should involve a single biblical passage that is between 1 to 5 verses in length from any book in the Torah/Old Testament involving the genres of poetry or prophecy

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Written in Deuteronomy 22:23-29, it is stated that “If a man has betrothed a girl who is a

virgin, and if someone finds her in the city and he lives with her, then you shall lead them both

out to the gate of that city, and they shall be stoned to death: a girl, because she did not cry out

though she was in the city; the man, because he has humiliated the wife of his neighbor. And so

shall you take away the evil from your meds. But if a man discovers, in the countryside, a girl

who has been betroth, and, apprehending her, he lives with her, then he alone shall die. The girl

shall suffer nothing, nor is she guilty unto death. For just as a robber rises up against his brother

and slaves his life, so also did the girl suffer greatly. She was alone in the field. She cried out,

and there was no one nearby, who might deliver her. If a man find a girl who is a virgin, who

does not have a patrol, and, taking her, he lays with her, and the matter is brought to judgment,

then he who slept with her shall give it to the father of the girl fifty shekels of silver, and he shall

have her as a wife, because he has humiliated her. He cannot dismiss her, throughout all the days

of his life.” This biblical text, from the category of biblical law explains the catholic belief on the

ideas of both rape and adultery.

According to Catholic commentaries, it is stated that if a female and male agree to lay

together and the female is technically promised to another man, the woman is considered to be

the property of the man she is promised to. Therefore, if the man were to lay with that woman, he

would be technically stealing something that does not belong to him. Since both the female and

male agreed to lay together, both of them would be at fault and they would both be damned to

hell. However, if the same situation took place and the man was the only one who wanted to lay

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with that female and the female opposed, this rape would only be on the fault of the man. The

woman would have tried to stop the situation so even though she was a part of such activity, she

isn’t at fault since she was raped and did not want this behavior to take place. Lastly in the

situation where both the man and the woman we’re not promised to another individual and they

wanted to lay with one another, they would have to get married afterwards. This is because

according to Catholic beliefs, it is inappropriate to sleep with another individual before marriage.

This is something that is supposed to bond to individuals together and this intimate moment

should not be shared with multiple individuals. At the same time, a woman would not be forced

to marry her rapist because she did not agree to being with him neither in forms of a promise or

marriage or even willfully.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this Bible commentary is where it talks about the

fifty shekels that need to be paid to the father of the female. This fee is paid to the father on

behalf of the daughter for her embarrassment. Although it is said that the man must except the

woman as his wife and he can never turn her away, both in Catholic and Jewish commentary on

the Bible it is agreed that the women does not have do you accept the rapist as her husband. In

the Jewish religion, it is stated that even if the women does not accept the man as her husband,

he will still have to pay the woman’s father fifty shekels for her embarrassment of being raped

and because the man found pleasure in such a heinous act. The Jewish religion states that this

payment is just a portion of his obligation.

Personally, I believe that this is a very controversial topic in today’s society. As women’s

rights become more of a prominent issue concerning rape, this was an interesting section to read

about within the Bible. Being as I myself am a woman, I would not want to have to marry my

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rapist if I were to have one. However, I have never heard of a rapist having to pay the father of

the women he raped for mistreating her. Perhaps this payment was their form of our prison. The

problem with rapists today is that many of them do not get caught and a lot of women are scared

to speak up against their rapists. Often when rapists are caught, they are let off easy or even Scott

free. Although money does not make up for the humiliation and terror that rape victims endure,

perhaps some form of payment would be beneficial even in today’s age. Many victims of rape

have to go to hospitals and therapists to deal with the trauma caused upon them so perhaps some

sort of payment would be beneficial to them, even though it would never take the humiliation

away. It is interesting to see that both Catholic and Jewish religions are in agreement on this

section within Deuteronomy and I agree with both of these religions on this aspect of rape.

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Bibliography

Catholic Bible commentary App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details? id=catholic.bible.commentary.AOUTSEKHGVCOFICG&hl=en_US&gl=US

Catholic Commentary https://cbmw.org/2018/03/05/did-old-testament-law-force-a-woman-to-marry-her-rapist/

Jewish Commentary https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1940448/jewish/Does-the-Torah-Punish-a-Rape- Victim.htm