But if this thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young lady, then they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done folly in Israel, to play the prostitute in her father’s house. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
Parallel Translations
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But if this thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young lady,
then they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done folly in Israel, to play the prostitute in her father’s house. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
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But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
Show all 3 translations
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But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel;
then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die; because she hath wrought a wanton deed in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (2)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (17)
- Genesis 34:7 (v21) The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in…
- Deuteronomy 13:5 (v21) That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you…
- Judges 20:6 (v21) I took my concubine and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed…
- Leviticus 21:9 (v21) “ ‘The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father. She shall be burned with fire.
- Deuteronomy 17:7 (v21) The hands of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall remove the…
Show all 17 cross-references
- Deuteronomy 19:19 (v21) then you shall do to him as he had thought to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you.
- Deuteronomy 21:21 (v21) All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.
- Judges 20:10 (v21) and we will take ten men of one hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and one hundred of one thousand, and a thousand out of ten…
- 2 Samuel 13:12-13 (v21) She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don’t you do this folly. As for me, where…
- Leviticus 24:16 (v21) He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as…
- Leviticus 24:23 (v21) Moses spoke to the children of Israel; and they brought him who had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. The children of…
- Numbers 15:35-36 (v21) Yahweh said to Moses, “The man shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside of the camp.” All the…
- Deuteronomy 13:10 (v21) You shall stone him to death with stones, because he has sought to draw you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of…
- Deuteronomy 17:5 (v21) then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil thing to your gates, even that same man or woman; and you shall…
- Deuteronomy 22:22 (v21) If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you…
- Deuteronomy 22:24 (v21) then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn’t…
- Deuteronomy 23:17-18 (v21) There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. You shall not bring the…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (7 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v20 Deu 22:20 But if this thing be true, [and…
Deu 22:20 But if this thing be true, [and the tokens of] virginity be not found for the damsel:
Ver. 20. And the tokens.] Nor any natural impediment can be proved, as the Hebrews explain it.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On v21 Quest. Why should she die when her crime was…
Quest. Why should she die when her crime was only fornication, which was not punished in a woman with death, Exo 22:16,17?
Answ. Because there was not only fornication in this case, as Exo 22, but this was accompanied with deep dissimulation and injury to her husband in the false profession of virginity, and it might be presumed that she committed this folly after she was betrothed to him, and therefore so obstinately denied it, as knowing the danger of it in that case; or God ordered it thus for the honour and custody of the matrimonial bed from all defilement, that she, who being defiled before she was married or betrothed, and therefore not punishable by death, yet if she should presume to carry her defilement into the married estate with a pretence of virginity, she should then be put to death.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv20–21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the…
Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house,.... For his greater disgrace, and as a sort of punishment for his neglect of her education, not taking care to instruct her, and bring her up in a better manner:
and the men of her city shall stone her with stones, that she die; which was the death this sort of adulteresses were put to; others was by strangling, and the daughter of a priest was to be burnt; see Lev 20:10, which shows that this sin was committed by her after her espousals, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra note; or otherwise it would have been only simple fornication, which was not punishable with death:
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because she hath wrought folly in Israel: a sin, as all sin is folly, and especially any notorious one, as this was; and which is aggravated by its being done in Israel, among a people professing the true religion, and whom God had chosen and separated from all others to be a holy people to himself:
to play the whore in her father's house; where she continued after her espousals, until she was taken to the house of her husband, to consummate the: marriage; and between the one and the other was this sin committed, and which is another reason for her execution at the door of her father's house:
so shalt thou put evil away from among you; deter others from it by such an example, and remove the guilt of it from them, which otherwise would lie upon them, if punishment was not inflicted; the Targum of Jonathan interprets it of the putting away of her that did the evil.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v21 Die. It was concluded that she had committed the…
Die. It was concluded that she had committed the sin after her espousal. If it had happened before, she was to receive only 25 sicles for a dowry; though, if she took an oath that violence had been offered to her, she was entitled to 50: which opinion of the Rabbins seems very equitable. Æschines (in Timarch.) relates, that a man at Athens punished the transgression of which his daughter had been guilty, while she was at home, by shutting her up with a horse, in order that she might be torn in pieces by the famished animal. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv20–21 20. But if this charge be true, etc.] If…
20. But if this charge be true, etc.] If the physical signs were alone relied on a miscarriage of justice was possible. Other evidence, however, may have been forthcoming. Indeed it is possible that the clause, the tokens, etc., is not original.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v20 General Information:
General Information:
Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.
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But if this thing is true
"But if it is true" or "But if what the man said is true"
that the proof of virginity was not found in the girl
This can be stated in active form. AT: "that the man did not find proof that the girl was a virgin" (See: Active or Passive)
the proof of virginity
The abstract nouns "proof" and "virginity" can be translated as verb phrases. AT: "something that proves that the girl has never had sexual relations" (See: Abstract Nouns)
then they must bring out the girl
"then the elders must bring out the girl"
stone her to death with stones
"throw stones at her until she dies"
because she has committed a disgraceful action in Israel
"because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel"
to act as a harlot in her father's house
"acting like a harlot while living in her father's house"
you will remove the evil
The adjective "evil" can be translated as a noun phrase. AT: "you must remove from among the Israelites the person who does this evil thing" or "you must execute this evil person" (See: Nominal Adjectives)
translationWords
true
virgin
stone
die
commit
Israel
prostitute
evil
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v21 22:21 by being promiscuous (literally acting as a prostitute):…
22:21 by being promiscuous (literally acting as a prostitute): A single act of sexual intercourse by an unmarried woman was enough to earn this disgraceful label and the death penalty.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.