Deuteronomy 22:14

and he then accuses her of shameful conduct and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman and had relations with her, but I discovered she was not a virgin.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — A husband who has married a woman and come to hate her accuses her of non-virginity, initiating a legal process where her parents will later bring proof to the city elders.

The words — The Hebrew עֲלִילֹת דְּבָרִים (‘alîlôt dəḇārîm) literally denotes "deeds of words" or baseless charges, while הוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע (hôṣî’ šēm rā‘) means "he will send forth a bad name," describing the act of public defamation.

The thread — The text's prohibition against malicious accusation aligns with the false witness bans in Exodus 20:16 and Exodus 23:1, and points forward to Deuteronomy 22:19, which mandates a fine and restitution for a husband who spreads a false report about his wife.

Why it lands — The passage records a concrete legal accusation and establishes a verification procedure, requiring readers to recognize how false claims destroy reputation and how communal justice must objectively test such charges before rendering judgment.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְשָׂ֥םve./Samand/ he will makeלָהּ֙la/hto <the>/ herעֲלִילֹ֣ת'a.li.Lotdeeds of דְּבָרִ֔יםde.va.Rimwords וְהוֹצִ֥יאve./ho.Tzi'and/ he will send forth עָלֶ֖יהָ'a.Lei./haon/ her שֵׁ֣םshema name רָ֑עRa'bad וְאָמַ֗רve./'a.Marand/ he will say אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאִשָּׁ֤הha./'i.Shahthe/ woman הַזֹּאת֙ha./zoT<the>/ this לָקַ֔חְתִּיla.Kach.tiI took וָאֶקְרַ֣בva./'ek.Ravand/ I drew near אֵלֶ֔יהָ'e.Lei./hato/ her וְלֹא־ve./lo'-and/ not מָצָ֥אתִיma.Tza.tiI foundלָ֖הּla/hto <the>/ herבְּתוּלִֽים׃be.tu.Limvirginiti<es>

King James Version

And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:

Cross-references

Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Exodus 23:1 “You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
Deuteronomy 22:19 They are also to fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given a virgin of Israel a bad name. And she shall remain his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
Proverbs 18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels that go down into the inmost being.
Proverbs 18:21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
1 Timothy 5:14 So I advise the younger widows to marry, have children, and manage their households, denying the adversary occasion for slander.