Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 22:26
Do nothing to the young woman, because she has committed no sin worthy of death. This case is just like one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The speaker addresses the judicial authorities ruling on a betrothed woman found in the open country. This directive follows the immediate context of Deuteronomy 22:25, which distinguishes a forced encounter from a consensual one.
The words — The phrase לֹא־תַעֲשֶׂה דָבָר (lo'- ta.'a.Seh da.Var) literally commands "you will do nothing" to the young woman. The text couples this with חֵטְא מָוֶת (chet' Ma.vet), meaning "a sin of death," to explicitly deny her criminal guilt.
The thread — The phrase "sin worthy of death" appears in Deuteronomy 21:22 regarding the execution of a convicted criminal. The verse explicitly links the woman's status to the murder case in Deuteronomy 22:25, establishing a parallel legal framework for violent crimes in isolated locations.
Why it lands — The text commands judges to release the woman by classifying her as a victim rather than a perpetrator. It requires readers to apply strict evidentiary standards, treating the case identically to a homicide investigation where the accused bears no liability.
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
King James Version
But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 21:22 If a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is executed, and you hang his body on a tree,