Deuteronomy 22:28
New International Version
If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered,

New Living Translation
“Suppose a man has intercourse with a young woman who is a virgin but is not engaged to be married. If they are discovered,

English Standard Version
“If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found,

Berean Standard Bible
If a man encounters a virgin who is not pledged in marriage, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered,

King James Bible
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

New King James Version
“If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out,

New American Standard Bible
“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and has sexual relations with her, and they are discovered,

NASB 1995
“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered,

NASB 1977
“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered,

Legacy Standard Bible
“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are found,

Amplified Bible
“If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and is intimate with her and they are discovered,

Christian Standard Bible
If a man encounters a young woman, a virgin who is not engaged, takes hold of her and rapes her, and they are discovered,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If a man encounters a young woman, a virgin who is not engaged, takes hold of her and rapes her, and they are discovered,

American Standard Version
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

Contemporary English Version
Suppose a woman isn't engaged to be married, and a man forces her to have sex with him. If he is caught,

English Revised Version
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
This is what you must do when a man rapes a virgin who isn't engaged. When the crime is discovered,

Good News Translation
"Suppose a man is caught raping a young woman who is not engaged.

International Standard Version
"However, if a man meets a girl who isn't engaged to be married, and he seizes her, rapes her, and is later found out,

Majority Standard Bible
If a man encounters a virgin who is not pledged in marriage, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered,

NET Bible
Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and overpowers and rapes her and they are discovered.

New Heart English Bible
If a man find a woman who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

Webster's Bible Translation
If a man shall find a damsel that is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

World English Bible
If a man finds a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, grabs her and lies with her, and they are found,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
When a man finds a girl, a virgin who is not betrothed, and has caught her, and lain with her, and they have been found,

Young's Literal Translation
'When a man findeth a damsel, a virgin who is not betrothed, and hath caught her, and lain with her, and they have been found,

Smith's Literal Translation
When a man shall find a maiden, a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold upon her and lay with her, and they were found;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, who is not espoused, and taking her, lie with her, and the matter come to judgment :

Catholic Public Domain Version
If a man find a girl who is a virgin, who does not have a betrothal, and, taking her, he lies with her, and the matter is brought to judgment,

New American Bible
If a man comes upon a young woman, a virgin who is not betrothed, seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered,

New Revised Standard Version
If a man meets a virgin who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are caught in the act,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
If a man finds a damsel who is a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her, and lies with her, and they are found;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if a man finds a virgin girl that was not engaged and he will take her and he shall have sexual intercourse with her and they will be found;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if any one should find a young virgin who has not been betrothed, and should force her and lie with her, and be found,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Marriage Violations
27When he found her in the field, the betrothed woman cried out, but there was no one to save her. 28If a man encounters a virgin who is not pledged in marriage, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are discovered, 29then the man who lay with her must pay the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she must become his wife because he has violated her. He must not divorce her as long as he lives.…

Cross References
Exodus 22:16-17
If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife. / If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, the man still must pay an amount comparable to the bridal price of a virgin.

Genesis 34:2-3
When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force. / And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.

2 Samuel 13:14
But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.

Leviticus 19:20-22
If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. / The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD. / The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.

Judges 19:24
Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”

Genesis 29:21-23
Finally Jacob said to Laban, “Grant me my wife, for my time is complete, and I want to sleep with her.” / So Laban invited all the men of that place and prepared a feast. / But when evening came, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her.

Genesis 24:67
And Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah and took Rebekah as his wife. And Isaac loved her and was comforted after his mother’s death.

