Scourging in the Bible
(Corporal punishment by stripes) Prescribed in the Mosaic law for committing the sin of fornication
- Leviticus 19:20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
- Deuteronomy 22:18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;
Prescribed for other offenses
- Deuteronomy 25:2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.
⇒See also McClintock and Strong Cyclopedia for Scourging.
40 Stripes was the maximum number
- Deuteronomy 25:3 Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
Fatal
- Job 9:23 If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.
Of servants could be avenged
- Exodus 21:20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
Foretold by Jesus as a persecution of future Christians
- Matthew 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;
Of children
See CHILDREN, CORRECTION OF PUNISHMEMT
INSTANCES OF
Of Jesus
- Matthew 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
- Matthew 27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
- Mark 15:15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
- John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
Of Paul and Silas
- Acts 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Of Paul
- Acts 21:32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.
- Acts 22:24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.
- 2 Corinthians 11:24-25 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
Of Sosthenes
- Acts 18:17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
FIGURATIVE
Of the oppressions of rulers
- 1 Kings 12:11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Of the evil tongue
- Job 5:21 Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue: neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.
