Punishment For
Adultery By A Bondmaid Is Less Severe Than For Adultery By A Free Woman
Leviticus 19:20-22 reads,
19:20Whoever
lies carnally with a woman, who is a bondmaid, pledged to be married to a
husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be
punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 19:21He shall bring his trespass-offering to
Yahweh, to the door of the tent of meeting, even a ram for a trespass-offering.
19:22The priest shall make atonement
for him with the ram of the trespass-offering before Yahweh for his sin which
he has sinned: and the sin which he has sinned shall be forgiven him.
It appears that adultery committed with a bondmaid is not as severe as adultery committed with a free woman. For the lower status of a bondmaid lessens the severity of her adultery in comparison to that of a free woman.
It therefore appears that the only adultery escaping the death penalty is that involving a bondmaid.
A Man Who Commits
Prostitution But Not Adultery Is Not Punished With Death
It should also be noted that it is not adultery for a man to sexually lie with a woman who is not betrothed. Such conduct is prostitution. The man is not put to death for this sin but is required to pay to her father dowry at the valuation for virgins, and take her as his wife if her father does not object. But if the woman is accustomed to prostitution and she is found out then the death penalty may indeed be levied against her. For prostitution is wickedness and Yahweh punishes for it by death!
A Man Who Takes
Another's Wife Incurs The Death Penalty
Leviticus 20:10 reads,
20:10The
man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, even he who commits adultery
with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall
surely be put to death.
Adultery is committed when a man takes as his own a woman belonging to another man. He can take the woman as his wife, or he can sexually lie with her. The woman may be a married woman or one pledged to be married, that is a betrothed woman.
There Are Two Types
Of Virgins, Those With Husbands And Those Without
Leviticus 21:1-4 reads,
21:1Yahweh
said to Moses, Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, There
shall none defile himself for the dead among his people; 21:2except for his relatives, that is near to
him, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter,
and for his brother, 21:3and for
his sister a virgin, that is near to him, that has had no husband; for her
may he defile himself. 21:4He shall
not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
That Yahweh specifies that type of virgin sister that a priest is allowed to defile himself for shows that there are different categories of virgin sisters. One category is of those who have a husband, those who are betrothed, and the other category is of those without a husband, those yet to be betrothed. It should therefore be evident that just because one is a virgin does not necessarily mean that she does not have a husband.
Non-Virgins Can Indeed
Be Taken As Wives
Leviticus 21:10-15 reads,
21:10He
who is the high priest among his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is
poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair
of his head go loose, nor tear his clothes; 21:11neither
shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his
mother; 21:12neither shall he go out
of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the
anointing oil of his God is on him: I am Yahweh. 21:13He shall take a wife in her virginity. 21:14A widow, or one divorced, or a profane
woman, a prostitute, these shall he not take: but a virgin of his own people
shall he take as a wife. 21:15He
shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Yahweh who sanctifies
him.
That Yahweh prohibits the high priest from taking as wife a woman who is not a virgin shows that it is indeed possible for one to take as wife such a woman. Widows, divorced women and profane women, that is prostitutes, can indeed be taken as wives.
When A Woman's
Action In Giving Herself As Wife To A Man Is Ratified
Numbers 30:1-5 reads,
30:1Moses
spoke to the heads of the tribes of the children of
It seems to me that a woman can give herself as wife to a man. But her action does not take legal effect until such time as her father ratifies it. For if her father disapproves of her action she does not become wife to the man that she gives herself as wife to.
A Widow Or A
Divorced Woman Does Not Need A Man's Approval In Giving Herself As Wife To Some
Man
Numbers 30:9 reads,
30:9But
the vow of a widow, or of her who is divorced, even everything with which
she has bound her soul, shall stand against her.
A widow or a divorced woman does not need the approval of a man over her in order to give herself as wife to a man. Therefore when she gives herself as wife to a man she indeed becomes that man's wife.
