What does the Bible say about rape? A lot. It is condemned, and in certain situations, the rapist is to suffer the death penalty. But do not make the mistake of thinking that because the Bible records it that it approves of it. It most definitely does not.
“The general meaning of the Heb. piel of ʾānâ is “humble” or “force into submission.” In other passages where it denotes forcing sexual relations upon a woman the RSV renders it “humble” (Gen. 34:2; Ezk. 22:10), “humiliate” (Dt. 21:14), “violate” (22:24, 29), or “force” (2 S. 13:12, 14, 22, 32). Dt. 22:25–29 prescribes the punishment for rape: if a man raped a betrothed woman he was put to death; but if he raped an unbetrothed virgin he was required to marry her and prohibited from ever divorcing her. The rape of a Levite’s concubine (Jgs. 19:24; 20:5) and the ensuing civil war (cf. also its resolution: the rape of the virgins of Shiloh, 21:16–23) illustrate a chaotic period in Israel’s history (cf. v 25). An inevitable part of war is the widespread raping of women by the invading army (Isa. 13:16; Lam. 5:11; Zec. 14:2).” (Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988.)
Different terms used in the NASB Bible to reference rape
- Been with you
- 2 Samuel 13:20, “Then Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.”
- The context of “been with you” was Amnon raping his sister tamer (2 Sam. 13:1-23).
- 2 Samuel 13:20, “Then Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.”
- Humbled, lay with her by force.
- Genesis 34:2, “When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.” The literal Hebrew is ‘humbled her.’
- Ezekiel 22:10, “In you they have uncovered their fathers’ nakedness; in you they have humbled her who was unclean in her menstrual impurity.”
- Rape
- Judges 19:25, “But the men would not listen to him. So the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them; and they raped her and abused her all night until morning, then let her go at the approach of dawn.”
- Ravished
- Judges 19:24, “Here is my virgin daughter and his concubine. Please let me bring them out that you may ravish them and do to them whatever you wish. But do not commit such an act of folly against this man.”
- Lamentations 5:11, “They ravished the women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah.”
- See also, Zech. 14:2
- Violate
- Deuteronomy 28:30, “You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit.”
- 2 Samuel 13:12, “But she answered him, ‘No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!'”
Biblical judgments about rape
- Death Penalty for the rapist of an engaged woman
- Deuteronomy 22:25–26, “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. 26 “But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death, for just as a man rises against his neighbor and murders him, so is this case.”
- Required to marry the one raped
- Deuteronomy 22:28–29, “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.”
- This permit may seem barbaric. But the context is important. In that culture a woman’s virginity was highly prized. If she had been violated, she was not engaged at the time, then she would be in the eyes of many “damaged goods.” I do not mean to be disrespectful to such a woman but that would’ve been the condition by which she would’ve been perceiving that culture. She then would have no one to take care of her. Therefore, the man was obligated to marry her and take care of her and he could never divorce her.
- Deuteronomy 22:28–29, “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days.”
Instances of rape in the Bible
- In war, wives were ravished by pagan nations.
- Isaiah 13:16, “Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces Before their eyes; Their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished.”
- Zechariah 14:2, “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city.”
- A man raped his sister
- 2 Samuel 13:14, “However, he [Amnon] would not listen to her [Tamar]; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.”
- In this example, Absalom killed Amnon for his great sin. 2 Samuel 13:28, “Absalom commanded his servants, saying, ‘See now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.'”
- 2 Samuel 13:14, “However, he [Amnon] would not listen to her [Tamar]; since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.”
- Men raping men
- Genesis 19:5, “and they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.'”
