What Does Deuteronomy 22:13 Mean?

Deuteronomy 22:13-30. **LAWS OF CONJUGAL FIDELITY.** (13-21) **Virginity.**—The law in these verses will be best appreciated by considering its *effects. *The maidens in Israel would be compelled to guard their maidenliness and innocence, as they valued their lives. Jealousy and caprice on the part of the husbands, in view of this law, would be avoided as likely to incur discredit and serious penalties. A fine of 100 shekels (as in Deuteronomy 22:19), or 50 (as in Deuteronomy 22:29), was no light matter for a nation who found a quarter shekel sufficient for a present to a great man (1Samuel 9:8), and half a shekel too much for a poll-tax on the men of military age (1Chronicles 21:3, and Exodus 30:15; Nehemiah 10:32). The law of the jealousy offering in Numbers 5:12-31, must also be taken into consideration, as guarding the fidelity of the wife. It would be most unadvisable for either man or woman so to act as to bring themselves under the penalties here described. The tendency of these laws would be to make all men watchful and careful for the honour of their families. (21) **She hath wrought folly in Israel.**—This expression should be noticed. It appears for the first time in Genesis 34:7, very shortly after the bestowal of the name *Israel *(Genesis 32). It would almost appear that the name entailed a higher standard of behaviour upon Jacob’s family, after the hand of the Holy One had been laid upon their father. A separate code of rules were binding upon the chosen people from the very beginning of their history. Hardly any point is made of more importance, from the birth of Isaac downwards, than the purity of the chosen seed. (22) **Adultery.**—See Leviticus 20:10. “*Moses *in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned.” It was not disputed by our Saviour (John 8:5).