Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town, New Living Translation He has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, “I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.” But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.’ Then they must spread her bed sheet before the elders. English Standard Version and behold, he has accused her of misconduct, saying, “I did not find in your daughter evidence of virginity.” And yet this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloak before the elders of the city. Berean Standard Bible And now he has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ But here is the proof of her virginity.” And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. Berean Literal Bible And behold, he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, ‘I did not find your daughter a virgin,’ and these are the tokens of the virginity of my daughter.” And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. King James Bible And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. New King James Version Now he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, “I found your daughter was not a virgin,” and yet these are the evidences of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. New American Standard Bible and behold, he has charged her with shameful behavior, saying, “I did not find your daughter to have evidence of virginity.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread out the garment before the elders of the city. NASB 1995 and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. NASB 1977 and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. Legacy Standard Bible and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, “I did not find your daughter a virgin.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. Amplified Bible and behold, he has made baseless charges against her, saying, “I did not find in your daughter the evidence of her virginity.” But this is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread out the garment before the elders of the city. Berean Annotated Bible And now he has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin. But here is the proof of her virginity. And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. Christian Standard Bible He has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, “I didn’t find any evidence of your daughter’s virginity,” but here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ They will spread out the cloth before the city elders. Holman Christian Standard Bible He has accused her of shameful conduct, saying: “I didn’t find any evidence of your daughter’s virginity,” but here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.’ They will spread out the cloth before the city elders. American Standard Version and, lo, he hath laid shameful things to her charge, saying, I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. Contemporary English Version and accusing her of not being a virgin. But he is wrong, because here is proof that she was a virgin!" Then the bride's parents will show them the bed sheet from the woman's wedding night. English Revised Version and, lo, he hath laid shameful things to her charge, saying, I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. GOD'S WORD® Translation Now he has made up charges against her. He says he found out that my daughter wasn't a virgin. But here's the evidence!" Then the girl's parents must spread out the cloth in front of the leaders of the city. Good News Translation He has made false charges against her, saying that she was not a virgin when he married her. But here is the proof that my daughter was a virgin; look at the bloodstains on the wedding sheet!' International Standard Version Now look, he has invented charges against her by saying, "I haven't found your daughter to be a virgin." But here is the proof of my daughter's virginity.' Then they are to spread the cloth before the elders of the city. NET Bible Moreover, he has raised accusations of impropriety by saying, 'I discovered your daughter was not a virgin,' but this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity!" The cloth must then be spread out before the city's elders. New Heart English Bible and look, he has accused her of shameful things, saying, 'I did not find in your daughter the tokens of virginity;' and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity." They shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Webster's Bible Translation And lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd now he has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ But here is the proof of her virginity.” And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. World English Bible Behold, he has accused her of shameful things, saying, ‘I didn’t find in your daughter the tokens of virginity;’ and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity.” They shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand behold, he has laid evil deeds of words, saying, I have not found proofs of virginity for your daughter—and these [are] the proofs of virginity of my daughter! And they have spread out the garment before [the] elderly of the city. Berean Literal Bible And behold, he has charged her with shameful conduct, saying, ‘I did not find your daughter a virgin,’ and these are the tokens of the virginity of my daughter.” And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Young's Literal Translation and lo, he hath laid actions of words, saying, I have not found to thy daughter tokens of virginity -- and these are the tokens of the virginity of my daughter! and they have spread out the garment before the elders of the city. Smith's Literal Translation And behold, he set up pretexts of words, saying, I found not in thy daughter the signs of virginity; and these the signs of my daughter's virginity. And they spread the garment before the old men of the city. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleHe layeth to her charge a very ill name, so as to say: I found not thy daughter a virgin: and behold these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the ancients of the city: Catholic Public Domain Version he accuses her with a very wicked name, by saying: “I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.” But behold, these are the signs of my daughter’s virginity.’ And they shall spread the clothing before the elders of the city. New American Bible and now accuses her of misconduct, saying: ‘I did not find evidence of your daughter’s virginity.’ But here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity!” And they shall spread out the cloth before the elders of the city. New Revised Standard Version now he has made up charges against her, saying, ‘I did not find evidence of your daughter’s virginity.’ But here is the evidence of my daughter’s virginity.” Then they shall spread out the cloth before the elders of the town. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd, lo, he has given occasion of speech against her, charging her with whoredom, saying, I found not your daughter a virgin; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And behold he conducts an accusation after her with words and says, ‘I have not found your daughter a virgin’, and these are the tokens of virginity of my daughter', and they shall spread the cloth before the Elders of the town. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917and, lo, he hath laid wanton charges, saying: I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. Brenton Septuagint Translation and now he has hated her, and attaches reproachful words to her, saying, I have not found tokens of virginity with thy daughter; and these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall unfold the garment before the elders of the city. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Marriage Violations…16and say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he has come to hate her. 17And now he has accused her of shameful conduct, saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ But here is the proof of her virginity.” And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. 18Then the elders of that city shall take the man and punish him.… Cross References And now he has accused her of shameful conduct, Exodus 20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Psalm 35:11 Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about. Proverbs 6:19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers. saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ Genesis 38:24-25 About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!” / As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?” Leviticus 21:13-14 The woman he marries must be a virgin. / He is not to marry a widow, a divorced woman, or one defiled by prostitution. He is to marry a virgin from his own people, Luke 1:34 “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” But here is the proof of her virginity.” Genesis 38:26 Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again. 2 Samuel 13:18-19 So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore. / And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying aloud. 2 Corinthians 11:2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. Ruth 4:1-2 Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. / Then Boaz took ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. Joshua 20:4-6 When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them. / Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, they must not surrender the manslayer into his hand, because that man killed his neighbor accidentally without prior malice. / He is to stay in that city until he stands trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest serving at that time. Then the manslayer may return to his own home in the city from which he fled.” Deuteronomy 19:16-19 If a false witness testifies against someone, accusing him of a crime, / both parties to the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD, before the priests and judges who are in office at that time. / The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is proven to be a liar who has falsely accused his brother, … Numbers 5:11-31 Then the LORD said to Moses, / “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that if any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him / by sleeping with another man, and it is concealed from her husband and her impurity is undetected (since there is no witness against her and she was not caught in the act), … Matthew 1:18-19 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. / Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly. Genesis 34:12-31 Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!” / But because Shechem had defiled their sister Dinah, Jacob’s sons answered him and his father Hamor deceitfully. / “We cannot do such a thing,” they said. “To give our sister to an uncircumcised man would be a disgrace to us. … Leviticus 20:10 If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death. Treasury of Scripture And, see, he has given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not your daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. Jump to Previous Accused Charges City Cloth Clothing Daughter Daughter's Display Elders Laid Maid Occasions Parents Proof Responsible Scandalous Shameful Sign Slandered Speech Spread Talk Tokens Virgin VirginityJump to Next Accused Charges City Cloth Clothing Daughter Daughter's Display Elders Laid Maid Occasions Parents Proof Responsible Scandalous Shameful Sign Slandered Speech Spread Talk Tokens Virgin VirginityDeuteronomy 22 1. Of humanity toward brothers5. The sex is to be distinguished by apparel 6. The bird is not to be taken with her young ones 8. The house must have battlements 9. Confusion is to be avoided 12. Tassels upon the vesture 13. The punishment of him who slanders his wife 22. of adultery 23. of rape 28. of fornication 30. of incest And now he has accused her of shameful conduct In ancient Israel, accusations of sexual misconduct were serious, impacting family honor and social standing. The term "shameful conduct" refers to actions that violate the covenantal laws of purity and marriage. This reflects the high value placed on sexual purity and the integrity of marriage, as seen in other passages like Leviticus 18 and 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. saying, ‘I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.’ But here is the proof of her virginity.” And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. Persons / Places / Events 1. The Accuser (Husband)A man who has married a woman and then falsely accuses her of not being a virgin at the time of their marriage. 2. The Accused (Wife) The woman who is being falsely accused by her husband of not being a virgin. 3. The Father of the Bride The father who defends his daughter's honor by presenting evidence of her virginity. 4. The Elders of the City The community leaders who serve as judges in this matter, ensuring justice is served. 