Does the Bible Say a Woman Must Marry Her Rapist?

Deuteronomy 22 28 to 29 says if a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed and seizes her and lies with her and they are found then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman 50 shekels of silver.

And she shall be his wife because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days. Whoa. So the Bible says a woman has to marry her rapist. No that's not what's going on here. Ever heard of a shotgun wedding.

It's a marriage arranged at the end of a father's shotgun to avoid the embarrassment of premarital sex between his daughter and some young dude who couldn't keep his pants zipped. This law is kind of like that.

Some Bible translations use the word rape in this passage but that's an inaccurate reading. Seizing a woman means the offending man took something that did not belong to him. Another man's daughter violated does not always mean rape even in English.

It can simply mean the man dishonored the woman. The law obligates him to make an honest woman of her by marrying her lest she become desolate cursed or executed. Deuteronomy means second law a copy of the commands given in Exodus Leviticus and Numbers.

The Law in Exodus and the Meaning of Violation

This law in Exodus says the father can refuse to give his daughter to the young man. So this is not a law forcing a woman to marry her rapist. The law just said right before this rape is worthy of death.

Hebrews 13 for says for marriage to be held in honor by all. Ask Jesus for forgiveness for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous when we understand the text.