The Authority Of
Women Who Possess An Inheritance To Give Themselves As Wives
Numbers 36 reads,
36:1The
heads of the fathers’ houses of the family of the children of Gilead, the son
of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came
near, and spoke before Moses, and before the princes, the heads of the fathers’
houses of the children of Israel: 36:2and
they said, Yahweh commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to
the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by Yahweh to give the
inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. 36:3If they be married to any of the sons of the
other tribes of the children of Israel, then will their inheritance be taken
away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance
of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will it be taken away from
the lot of our inheritance. 36:4When
the jubilee of the children of
36:5Moses
commanded the children of
A Woman Belongs To
The Household Of The Man She Is Wife To
It should be noted that once a woman has become wife to a man she belongs to that man and the household of that man. She no longer belongs to the household of her father.
A Fatherless Woman
Has The Same Authority As A Widow Or A Divorced Woman In Giving Herself As Wife
It should also be noted that a woman whose father is dead can become wife to whoever she chooses to be wife to. For Yahweh has given her this authority, seeing she is no longer under a man's authority. This is also the case with a widow and a divorced woman, for these also do not have a man in authority over them, and can therefore make their decisions without reference to any man.
Do Not Covet Your
Neighbour's Wife
Deuteronomy 5:21 reads,
5:21"Neither
shall you covet your neighbor’s wife; neither shall you desire your
neighbor’s house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox,
or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s."
Do Not Multiply
Wives To Yourself, Lest Your Heart Turn Away From Yahweh
Deuteronomy 17:14-17 reads,
17:14When
you are come to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and shall possess it,
and shall dwell therein, and shall say, I will set a king over me, like all the
nations that are round about me; 17:15you
shall surely set him king over you, whom Yahweh your God shall choose: one from
among your brothers shall you set king over you; you may not put a foreigner
over you, who is not your brother. 17:16Only
he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to
Yahweh's wisdom shows that a man who multiplies wives to himself risks having his heart turn away from following Yahweh to following other entities. Moderation should therefore be exercised in the number of wives a man takes, to ensure that he remains faithful to Yahweh.
A Man Betrothed To
A Woman Should Not Be Denied The
Deuteronomy 20:1-9 reads,
20:1When
you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and
a people more than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for Yahweh your God is
with you, who brought you up out of the
It should be noted from 20:7 that once a woman has been pledged to be married she belongs to her husband and not to another man. Another man may not take her to sexually lie with her while her husband, to whom she has been pledged in marriage, is still alive. But once her husband's dies she is free to be taken as wife by another man.
In other words, once betrothed, a woman belongs to her husband until he dies, irrespective of whether or not he has sexually lain with her.
Taking A War
Captive Slave Woman As Wife
Deuteronomy 21:10-14 reads,
21:10When
you go forth to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them
into your hands, and you carry them away captive, 21:11and see among the captives a beautiful
woman, and you have a desire to her, and would take her to you as wife; 21:12then you shall bring her home to your
house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 21:13and she shall put the clothing of her
captivity from off her, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father
and her mother a full month: and after that you shall go in to her, and be her
husband, and she shall be your wife. 21:14It
shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she
will; but you shall not sell her at all for money, you shall not deal with her
as a slave, because you have humbled her.
It should be noted that in the case of a slave woman, especially one who is a war captive, there is no requirement on a prospective husband to seek the consent of her father. For in this case her father has been killed in battle and she therefore no longer has a man in authority over her, save her new captor.
In non-battle situations a slave woman is under the authority of her master or mistress, and it is this superior who must give her as wife to a man before she becomes that man's wife. In battle situations such as described above being a captive she has come under her captor's authority. It is therefore for her captor to give her as wife to whomever he wills, either to himself or to some other man, generally one in his household.
How To Prudently
Take A Slave Woman As Wife
If another man outside his household desires her as wife and her captor is agreeable, then her captor sells her to this other man for the price of a female slave. Once she has been sold to another master the previously mentioned conflict of authority situations do not arise, for she will now have a new master.
It should be noted that a slave woman can be released from her slavery by her husband divorcing her. For by divorcing her she not only ceases to be his wife, she also ceases to be his slave.
