Deuteronomy chapter 22

vs 21

This shows two things. One, if you want to protect your daughter, then make sure you keep proof of her virginity. Two, while God does not like people who lie, even to the point where their lie could mean someone's death, he also does not like adultery.

vs 22

Your real problem here is going to be finding the two or three witnesses. But at least both of them die.

vs 23

So, that is someone who is already spoken for, but isn't married yet.

vs 24

So there is a caveat here for rape. If you scream, then you're obviously being raped, and so it's not a problem. But notice that the rule for sleeping for a woman who isn't spoken for, and one who is, are different. The woman is not a man's wife until she's spoken for. In that case, you'd be forced to marry her.

vs 25

Of course, how it is proved if there was no-one around to witness it becomes a difficulty.

vs 26-27

I guess it's like a murder and robbery in that the person getting murdered and robbed has nothing to do with it - not like a murder where you egg them on with annoyance until they kill you out of hatred.

So the assumption is that the woman did scream, but no-one was there to hear it. So women are given the benefit of the doubt in this case. Which is good.

vs 28

Ahh, here's the rule I was talking about.

vs 29

This does seem awful. Who wants to marry the man who raped them? And yet you see that when David's son rapes his sister, the same thing happens - she would rather have her honour in tact by at least being married, than have both the shame of being dishonoured and then also being unable to be married again.

vs 30

It sounds totally wrong, but remember that in this culture, especially with multiple wives, it was possible for older men to buy up a younger woman, both for hanky panky, but also because their first wife is getting old and can't do all the housework as well.