Rape(ravishment)
Summary
Biblical law treated rape as a grave offense, with capital punishment for the perpetrator when the victim was betrothed, and specific provisions to protect the victim and ensure justice.
☩Legal Provisions
Mosaic law addressed rape with serious penalties. If a man raped a betrothed virgin in the field, only the man was put to death; the woman was presumed innocent because she had no help available even if she cried out (Deuteronomy 22:25-27). If the attack occurred in the city and the woman did not cry out, both were subject to punishment, the assumption being she consented. For an unbetrothed virgin, the man was required to pay a bride price to her father and marry her, without right of divorce (Deuteronomy 22:28-29).
☩Biblical Narratives
Several biblical narratives address rape and its consequences. The rape of Dinah by Shechem led to violent retribution by her brothers Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34). Amnon's rape of his half-sister Tamar brought Absalom's revenge and contributed to the turmoil in David's household (2 Samuel 13). The rape and murder of the Levite's concubine at Gibeah triggered a civil war against the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19-20). These accounts demonstrate that Scripture treats rape as a heinous crime with far-reaching consequences.
Related Verses9 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Rape," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VIII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Crimes," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Crimes and Punishments," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).