“But suppose the man’s accusations are true, and he can show that she was not a virgin.
Parallel translations
- WEB But if this thing is true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the young lady;
- KJV But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
- BSB If, however, this accusation is true, and no proof of the young woman’s virginity can be found,
- NKJV “But if the thing is true, and evidences of virginity are not found for the young woman,
- NASB “But if this charge is true, and they did not find the girl to have evidence of virginity,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If, however, the accusation proves true and no evidence of virginity is found, a different judgment follows. The law also takes real sexual sin seriously.
Overview
This verse turns to the case where the husband's charge is actually substantiated. The law does not favor the woman automatically; it seeks the truth in either direction. The contrast underscores that God's justice protects the innocent and confronts genuine wrongdoing alike, holding sexual purity within marriage to be a serious covenant matter.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 22:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.