Deuteronomy 22:23If there is a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her;
The setting
Mount Nebo region, Jordan, ~1400 BC. Moses addresses 2 million Israelites before entering Canaan, establishing civil law for their new nation...
The emotion here: burdened with establishing justice for a broken world
The original word
na'arah (נערה) — young woman of marriageable age, not child
Why it matters
Ancient Near Eastern betrothal was legally binding marriage, not engagement
Read with care
What most readers miss in Deuteronomy 22:23
This assumes consent in the city because people could hear and help
Common misconceptionMany see this as God being harsh toward women, but ancient law typically blamed only the woman. This law was revolutionary in also punishing the man.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Deuteronomy 22:23
Bible Genome reading
Deuteronomy 22:23 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Deuteronomy 22:23 comes from the book of Deuteronomy, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to Moses. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the law genre of biblical literature. Key themes include betrothal, sexual ethics, circumstances. Notable phrases: virgin pledged to be married. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Deuteronomy 22:23 mean to you, today?
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