Ruth 4:10
Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

Matthew 1:18-19
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. / Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

1 Corinthians 7:36-38
However, if someone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his betrothed, and if she is beyond her youth and they ought to marry, let him do as he wishes; he is not sinning; they should get married. / But the man who is firmly established in his heart and under no constraint, with control over his will and resolve in his heart not to marry the virgin, he will do well. / So then, he who marries the virgin does well, but he who does not marry her does even better.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a man can commit is outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. / Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; / you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality; / each of you must know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

Ephesians 5:3
But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

1 Timothy 5:14
So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.


Treasury of Scripture

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;

because he hath humbled

Deuteronomy 22:19,24
And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days…

Deuteronomy 21:14
And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

Jump to Previous
Betrothed Caught Connection Damsel Discovered Discovery Engaged Happens Hold Lady Lies Married Meet Meets Pledged Rapes Seizes Virgin Word Young
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Betrothed Caught Connection Damsel Discovered Discovery Engaged Happens Hold Lady Lies Married Meet Meets Pledged Rapes Seizes Virgin Word Young
Deuteronomy 22
1. Of humanity toward brothers
5. The sex is to be distinguished by apparel
6. The bird is not to be taken with her young ones
8. The house must have battlements
9. Confusion is to be avoided
12. Tassels upon the vesture
13. The punishment of him who slanders his wife
22. of adultery
23. of rape
28. of fornication
30. of incest














If a man encounters
The Hebrew word for "encounters" is "מָצָא" (matsa), which implies a chance meeting or discovery. This suggests an unplanned or unexpected situation, highlighting the unpredictability of life and the need for laws to address various circumstances. In the ancient Near Eastern context, such encounters were not uncommon, and the law sought to provide a framework for justice and protection.

a virgin
The term "virgin" in Hebrew is "בְּתוּלָה" (bethulah), referring to a young woman of marriageable age who has not engaged in sexual relations. This designation was significant in ancient Israelite society, where a woman's virginity was closely tied to family honor and marital prospects. The emphasis on her status underscores the gravity of the situation and the potential social and familial implications.

who is not pledged to be married
This phrase indicates that the woman is not betrothed, meaning she has no formal commitment to another man. In ancient Israel, betrothal was a binding agreement, akin to marriage, and carried legal obligations. The absence of such a pledge in this scenario differentiates the legal and social consequences from those involving a betrothed woman, as outlined in other parts of Deuteronomy.

and he seizes her
The Hebrew verb "תָּפַשׂ" (taphas) means to take hold of or capture. This word choice suggests a forceful action, indicating a lack of consent. The law here addresses the violation of personal autonomy and the need for justice in cases of sexual assault. It reflects the broader biblical principle of protecting the vulnerable and ensuring accountability for wrongful acts.

and lies with her
"Lies with her" is a euphemism for sexual intercourse, a common biblical expression. This phrase highlights the physical act and its consequences, emphasizing the seriousness of sexual relations outside the bounds of marriage. In the biblical worldview, sexual intimacy is reserved for the covenant of marriage, and violations of this principle are treated with gravity.

and they are discovered
The discovery implies that the act becomes known to the community, necessitating a response. In ancient Israel, communal awareness often led to communal action, as the community played a role in upholding the law and ensuring justice. This phrase underscores the importance of transparency and accountability within the community, reflecting the biblical call for righteousness and justice.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29.--SEDUCTION.

See Exodus 22:16-17. The sin of seduction before marriage is punished by a heavy fine. We have recently amended our own laws in the direction of this very precept. But the fact that marriage was made compulsory in these cases makes the Law stricter still. It seems, however, from Exodus 22:17, that the girl's father might forbid the marriage, though the seducer could not escape from it in any other way.

(30) See Leviticus 18:7. A principle, not merely a precept, is implied here, as appears by the details of Leviticus 18



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

a man
אִ֗ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

encounters
יִמְצָ֣א (yim·ṣā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

a virgin
בְתוּלָה֙ (ḇə·ṯū·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1330: A virgin, sometimes, a bride

who
אֲשֶׁ֣ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

is not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

pledged in marriage,
אֹרָ֔שָׂה (’ō·rā·śāh)
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 781: To engage for, matrimony

and he overpowers her
וּתְפָשָׂ֖הּ (ū·ṯə·p̄ā·śāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

and rapes
וְשָׁכַ֣ב (wə·šā·ḵaḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7901: To lie down

her,
עִמָּ֑הּ (‘im·māh)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

and they are discovered,
וְנִמְצָֽאוּ׃ (wə·nim·ṣā·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 22:28 If a man find a lady who (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 22:27
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