Leviticus 19:20
18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
19 You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.
If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.
21 The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting as his guilt offering to the LORD.
22 The priest shall make atonement on his behalf before the LORD with the ram of the guilt offering for the sin he has committed, and he will be forgiven the sin he has committed.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.
- KJV
- And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
- WEB
- “‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
- ASV
- And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed 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.
- DARBY
- And if a man lie with a woman for copulation, and she is a bondwoman betrothed to a husband, but not at all ransomed, nor hath freedom been given to her, there shall be a chastisement: they shall not be put to death, for she was not free.
- BLB
- And when a man lies with a woman, a lying of seed, and she [is] a maidservant betrothed to a man and has not been redeemed at all, or freedom has not been given to her, there shall be punishment. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
- ÅB
- Når en mann ligger hos en kvinne og har omgang med henne, og hun er slavekvinne og festet til en annen mann, men ikke løskjøpt eller frigitt, da skal de straffes, men de skal ikke bøte med livet, fordi hun ikke var frigitt.
- OTB
- Hvis en mann har seksuell omgang med en kvinne som er en slave og lovet til en annen mann, men som ikke er innløst eller gitt sin frihet, må det være en passende straff. De skal ikke dø, fordi hun ikke var fri.
- B1930
- Når en mann ligger hos en kvinne og har omgang med henne, og hun er trælkvinne og festet til en annen mann, men ikke løskjøpt eller frigitt, da skal de straffes, men de skal ikke bøte med livet, fordi hun ikke var frigitt.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 22:23–24
If there is a virgin pledged in marriage to a man, and another man encounters her in the city and sleeps with her,
Read in contextExodus 21:20–21
If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.
Read in context