubborn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָרַר  
Sense: to rebel, be stubborn, be rebellious, be refractory.
וּמֹרֶ֔ה  and  rebellious 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מָרָה  
Sense: to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against.
אֵינֶ֥נּוּ  he  will  not 
Parse: Adverb, third person masculine singular
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
שֹׁמֵ֖עַ  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּקֹלֵ֑נוּ  our  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common plural
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
זוֹלֵ֖ל  he  is  a  glutton 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זָלַל 
Sense: to be worthless, be vile, be insignificant, be light.
וְסֹבֵֽא  and  a  drunkard 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סׄבֶא  
Sense: drink, liquor, wine.