A Woman Should
Strive To Remain A Virgin Up To The Time Of Her Marriage
Deuteronomy 22:13-21 reads,
22:13If
any man take a wife, and go in to her, and hate her, 22:14and lay shameful things to her charge, and
bring up an evil name on her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came near
to her, I didn’t find in her the tokens of virginity; 22:15then shall the father of the young lady,
and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the young lady’s virginity
to the elders of the city in the gate; 22:16and
the young lady’s father shall tell the elders, I gave my daughter to this man
to wife, and he hates her; 22:17and,
behold, he has laid shameful things to her charge, saying, I didn’t find in
your daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my
daughter’s virginity. They shall spread the garment before the elders of
the city. 22:18The elders of that
city shall take the man and chastise him; 22:19and
they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver, and give them to the father
of the young lady, because he has brought up an evil name on a virgin of
It should be noted that a woman is not supposed to sexually lie with a man who is not her husband. Sexually lying with a man not her husband is prostitution and folly. The penalty for engaging in prostitution, for doing this folly, is death! For where there is evidence that she has prostituted herself, she incurs the death penalty.
A Woman's Parents
Are Responsible For Ensuring That She Does Not Play The Prostitute
It should also be noted that it is the responsibility of a woman's parents to ensure that she does not play the prostitute. They are to teach her Yahweh's laws with respect to sexual purity and are to do all in their power to discourage their daughter from playing the prostitute.
A Woman Does Not
Have To Be Caught In The Act Of Prostitution To Be Sentenced For Prostitution
It should be noted that a woman does not have to be caught in the sexual act for her to be sentenced for prostitution. It is enough for sufficient evidence to be produced that shows that she indeed played the prostitute. In the case above it is sufficient for her parents to fail to produce the tokens of virginity. In Tamar's case it was sufficient for her pregnancy to have become apparent. Provided sufficient evidence exists a woman can be sentenced to death for playing the prostitute even though she was not caught in the act.
Two Or Three Human
Witnesses Are Not Always Necessary For Convicting A Person
It therefore appears that it is not always the case that two or three human witnesses must be produced in order to convict a person for an offence. Provided sufficient evidence is produced, even non-human witnesses, such as no tokens of virginity or a pregnancy, a person can be convicted of an offence.
It Is A Great
Offence To Besmirch A Person's Name
It should be noted that it is a great offence to besmirch the name of a person, such as by falsely accusing one's wife of having played the prostitute when she had not played the prostitute. The penalty for this offence is double the dowry for a virgin, and withdrawal of the right to put her away for the rest of her life, even if she subsequently plays the prostitute!
Death Is The
Penalty For Adultery
Deuteronomy 22:22 reads,
22:22If
a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of
them die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman: so shall you put away
the evil from Israel.
It Is Adultery For
A Betrothed Woman To Sexually Lie With A Man Not Her Husband
Deuteronomy 22:23-24 reads,
22:23If
there be 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; 22:24then you shall bring them both out to the
gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady,
because she didn’t cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has
humbled his neighbor’s wife: so you shall put away the evil from the midst
of you.
Death is the penalty for prostitution and adultery. It makes no different whether the woman involved has already been married or has been pledged to be married but hasn't yet been married. For a woman pledged to be married is already her husband's, even as a married woman is her husband's.
A Man Who Rapes
Another Man's Wife Commits Adultery
Deuteronomy 22:25-27 reads,
22:25But
if the man find the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man
force her, and lie with her; then the man only who lay with her
shall die: 22:26but to the lady you
shall do nothing; there is in the lady no sin worthy of death: for as
when a man rises against his neighbor, and kills him, even so is this matter; 22:27for he found her in the field, the pledged
to be married lady cried, and there was none to save her.
Death is the penalty for prostitution and adultery. When a man rapes a woman who is not his wife he indeed commits prostitution! When he rapes a woman who is another man's wife he indeed commits adultery! He therefore incurs the death penalty for his adultery.
A Raped Woman Has
Not Committed Sexual Sin In The Rape
It should be noted that a woman who is raped is not guilty of sexual sin. For she did not consent to the sexual act, but was overpowered by her rapist.
A Rapist Who Has
Not Committed Adultery In The Rape Is Not Sentenced To Death
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 reads,
22:28If
a man find a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, and lay
hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 22:29then the man who lay with her shall give
to the lady’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife,
because he has humbled her; he may not put her away all his days.
It appears that prostitution by a man that does not involve adultery does not automatically incur the death penalty. For by raping a woman a man is clearly engaging in prostitution. Nevertheless, if he assumes responsibility for his sinful action, and pays the woman's father dowry as for virgins, and takes her as his wife, he is spared the death penalty. Nevertheless, for his rape, he loses his right to put his wife away should cause subsequently arise for him to put her away! For the woman had not consented to lose her virginity to him!
