What does the Bible say about rape?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Deuteronomy 22:28-29

  [28] If a man find a lady who is a virgin, who is not pledged to be married, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; [29] then the man who lay with her shall give to the lady's father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has humbled her; he may not put her away all his days.

• Deuteronomy 22:23-24

  [23] If there be a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; [24] then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn't cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor's wife: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.

• Deuteronomy 22:25-27

  [25] But if the man find the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only who lay with her shall die: [26] but to the lady you shall do nothing; there is in the lady no sin worthy of death: for as when a man rises against his neighbor, and kills him, even so is this matter; [27] for he found her in the field, the pledged to be married lady cried, and there was none to save her.

• 2 Samuel 13:1-39

  [1] It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. [2] Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. [3] But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man. [4] He said to him, Why, son of the king, are you thus lean from day to day? Won't you tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister. [5] Jonadab said to him, Lay you down on your bed, and feign yourself sick: and when your father comes to see you, tell him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand. [6] So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let her sister Tamar come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand. [7] Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and dress him food. [8] So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. She took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. [9] She took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. Amnon said, Have out all men from me. They went out every man from him. [10] Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand. Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. [11] When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister. [12] She answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don't you do this folly. [13] I, where shall I carry my shame? and as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you. [14] However he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her. [15] Then Amnon hated her with exceeding great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her, Arise, be gone. [16] She said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is [worse] than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her. [17] Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. [18] She had a garment of various colors on her; for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins dressed. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. [19] Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went. [20] Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? but now hold your peace, my sister: he is your brother; don't take this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. [21] But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry. [22] Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. [23] It happened after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. [24] Absalom came to the king, and said, See now, your servant has sheep-shearers; let the king, I pray you, and his servants go with your servant. [25] The king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you. He pressed him: however he would not go, but blessed him. [26] Then said Absalom, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us. The king said to him, Why should he go with you? [27] But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. [28] Absalom commanded his servants, saying, Mark you now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, Smite Amnon, then kill him; don't be afraid; haven't I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. [29] The servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up on his mule, and fled. [30] It happened, while they were in the way, that the news came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left. [31] Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. [32] Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered, Don't let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. [33] Now therefore don't let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead. [34] But Absalom fled. The young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him. [35] Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons are come: as your servant said, so it is. [36] It happened, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore. [37] But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. [David] mourned for his son every day. [38] So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. [39] [the soul of] king David longed to go forth to Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

• Deuteronomy 21:10-14

  [10] When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and Yahweh your God delivers them into your hands, and you carry them away captive, [11] and see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you have a desire to her, and would take her to you as wife; [12] then you shall bring her home to your house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; [13] and she shall put the clothing of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in your house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that you shall go in to her, and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. [14] It shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall let her go where she will; but you shall not sell her at all for money, you shall not deal with her as a slave, because you have humbled her.

• Galatians 5:19-21

  [19] Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, [21] envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

• Exodus 22:16-17

  [16] "If a man entices a virgin who isn't pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. [17] If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

• Deuteronomy 22:25

  But if the man find the lady who is pledged to be married in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only who lay with her shall die:

• Genesis 34:1-31

  [1] Dinah, the daughter of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. [2] Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her. He took her, lay with her, and humbled her. [3] His soul joined to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young lady, and spoke kindly to the young lady. [4] Shechem spoke to his father, Hamor, saying, "Get me this young lady as a wife." [5] Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah, his daughter; and his sons were with his cattle in the field. Jacob held his peace until they came. [6] Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to talk with him. [7] The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done. [8] Hamor talked with them, saying, "The soul of my son, Shechem, longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as a wife. [9] Make marriages with us. Give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves. [10] You shall dwell with us: and the land will be before you. Live and trade in it, and get possessions in it." [11] Shechem said to her father and to her brothers, "Let me find favor in your eyes, and whatever you will tell me I will give. [12] Ask me a great amount for a dowry, and I will give whatever you ask of me, but give me the young lady as a wife." [13] The sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father with deceit, and spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister, [14] and said to them, "We can't do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised; for that is a reproach to us. [15] Only on this condition will we consent to you. If you will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised; [16] then will we give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people. [17] But if you will not listen to us, to be circumcised, then we will take our sister, and we will be gone." [18] Their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem, Hamor's son. [19] The young man didn't wait to do this thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter, and he was honored above all the house of his father. [20] Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying, [21] "These men are peaceful with us. Therefore let them live in the land and trade in it. For, behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters. [22] Only on this condition will the men consent to us to dwell with us, to become one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised. [23] Won't their cattle and their substance and all their animals be ours? Only let us give our consent to them, and they will dwell with us." [24] All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city. [25] It happened on the third day, when they were sore, that two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each took his sword, came upon the unsuspecting city, and killed all the males. [26] They killed Hamor and Shechem, his son, with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went away. [27] Jacob's sons came on the dead, and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. [28] They took their flocks, their herds, their donkeys, that which was in the city, that which was in the field; [29] and all their wealth. They took captive all their little ones and their wives, and took as plunder everything that was in the house. [30] Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have troubled me, to make me odious to the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am few in number. They will gather themselves together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my house." [31] They said, "Should he deal with our sister as with a prostitute?"

• Psalms 9:9

  Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; A high tower in times of trouble.

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