Deuteronomy 22:25

25 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;

Deuteronomy 22:25 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:25

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field
Alone, and where she might cry out, and none hear, nor were any to help her:

and a man force her, and lie with her;
or "take fast and strong hold on her" F2; so that she is not able to get out of his hands, and make her escape, he being stronger than she, and so commits a rape upon her:

then the man only that lay with her shall die;
he being guilty of adultery, in lying with a woman espoused to another man, but not she, because she consented not to it.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (hb qyzxhw) "et apprehenderit (in) eam", Pagninus, Montanus; "et apprehendens eam", Piscator.

Deuteronomy 22:25 In-Context

23 If a damsel, a virgin, be betrothed to some one, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her,
24 then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, [being] in the city, and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife; and thou shalt put evil away from thy midst.
25 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;
26 and unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing: there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death; for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and murdereth him, so is this matter;
27 for he found her in the field, the betrothed damsel cried, and there was no one to save her.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.