How A Virgin Who
Loses Her Virginity Without Being Betrothed Can Escape The Death Penalty
It seems to me that there is a way that a virgin who loses her virginity without having been betrothed can avoid the death penalty! She must declare the fact that she has lost her virginity as soon as she has lost it, declaring this to her parents.
If she willingly loses her virginity to a particular man then that man is required to take her as his wife, provided her father does not oppose this action. The man is also required to pay dowry as for virgins, seeing he took her virginity away (Exodus 22:16-17). Provided both the man and the woman declare to her parents that they have lain sexually, and he pays her father dowry as for virgins, then the woman does not die. For if her father allows her to become the man's wife she indeed becomes his wife. Even if her father does not allow her to become the man's wife she is still spared the death penalty.
Later on, when her father purposes to give her as wife to another man, the other man will be informed that the woman is not a virgin, and he will therefore not be required to pay dowry as for virgins, but dowry at a lesser valuation. Her husband will therefore not have the ground founded in Deuteronomy 22:13-21 to bring a shameful accusation against her, as he knew that he was taking a wife who was not a virgin.
If You Are A
Virgin And Are Raped Disclose The Matter To Your Parents
Also, if a virgin not betrothed has been raped she should declare that fact to her parents. If she keeps the matter hidden, and her father accepts dowry as for virgins when he gives her to a man as wife, the man may indeed bring a shameful accusation against her founded in Deuteronomy 22:13-21. To avoid dying for the sin of the rapist, together with her own sin of not disclosing a matter that she should have disclosed, she should indeed disclose the matter.
Why Women Should
Always Disclose The Loss Of Their Virginity At The Time So Lost
It seems to me that if virgins always disclose when they lose their virginity, and the men who took away their virginity, they will facilitate the men by whom they lost their virginity taking responsibility for their actions. For such men will be compelled to take as wives these women whom they have sexually lain with, and, at the very least, pay dowry to their fathers at the valuation for virgins! Men will therefore think twice before sexually lying with women not their wives, dealing with them as with a prostitute, seeing that such conduct will inevitably require them to take these women as their wives, and thereafter provide for them as wives!
And if men try to avoid the responsibility of taking a new wife, yet sexually lying with women not their wives, they will be forced to confine their illicit sexual activities to adulteresses, seeing that adulteresses are already married and cannot become their wives. But the risk of adultery is death, and if Yahweh's laws against adultery are enforced such men would be risking death each time they committed adultery. Also, it should not be forgotten that Yahweh punishes the households of men who commit adultery. Therefore men who commit adultery, yet are not punished immediately for their adultery, will eventually receive punishment for their adultery at Yahweh's hands!
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 reads,
24:1When
a man takes a wife [Hebrew: "ishshah" = woman], and marries [Hebrew:
"ba'al" = master] her, then it shall be, if she find no favor in his
eyes, because he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her
a bill of divorce, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
24:2When she is departed out of his
house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 24:3If
the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorce, and give it in
her hand, and send her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took
her to be his wife; 24:4her former
husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that
she is defiled; for that is abomination before Yahweh: and you shall not cause
the land to sin, which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance.
Can 24:1 be used as authority for divorcing a betrothed wife with whom a husband has yet to sexually lie with?
24:1 can also be translated to read,
When a man takes a woman, and becomes
her master, then it shall be, if she finds no favour in his eyes, because
he has found some unseemly thing in her, that he shall write her a bill of
divorce, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
It appears to me, drawing on the principle contained in this verse, that a man can divorce his betrothed wife or woman if he finds some unseemly thing in her, even prior to sexually lying with her. Such as when he finds that she has sexually lain with another while betrothed to him, or when he finds that she had sexually lain with another prior to her betrothal to him but she did not disclose the matter to him.
It also appears to me that once the man has divorced the woman she may go and become another man's woman or wife, as per 24:2. Also, by the principle derived from 24:3-4, once a man has divorced his betrothed he may not take her again as his wife after she becomes the wife of another.
Cheer Your New
Wife, Especially In Your First Year Together
Deuteronomy 24:5 reads,
24:5When
a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out in the host, neither
shall he be charged with any business: he shall be free at home one year, and
shall cheer his wife whom he has taken.
