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Deuteronomy 22:25

in Deuteronomy 22

But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die:

KJV

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:

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This verse in Deuteronomy 22

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

And the man force her - A rape also, by these ancient institutions, was punished with death, because a woman’s honor was considered equally as precious as her life; therefore the same punishment was inflicted on the ravisher as upon the murderer. This offense is considered in the same point of view in the British laws, and by them also it is punished with death.

This site's exposition

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field

on Deuteronomy 22:25-27

In the field the man only dies. The statute says outright that there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death, and it gives its reason, that she cried and there was none to save her, so the absence of witnesses is read in her favour. It then classes the act with murder in so many words, as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Now by this law it is intimated to us, (1.) That we shall suffer only for the wickedness we do, not for that which is done to us. That is no sin which has not more or less of the will in it.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

If a man take a wife, &c.--The regulations that follow might be imperatively needful in the then situation of the Israelites; and yet, it is not necessary that we should curiously and impertinently inquire into them.

The words behind it

18 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְֽאִם־and if

    veim-H518 →1069 times

  • בַּשָּׂדֶ֞הin the open country

    basadehH7704 →334 times

  • יִמְצָ֣אhe will find

    yimtza'H4672 →455 times

  • הָאִ֗ישׁthe man

    haishH376 →1663 times

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • הַֽנַּעֲרָה֙the young woman

    hanaarH5291 →63 times

  • הַמְאֹ֣רָשָׂ֔ה<the> betrothed

    hamorasahH781 →11 times

  • וְהֶחֱזִֽיק־and he will take hold

    vehechezik-H2388 →291 times

  • בָּ֥הּon <the> her

    bah

  • הָאִ֖ישׁthe man

    haishH376 →1663 times

  • וְשָׁכַ֣בand he will lie

    veshakhavH7901 →212 times

  • עִמָּ֑הּwith her

    ʾimahH5973 →1050 times

  • וּמֵ֗תand he will die

    umetH4191 →839 times

  • הָאִ֛ישׁthe man

    haishH376 →1663 times

  • אֲשֶׁר־who

    ʾasher-H834 →5497 times

  • שָׁכַ֥ב<he> lay

    shakhavH7901 →212 times

  • עִמָּ֖הּwith her

    ʾimahH5973 →1050 times

  • לְבַדּֽוֹ׃to only him

    levadoH905 →200 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

2 in all, six open

The walk

4 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 13:14

    But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 12:11

      This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will…

    • Esther 7:8

      Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining. The king exclaimed, “Would he actually assault the queen while I…

    • Judges 20:5

      And during the night, the men of Gibeah rose up against me and surrounded the house. They intended to kill me, but they abused my concubine, and she died.

    • Deuteronomy 22:25–27

      But if the man encounters a betrothed woman in the open country, and he overpowers her and lies with her, only the man who has done this must die.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About Deuteronomy

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 22 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 22 →