Deuteronomy 22:13-21

k. SEX OFFENSES (Deuteronomy 22:13-30)

(1) VIRGINITY OF A BRIDE (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)

13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, 14 and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity; 15 then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate; 16 and the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; 17 and, lo, he hath laid shameful things to her charge, saying, I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city, 18 And the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him; 19 and they shall fine him a 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. 20 But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel; 21 then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 22:13-21

373.

Is this section a protection for the wife or for the husband?

374.

How would a garment produced by the parents of the wife answer the problem?

375.

Either supernatural knowledge or basic honesty plays an important role here, discuss.

376.

Adultery was a serious sin; a life and death matter. Is it today? Discuss.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 22:13-21

13 If any man takes a wife, and goes in to her, and then scorns her,
14 And charges her with shameful things and gives her and evil reputation, and says, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I did not find in her the tokens of a virgin,
15 Then the father of the young woman, and her mother, shall get and bring out the tokens of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate;
16 And her father shall say to the elders, I gave my daughter to this man as wife, and he hates and spurns her,
17 And, lo, he has made shameful charges against her, saying, I found not in your daughter the evidences of her virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city.
18 And the elders of that city shall take the man and rebuke and whip him;
19 And they shall fine him 100 shekels of silver, and give them to the father of the young woman, because he has brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel; and she shall be his wife; he may not divorce her all his days.
20 But if it is true that the evidences of virginity were not found in the young woman,
21 Then they shall bring her to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death; because she has wrought [criminal] folly in Israel, by playing the harlot in her father's house.
So you shall put away the evil from among you.

COMMENT 22:13-21

Questioning the virginity of a man's bride was a serious matter in Israeland these words were doubtless intended both as an incentive for the bride to present herself undefiled to her husband, and as a deterrent to husbands who might be prone to unjustly accuse their wives of unchastity before marriage. Certainly nothing is more utterly humiliating to a woman with a good name than to be so accused. No act can be conceived more cruel or dastardly than that of a man who groundlessly assails his wife's character, accusing her of ante-nuptial unchastity. As the matter was one proof of which was not directly possible, and the man's word was all that could be adduced on his side, the Law threw the onus of clearing herself upon the woman through her parents, and indicated the mode of doing so. (Pulpit)

THE TOKENS OF VIRGINITY (Deuteronomy 22:14) i.e., proofs of chasity.In Deuteronomy 22:17 this phrase seems to be used synonymously with the woman's garment that was spread before the elders of the city. A woman's dress depicted much about her marital status in the east, and still does in many areas. In Genesis, ch. 38, for example, Tamar is identified by her dress at one time as a widow, and another as a harlot (Genesis 38:14-15; Genesis 38:19).

The word rendered garment, Heb. simlah, (A.V. cloth) refers to her wrapper, mantle (Baumgartner). It is especially used of that garment which was wrapped around oneself at night for comfort and warmth, though it was worn at other times also, Apparently this proof garment was kept by her parents for such an occasion, as would need its displayprobably put away at the time of her marriage.

Note the severe punishment that was to be given a husband who dared to bring a false accusation against his wifeand hence ruin her name and reputation. He was to be scourged and fined, and legally bound out from ever divorcing the wife he had so abused.