Deuteronomy 22 26

Deuteronomy 22:26 kjv

But 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 neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:

Deuteronomy 22:26 nkjv

But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter.

Deuteronomy 22:26 niv

Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor,

Deuteronomy 22:26 esv

But you shall do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no offense punishable by death. For this case is like that of a man attacking and murdering his neighbor,

Deuteronomy 22:26 nlt

Do nothing to the young woman; she has committed no crime worthy of death. She is as innocent as a murder victim.

Deuteronomy 22 verses

Deuteronomy 22 26 Meaning

Deuteronomy 22:26 declares the complete innocence and blamelessness of a young woman who has been sexually assaulted in the field. Her situation is explicitly compared to that of a person who is attacked and murdered, implying that the act committed against her is an act of violent force, and she is merely a victim, entirely without guilt or responsibility for the transgression. The law assigns all guilt to the attacker and frees the victim from any legal or moral culpability, protecting her life and future social standing from condemnation.

Deuteronomy 22 26 Context

Deuteronomy 22 is part of Moses' reiteration and expansion of the Law to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. The chapter covers a diverse range of civil, social, and moral laws intended to establish a righteous society under God's covenant. This specific verse (Dt 22:26) is nestled within a section dealing with sexual offenses (Dt 22:13-29).

Historically, the law operates within a patriarchal societal structure where a woman's honor and standing were intricately linked to her sexual purity, and severe social and legal ramifications could follow any breach. These laws also contrast sharply with surrounding pagan cultures where sexual license and even cultic prostitution were prevalent. The distinctness of the Israelite law provided unprecedented legal protection for victims of sexual assault by explicitly distinguishing consensual acts from acts of violence, thereby safeguarding the victim's life and legal standing within the community. The focus is on establishing guilt where it belongs (on the attacker) and affirming absolute innocence for the assaulted.

Deuteronomy 22 26 Word Analysis

• "But" (אךְ - ak): This emphatic particle serves as a strong contrasting conjunction. It immediately sets the girl's case apart from the preceding scenarios (which deal with consensual or disputed unchastity), highlighting a clear and undeniable distinction based on the nature of the act. It introduces a separate legal ruling.
• "to the girl" (לַנַּעֲרָה - lanna'arah): The word na'arah refers to a young woman, often implied to be unmarried and a virgin in such legal contexts. The specific addressing "to the girl" emphasizes that the legal outcome pertains directly to her status and culpability.
• "you shall do nothing" (לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה דָבָר - lo'-ta'aseh davar): This is a powerful declaration of complete exemption from punishment. "Nothing" (davar) here implies no legal consequence, no accusation, no blame. It is an absolute dismissal of any form of culpability on her part, underscoring her passive role as a victim.
• "no sin worthy of death" (אֵין בַּנַּעֲרָה חֵטְא מָוֶת - ein banna'arah chet maveth):
  • "no sin" (אֵין חֵטְא - ein chet): Directly translates to "no fault" or "no offense." It definitively states her moral and legal innocence.
  • "worthy of death" (מָוֶת - maveth): Literally "death." In this legal context, it signifies a capital offense, a crime deserving of the death penalty. By explicitly stating she bears "no sin worthy of death," the law powerfully confirms that her role in the event does not incur any capital punishment, nor any lesser form of punishment or social condemnation. It secures her life and future in the community.
• "for as when a man rises" (כַּאֲשֶׁר יָקוּם אִישׁ - ka'asher yaqum 'ish):
  • "rises" (יָקוּם - yaqum): Implies an aggressive act, an attack. It conveys force, violence, and initiative on the part of the man, making clear the absence of her consent or participation.
• "against his neighbor" (עַל־רֵעֵהוּ - 'al-re'ehu): Emphasizes a victim-perpetrator dynamic; the act is perpetrated against someone who is a fellow member of the community, underscoring the severity of the violation against a covenant member.
• "and murders him" (וּרְצָחוֹ - u'reṣeḥo): This is the climax of the verse's comparison, directly equating sexual assault (rape) with premeditated murder. The Hebrew verb ratsach typically refers to intentional homicide. By drawing this analogy, the law not only removes all blame from the victim but elevates the severity of the crime committed by the aggressor to the highest level, making it a capital offense against life itself. This comparison also emphasizes the violation of the person's essence, integrity, and future, not just her sexual purity.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "to the girl you shall do nothing, no sin worthy of death": This phrase completely exonerates the victim, clearing her name and preserving her life. It legally safeguards her from accusations and societal condemnation often prevalent in such scenarios. It shows a divine standard of justice that values intent and coercion over the mere physical act.
  • "as when a man rises against his neighbor and murders him": This powerful analogy elevates the gravity of forced sexual assault to the level of murder. It highlights the profound violation of personal autonomy, dignity, and purity that forced sex entails, equating its destructive impact on the victim's life and status to the taking of physical life. It underscores that forced sexual activity is an act of violent aggression, not a sexual misdeed on the victim's part.

Deuteronomy 22 26 Bonus section

• The Deuteronomic law here reveals God's deep concern for justice and the protection of the vulnerable in society, directly countering societal tendencies towards victim-blaming or dismissing the gravity of sexual assault.
• This particular case being set "in the field" (mentioned in Deut 22:25, implicitly carried over to 22:26 due to sequential context) is crucial because it implies the inability of the victim to cry for help effectively, thus ruling out any possibility of tacit consent by not crying out loud. Her lack of "crying out" in the privacy of the field is understood as being due to lack of opportunity for aid, not lack of will.
• The profound equating of rape to murder elevates the divine regard for bodily integrity and personal autonomy. It transcends merely a sexual transgression, viewing it as an act of existential violence against the person.
• This principle laid down in the Old Testament anticipates New Testament themes of spiritual violence and the high value placed on human life and the sanctity of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20). It informs our understanding of the severe nature of sexual sin and its impact on the individual and the community.

Deuteronomy 22 26 Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:26 stands as a profound testament to divine justice, safeguarding the innocent and condemning the aggressor. In ancient Near Eastern societies, where a woman's purity was paramount and often implicated the victim in sexual misconduct, this law was revolutionary. It unequivocally establishes that when a young woman is violently assaulted in a place where no one can hear her cries, she bears absolutely no culpability. Her innocence is total and absolute, to the extent that her experience is legally equated with that of someone who has been murdered.

The core theological and legal implications are clear: God sees the act through the lens of intent and coercion. Where there is force and absence of consent, the victim is blameless, akin to someone whose life has been violently taken from them. The comparison to murder is not merely metaphorical; it reflects the profound desecration of a person's life, autonomy, and spirit that accompanies forced sexual violation. It implies that such an act, while not ending physical life, devastates a person's relational and social "life." This law served as a vital protection against victim-blaming, a divine decree ensuring justice for the vulnerable and clear accountability for the perpetrator, placing the full weight of the transgression squarely on the aggressor.