Can you make sense of this seemingly insane verse from Deuteronomy 22:20-22?

[NotTheRock]

Deuteronomy 22:20-22

New International Version

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20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

 

[Rockerduck]

Deuteronomy 22:20-22​

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New International Version​

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20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

God was removing Israel from the world around it. They were going to be a nation of Priests, and God has high standards for His ministers. Do not act like the world around them. Look around, the world still does these sins, but Christians aren't to be this way. Romans 12:2- Do not be conformed to this world.

 

[Bob]

Thank you for the question.

The previous answer is exactly correct.

For what it is worth (not judging one way or the other): among indigenous tribes the world over, it was assumed that if a woman had an intact hymen, she was a virgin. Alternatively, blood on the wedding-night sheets on the morning after was supposed to be proof that she had an intact hymen before consummation

Blessings.

 

[NotTheRock]

They were going to be a nation of Priests,

Thanks. I'm not doubting you but is your claim backed by scripture? Thanks in advance.

 

[Rockerduck]

Thanks. I'm not doubting you but is your claim backed by scripture? Thanks in advance.

Exodus 19:6 - And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

 

[NotTheRock]

Exodus 19:6 - And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Awesome! Thanks!

 

[Scott Downey]

Keep reading. God is fair, holy, and right, these were rules to sanctify the congregation before the Lord God.
Today we are considered Holy to the Lord as we have been born again by the Spirit of God and joined as one spirit with Him.
This is of the New Covenant written on the heart in Christ's blood and not on stone tablets like the Old Covenant and the Law of Moses with the letter of the law met with harsh punishment due to the hardness of their hearts.

23 “If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, 24 then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you.

25 “But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. 26 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. 27 For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.

28 “If a man finds a young woman who is a virgin, who is not betrothed, and he seizes her and lies with her, and they are found out, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife because he has humbled her; he shall not be permitted to divorce her all his days.

 

[quietthinker]

Thank you for the question.

The previous answer is exactly correct.

For what it is worth (not judging one way or the other): among indigenous tribes the world over, it was assumed that if a woman had an intact hymen, she was a virgin. Alternatively, blood on the wedding-night sheets on the morning after was supposed to be proof that she had an intact hymen before consummation

Blessings.

pity if the hymen was ruptured by some other means than sex!

 

[TheOneHeLoves]

Deuteronomy 22:20-22​

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New International Version​

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20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

why do you think this is insane? What is justice if there is not punishment? God's standards/boundaries/commands/order is simple.

Many of the OT laws included severe and lofty punishment, yet we as people don't fear God and will still sin.

But God Jesus took our punishment!

 

[Bob Estey]

Deuteronomy 22:20-22​

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New International Version​

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20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

I believe the Lord wanted to keep sin out of the world.

 

[Jericho]

They took sexual purity and virginity very serious in those days. Virginity was something to be coveted, unlike today were it's given away willy-nilly.

 

[ScottA]

Deuteronomy 22:20-22​

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New International Version​

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20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done an outrageous thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
22 If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

All of the history of Israel (recorded in the Old Testament) was lived out, walked out, and worked out as living parables--as a light upon a hill for all the world to see, of the heavenly things to come.

The parable of Deuteronomy 22:20-22 states a practice to be kept by Israel as an example of what is to come of all people who violate the bond of marriage God has intended for His Bride. Which also includes the man found in violation...because in the Bride and Groom parable model given by gender--all of humanity (male and female alike) are as women before God the Groom (male).

Get the picture?

 

[MatthewG]

Hello to the original poster,

It’s just laws that concerned the nation of Israel. As many people stated it concerned the pureness that God desired within the hearts of the people, some stated it concerned the bride and I can see that because of when Jesus stated how far those who lived in Israel mainly the priests and what not had hearts far away from him.