It is indeed Yahweh's design that men cheer their new wives, and more so in their first year of living together.
When A Man With A
Wife Dies Without Descendants
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 reads,
25:5If
brothers dwell together, and one of them die, and have no son, the wife of the
dead shall not be married outside to a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go
in to her, and take her to him as wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s
brother to her. 25:6It
shall be, that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his
brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel. 25:7If the man doesn’t want to take his
brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders,
and say, My husband’s brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in
Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me. 25:8Then the elders of his city shall call him,
and speak to him: and if he stand, and say, I don’t want to take her; 25:9then his brother’s wife shall come to him
in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit
in his face; and she shall answer and say, So shall it be done to the man who
does not build up his brother’s house. 25:10His
name shall be called in Israel, The house of him who has his shoe loosed.
Yahweh Does Not
Force A Man To Take As Wife A Woman He Has Appointed For Him
It should be noted that Yahweh has appointed a widow of a man without sons to be taken as wife by one of the man's brothers. Nevertheless, even though Yahweh has appointed her to be taken as wife by one of the man's brothers, Yahweh does not force the brother to take her as wife! Yahweh has given the brother the option of either taking her as wife or not!
Yahweh's way of giving human beings free will is consistent. For just as he gave Rebekah the option of accepting to be wife to Isaac when he had appointed her to be his wife, he also gives a man the option of accepting as wife his brother's widow when his brother has no descendants. It is therefore again reiterated that in a man and a woman becoming husband and wife they must each consent to so become husband and wife.
Yahweh's Levirate
Law Applies Irrespective Of Whether Or Not The Wife Has Been Married
It should be noted that this law of Yahweh applies irrespective of whether the man who died had married his wife. For if he dies prior to marrying his betrothed wife, his betrothed wife should be married by one of his surviving brothers as stipulated.
It Is Shameful To
Refuse To Honour Yahweh's Appointed Will For One
It should also be noted that it is shameful for one whom Yahweh has appointed to be husband to a particular woman to refuse to honour Yahweh's will for him. The same holds true for a woman whom Yahweh has appointed to be wife to a particular man. Human beings should therefore abide by Yahweh's will for their lives, including in matters pertaining to who their husbands or wives should be.
Deuteronomy 28:30 reads,
28:30You
shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: you shall
build a house, and you shall not dwell therein: you shall plant a vineyard, and
shall not use the fruit of it.
One of the conditional curses that Yahweh laid on Israel for disobedience to him was other men sexually lying with their betrothed wives prior to their sexually lying with these wives of theirs. A manner this could occur was by their being killed in war upon being attacked by an enemy, and their conquering enemy taking their betrothed wives for their own men.
The Dowry Caleb
Insisted On For His Daughter Achsah
Joshua 15:13-19 reads,
15:13To
Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a portion among the children of Judah,
according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath-arba, which Arba
was the father of Anak (the same is Hebron). 15:14Caleb
drove out there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the
children of Anak. 15:15He went up there
against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was
Kiriath-sepher. 15:16Caleb said,
He who strikes Kiriath-sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my
daughter as wife. 15:17Othniel the
son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his
daughter as wife. 15:18It
happened, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a
field: and she alighted from off her donkey; and Caleb said, What would you? 15:19She said, Give me a blessing; for that you
have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water. He gave
her the upper springs and the lower springs.
It is again evident that a father indeed has authority to give his daughter as wife to a man.
It should also be noted that the dowry Caleb required on this occasion was not fifty shekels of silver, as stipulated in the Law, but the capture of Kiriath-sepher. It is therefore again evident that the amount of dowry is not critical to ratifying a husband and wife relationship, dowry being what a father requests in order to be persuaded to give his daughter as wife to a man.
Judges 1:10-15 reads,
1:10Judah
went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before
was Kiriath-arba); and they struck Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. 1:11From there he went against the inhabitants
of Debir. (Now the name of Debir before was Kiriath-sepher.) 1:12Caleb said, He who strikes Kiriath-sepher,
and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife. 1:13Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger
brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 1:14It happened, when she came to him, that she
moved him to ask of her father a field: and she alighted from off her donkey;
and Caleb said to her, What would you? 1:15She
said to him, Give me a blessing; for that you have set me in the land of the
South, give me also springs of water. Caleb gave her the upper springs and the
lower springs.
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