5. The Cloth The physical evidence presented to prove the woman's virginity, a culturally significant item in ancient Israelite society. Teaching Points The Importance of Truth and JusticeIn any accusation, especially serious ones, truth and justice must be upheld. False accusations can have severe consequences, and the Bible emphasizes the need for evidence and fair judgment. The Role of Community Leaders Elders and leaders have a responsibility to ensure justice is served. This passage highlights the importance of wise and fair leadership in resolving disputes. The Value of Honor and Reputation In ancient Israel, a woman's virginity was closely tied to her honor and her family's reputation. While cultural contexts have changed, the principle of protecting one's honor and reputation remains relevant. The Dangers of False Accusations False accusations can destroy lives and relationships. This passage serves as a warning against bearing false witness and the importance of integrity. The Significance of Evidence Evidence is crucial in establishing truth. This passage underscores the need for tangible proof in legal and personal disputes. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 22:17?2. How does Deuteronomy 22:17 address the importance of truth in accusations? 3. What role do elders play in resolving disputes according to Deuteronomy 22:17? 4. How can Deuteronomy 22:17 guide us in handling false accusations today? 5. What connections exist between Deuteronomy 22:17 and Matthew 18:15-17 on conflict resolution? 6. How does Deuteronomy 22:17 emphasize the need for evidence in accusations? 7. How does Deuteronomy 22:17 reflect ancient Israelite views on marriage and virginity? 8. What historical context explains the practice described in Deuteronomy 22:17? 9. How should modern Christians interpret the evidence requirement in Deuteronomy 22:17? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Deuteronomy 22? 11. How do the 'tokens of virginity' in Deuteronomy 22 reflect ancient cultural assumptions about female anatomy that conflict with modern medical understanding? 12. Does the Bible mandate stoning non-virgins? 13. Why does Deuteronomy 22:13-21 prescribe a severe punishment if a bride is found not to be a virgin? 14. Under Deuteronomy 17:6, how could the requirement of 'two or three witnesses' fail to prevent false accusations or collusion? What Does Deuteronomy 22:17 Mean And now he has accused her of shameful conductDeuteronomy 22:17 opens with a husband leveling a public charge against his new bride. Under God’s law, an accusation alone never settles a matter (Deuteronomy 19:15–19); truth must be confirmed by evidence or witnesses. False accusations destroy reputations, something Scripture repeatedly condemns (Exodus 23:1; Proverbs 18:17). By including this clause, the Lord highlights how easily a woman’s honor could be threatened and how seriously the community must treat any claim of immorality. saying, “I discovered that your daughter was not a virgin.” The charge centers on premarital impurity. In the covenant culture of Israel, virginity at marriage symbolized loyalty to God’s design for sexuality (Leviticus 18:1–5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5). A bride who had engaged in sexual sin deceived not only her husband but the entire covenant community, risking divine judgment (Hebrews 13:4). This explains why Joseph, upon learning of Mary’s pregnancy, “resolved to divorce her quietly” to avoid public disgrace (Matthew 1:19). God’s character demands moral integrity, yet He also insists on justice for the falsely accused. But here is the proof of her virginity. The bride’s parents produce tangible evidence, typically the blood-stained wedding-night cloth, demonstrating that their daughter entered marriage pure. Such proof protected the woman from lifelong stigma and potential punishment (Deuteronomy 22:20–21). The principle reflects God’s heart for vindicating the innocent (Psalm 37:6) and preserving family honor. The physical sign also echoes covenant imagery, where blood seals and authenticates binding agreements (Exodus 24:8). And they shall spread out the cloth before the city elders. The elders at the city gate function as judges (Ruth 4:1; Deuteronomy 25:7–9). By publicly displaying the evidence, they clear the bride’s name and uphold God’s standards of due process. The practice reinforces three values: • Transparency—justice occurs in the open (Amos 5:15). • Accountability—elders guard community holiness (1 Timothy 5:19–20). • Protection—the innocent receive public restoration (Isaiah 54:4-5). summary Deuteronomy 22:17 safeguards marital purity and personal reputation by requiring concrete evidence before condemning a bride. God defends the innocent, deters false accusations, and upholds sexual holiness—all within a framework of fair, public justice. Hebrew And nowוְהִנֵּה־ (wə·hin·nêh-) Conjunctive waw | Interjection Strong's 2009: Lo! behold! he ה֡וּא (hū) Pronoun - third person masculine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are has accused her שָׂם֩ (śām) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set of shameful conduct, עֲלִילֹ֨ת (‘ă·lî·lōṯ) Noun - feminine plural construct Strong's 5949: An exploit, a performance, an opportunity saying, לֵאמֹ֗ר (lê·mōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 559: To utter, say ‘I discovered מָצָ֤אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present your daughter לְבִתְּךָ֙ (lə·ḇit·tə·ḵā) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 1323: A daughter was not לֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no a virgin.’ בְּתוּלִ֔ים (bə·ṯū·lîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 1331: Virginity, the tokens of it But here is the proof וְאֵ֖לֶּה (wə·’êl·leh) Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - common plural Strong's 428: These, those of [her] בִתִּ֑י (ḇit·tî) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 1323: A daughter virginity.” בְּתוּלֵ֣י (bə·ṯū·lê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 1331: Virginity, the tokens of it And they shall spread out וּפָֽרְשׂוּ֙ (ū·p̄ā·rə·śū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6566: To break apart, disperse the cloth הַשִּׂמְלָ֔ה (haś·śim·lāh) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8071: A dress, a mantle before לִפְנֵ֖י (lip̄·nê) Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct Strong's 6440: The face the city הָעִֽיר׃ (hā·‘îr) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5892: Excitement elders. זִקְנֵ֥י (ziq·nê) Adjective - masculine plural construct Strong's 2205: Old Links Deuteronomy 22:17 NIVDeuteronomy 22:17 NLT Deuteronomy 22:17 ESV Deuteronomy 22:17 NASB Deuteronomy 22:17 KJV Deuteronomy 22:17 BibleApps.com Deuteronomy 22:17 Biblia Paralela Deuteronomy 22:17 Chinese Bible Deuteronomy 22:17 French Bible Deuteronomy 22:17 Catholic Bible OT Law: Deuteronomy 22:17 And behold he has accused her (Deut. 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