What does the Bible say about stoning?

This was a capital punishment enjoined in the law for certain offences. Stones were thrown at the person until he was dead. In the case of Stephen he kneeled down. If the stones were aimed at the head a person would soon be stunned and fall. Paul was stoned and left for dead, but revived as the disciples stood around him. More than once the Jews took up stones to kill the Lord, but He escaped out of their hands; His death must be by being 'lifted up' from the earth. Num. 15:35; John 10:31; Acts 7:58-59; 2 Cor. 11:25.

Stoning was a punishment enjoined by the law for Jews guilty of idolatry, blasphemy, or other forms of profane rebellion against Jehovah. Hence the peculiar enormity of the death of Naboth and of Zechariah, the wickedness being wholly in those high in authority who perverted it to hurt saints. Nor can we conceive ordinarily a grosser and more daring wrong than that the pious should suffer the death of impiety at the hands of impious rulers, whether by crafty falsehood or in ungovernable rage.

The offending man was put in custody, for there was to be calm deliberation as regards judgment of the case. Then the Lord told Moses to take him outside the camp, where the witnesses were to lay their hands on his head, as bearing witness to what had been done. Then all the congregation was called upon to stone him to death (v. 14). This was solemn, humiliating work, but the law was absolute. Being under law, there was no alternative. Though today, under grace, no such sentences are to be carried out, yet we must not think that the evil is any less serious than at that time. Of course, God hates the evil just as He did then, but He now patiently bears with it until the time of judgment will come.

The offending man was put in custody, for there was to be calm deliberation as regards judgment of the case. Then the Lord told Moses to take him outside the camp, where the witnesses were to lay their hands on his head, as bearing witness to what had been done. Then all the congregation was called upon to stone him to death (v. 14). This was solemn, humiliating work, but the law was absolute. Being under law, there was no alternative. Though today, under grace, no such sentences are to be carried out, yet we must not think that the evil is any less serious than at that time. Of course, God hates the evil just as He did then, but He now patiently bears with it until the time of judgment will come.

The law required that capital punishment should be inflicted for reviling a parent, blasphemy, sabbath-breaking, witchcraft, adultery, man-stealing, idolatry, murder, etc. Capital punishment was by stoning, Deut. 13:10; burning, Lev. 20:14; the sword, Ex. 32:27; and hanging, Deut. 21:22-23. It appears that those who sinned at Baal-peor were first slain, and then hanged or impaled: Num. 25:4-5; the word is yaqa, and for hanging is used only here and in 2 Sam. 21:6, 9, 13, when the seven descendants of Saul were 'hung up to the Lord,' which may also signify being impaled. There is no record in scripture of crucifixion being practised among the Jews. Capital punishment was at times carried out in ways not mentioned in the law: sawing asunder and cutting with harrows and axes, 2 Sam. 12:31; Heb. 11:37; precipitation, 2 Chr. 25:12; Luke 4:29.

The Israelite ought to have known that it was from out of this abomination that Abraham was chosen and called as a separate witness, he and his seed, to the one true and living God (Joshua 24:3). Every child of his was bound at all cost to be faithful on pain of forfeiting, not only all his privileges, but his life. Not Israel only was bound: the strangers that sojourned in their midst were under the same obligation. Whoever devoted his offspring to Molech must die by the ignominious death of stoning; and this to make the people of the land take their active part in personally executing the sentence. In this and no other way was the idolater to be put to death, that all around might share His horror and clear themselves of the evil.

"If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God gives thee, man or woman, that has wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant, and has 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 inquired diligently, behold, it be true and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought in Israel;" — something affecting the whole nation — "Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, to thy gates, even that man or 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 afterwards the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you" (Ver. 2-7.)

There are many acts of divine judgment recorded in Scripture, sometimes against individuals, sometimes against companies of people, and sometimes against nations. Many a one has gathered sticks of the Sabbath day, yet God has not punished him, but the man spoken of in Numbers 15 was stoned for doing this very thing. At that time it was challenging the law of God, yea challenging the sanction of the law of God, and the sinner paid the penalty of his rebellion with his life.

"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 to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said to 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." Verses 32-36.

If a report came of any such abuses, then Israel was to inquire diligently to be absolutely certain that the report was true (v.4). When this was established without question, then the offender, whether man or woman, must be brought to the gates and stoned to death (v.5). In the present day idolatry is no less abhorrent to God, but in grace He is delaying His judgment until the future. Yet any such guilt on the part of one who professes to be a Christian requires us to firmly refuse him any fellowship (2 Cor.6:14-18; 2 Tim.2:16-21).

However, the testimony of one witness would not be sufficient to pass a death sentence: there must be two or three witnesses (v.6). Also the witness would be required to be first in putting the offender to death (v.7). This would make people slow to witness if they were not persuaded fully of the guilt of the accused.