Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 22:27
When he found her in the field, the betrothed woman cried out, but there was no one to save her.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite assembly regarding legal procedures for sexual violence and marriage contracts. The verse occurs in a judicial case distinguishing between a betrothed woman assaulted in the open field and an unpledged virgin.
The words — The Hebrew צָעֲקָה (tzaʿaqâ) denotes a desperate cry for help, while מוֹשִׁיעַ (mōšîaʿ) literally means a deliverer. Together they establish that her vocal resistance was met with absolute isolation.
The thread — The narrative pattern of a victim crying out in isolation appears in Genesis 4:13 and Psalm 22:1, while the legal principle of assessing consent and location is echoed in Deuteronomy 22:26 and 22:28.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to recognize that physical location and vocal resistance determine legal culpability in assault cases. It demands a plain application of evidence-based judgment rather than presumptions about victim behavior.
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
For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 13:7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.