Deuteronomy 22:21

21 they shall cast her out of her father's gates; and men of that city shall oppress her with stones, and she shall die, for she did [an] unleaveful thing in Israel, that she did lechery in her father's house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee. (then they shall bring her to the door of her father's house; and men of that city shall kill her with stones, and she shall die, for she did an unlawful thing in Israel, she did lechery in her father's house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.)

Deuteronomy 22:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:21

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 ( Leviticus 20:10 ) ( 21:9 ) , 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:

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.

Deuteronomy 22:21 In-Context

19 and furthermore they shall condemn him in an hundred shekels of silver, which he shall give to the father of the damsel, for he defamed her by the worst name that may be upon a virgin of Israel; and he shall have her to wife, and he shall not be able to forsake her, in all his lifetime. (and furthermore they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, which he shall give to the young woman's father, for he defamed her with the worst name that can be put on a virgin of Israel; and he shall have her for his wife, and he shall not be able to divorce her, all the days of his life.)
20 That if it is found sooth, that (that) he putteth against her, and virginity is not found in the damsel, (But if what he hath put against her is found to be true, and no proof of the young woman's virginity is found,)
21 they shall cast her out of her father's gates; and men of that city shall oppress her with stones, and she shall die, for she did [an] unleaveful thing in Israel, that she did lechery in her father's house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee. (then they shall bring her to the door of her father's house; and men of that city shall kill her with stones, and she shall die, for she did an unlawful thing in Israel, she did lechery in her father's house; and so thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee.)
22 If a man sleepeth with the wife of another man, ever either shall die, that is, the adulterer, and the adulteress; and thus thou shalt do away evil from Israel.
23 If a man espouseth a damsel (who is a) virgin, and another man findeth her in the city, and doeth lechery with her,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.