Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
Then they shall bring the young woman to the entrance of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death, because she has committed a shameful act in Israel by being sexually immoral while in her father's house. In this way you will remove evil from among you.
This verse prescribes the death penalty for a woman found to have been sexually immoral before marriage, as part of ancient Israel's law to remove evil from their community.
📚 Historical Context
This law was part of the detailed legal code given to Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land around 1400 BC. Ancient Near Eastern societies had strict laws about sexual purity, especially for women, as family honor and inheritance lines were considered crucial for social stability. These laws were given to a theocratic nation where civil and religious law were unified under God's direct rule.
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