Leviticus 19:20 · Bible study
Leviticus 19:20 Commentary: Slave Girl, Betrothal, and Punishment
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Leviticus 19:20 prescribe a lesser penalty for sex with a betrothed slave woman? Commentary and analysis of its legal and ethical implications.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A man who lies with a betrothed slave girl who is not yet freed is punished by scourging rather than death, because her slave status limits the legal consequences of adultery.
- Key words: שִׁפְחָה (shifchah, female slave), בִּקֹּרֶת (biqqoret, inquiry/punishment/scourging).
- Main debate: Whether the lesser penalty reflects less guilt on the woman’s part (Clarke) or merely an adjustment to her legal status as property (Barnes, Calvin).
- Theological theme: God’s holiness requires judgment, but his law makes allowance for human limitations and social structures while still demanding atonement for sin.
- Best use: Teaching on Old Testament law, the ethics of slavery, and the way God’s commands address real situations without fully endorsing the system they regulate.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
If a man lies carnally with a slave girl promised to another man but who has not been redeemed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment. But they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“‘If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave girl, pledged to be married to another man, and not ransomed or given her freedom; they shall be punished. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
KJV King James Version 1769
And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; they shall be punished; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And when a man lieth with a woman with seed of copulation, and she a maid-servant, betrothed to a man, and not really ransomed, or freedom hath not been given to her, an investigation there is; they are not put to death, for she is not free.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And if a man lie with a woman for copulation, and she is a bondwoman betrothed to a husband, but not at all ransomed, nor hath freedom been given to her, there shall be a chastisement: they shall not be put to death, for she was not free.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
If a man carnally lie with a woman that is a bondservant and marriageable, and yet not redeemed with a price, nor made free: they both shall be scourged: and they shall not be put to death, because she was not a free woman.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y cuando un hombre tuviere cópula con mujer, y ella fuere sierva desposada con alguno, y no estuviere rescatada, ni le hubiere sido dada libertad, ambos serán azotados: no morirán, por cuanto ella no es libre.
E quando um homem tiver relação sexual com mulher, e ela for serva desposada com alguém, e não estiver resgatada, nem lhe houver sido dada liberdade, ambos serão açoitados: não morrerão, porquanto ela não é livre.
Lorsqu’ un homme couchera et aura commerce avec une femme, si c’ est une esclave fiancée à un autre homme, et qui n’ a pas été rachetée ou affranchie, ils seront châtiés, mais non punis de mort, parce qu’ elle n’ a pas été affranchie.
Wenn ein Mann bei einem Weibe liegt, die eine leibeigene Magd und von dem Mann verschmäht ist, doch nicht erlöst noch Freiheit erlangt hat, das soll gestraft werden; aber sie sollen nicht sterben, denn sie ist nicht frei gewesen.
En wanneer een man, door bijligging des zaads, bij een vrouw zal gelegen hebben, die een dienstmaagd is, bij den man versmaad, en geenszins gelost is, en haar geen vrijheid is gegeven; die zullen gegeseld worden; zij zullen niet gedood worden; want zij was niet vrij gemaakt.
Se uno si giace carnalmente con donna che sia schiava promessa a un uomo, ma non riscattata o affrancata, saranno ambedue puniti; ma non saranno messi a morte, perché colei non era libera.
Jeźliby mąż spał z niewiastą, i obcował z nią, a ona będąc niewolnicą, byłaby mężowi poślubiona, a nie byłaby okupiona, ani wolnością darowana, oboje będą karani; ale nie na gardle, ponieważ nie była wolno puszczoną.
Если кто переспит с женщиною, а она раба, обрученная мужу, но еще не выкупленная, или свобода еще не дана ей, то должно наказать их, но не смертью, потому что она несвободная:
「 婢女 許配了 丈夫，還沒有 被 贖、 得 釋放，人 若 與 她 行 淫，二人要 受刑罰，卻不 把他們治死，因為 婢女還沒有 得自由。
If any man has sex relations with a servant-woman who has given her word to be married to a man, and has not been made free for a price or in any other way, the thing will be looked into; but they will not be put to death because she was not a free woman.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Leviticus 19:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this law addresses a situation where a man has sexual relations with a slave woman who is betrothed to another man but not yet fully redeemed or freed. The standard penalty for adultery with a betrothed free woman was death (Deuteronomy 22:23, 24), but here the penalty is scourging. Adam Clarke notes that the woman's slave status implies less self-command and therefore less guilt. Barnes adds that the trespass offering required from the man shows the injury done to the master's rights. Calvin sees a mitigation of punishment in view of human weakness, yet insists the sin still requires expiation. The Cambridge Bible observes that the Hebrew term for 'bondmaid' (שִׁפְחָה) is unusual in legal texts, possibly indicating a slave under partial redemption. All agree that the difference in penalty stems from the woman's legal status, not from a diminished view of the sin itself.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Status-based leniency: The death penalty is withheld because the woman's legal status as a slave means her betrothal does not carry the same force as that of a free woman (Deuteronomy 22:23–24). Her lack of freedom is the stated reason.
- Reduced culpability: Adam Clarke argues that the woman's slave condition implies less self-command and therefore less moral guilt, which explains the lighter penalty.
- Property-rights focus: Barnes suggests the penalty primarily addresses the injury done to the master, not the sin of adultery per se, so the punishment is less severe than the capital case for a free woman.
What is clear: The verse prescribes a penalty of scourging (or punishment after inquiry) rather than death for sexual relations with a betrothed slave girl, and requires the man to bring a trespass offering for atonement.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of the slave girl | All commentators agree she is a female slave (שִׁפְחָה) betrothed to a man, not yet fully redeemed or freed. | Jewish interpreters debate whether she is a Canaanite (Jarchi) or Israelite (Aben Ezra) slave. The law itself does not specify, but later Jewish tradition often assumed a Canaanite maid. |
| Who receives the scourging | The text says 'they shall be punished' or 'she shall be scourged' depending on the translation; all agree some physical penalty is inflicted. | Some Jewish sources (Jarchi, Kimchi) hold that only the woman is scourged, while others (Vulgate, Wesley) argue both are punished. The Hebrew 'biqqoret' is ambiguous, meaning 'inquiry' that leads to punishment. |
| Reason for lesser penalty | All agree the phrase 'because she was not free' is the stated reason for not applying the death penalty. | Clarke says her slave condition implies less self-command, therefore less guilt. Barnes and Calvin emphasize legal status: her betrothal lacks full force, and the offense is partly against the master's property rights. Some see both factors at play. |
| Requirement of a trespass offering | The man must bring a ram as a trespass offering, and the priest makes atonement for his sin (vv. 21-22). All agree the offering is needed for forgiveness. | Wesley notes the man alone can offer it because the woman, as a slave, has no property of her own. Others (Calvin) see the offering as emphasizing that the sin is still serious and requires divine reconciliation, even if the civil penalty is less. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Leviticus 19 sits within the Holiness Code, a section calling Israel to live distinctly as God's people. Verse 20 addresses a specific social reality: a female slave (שִׁפְחָה) who has been betrothed to a man, likely another servant, by her master. Jewish interpreters like Jarchi and Aben Ezra debated whether such a woman was a Canaanite or Israelite slave (Gill). The betrothal carried some legal force, but because the woman was not free, her marriage was considered less than a full marriage, Gill describes her as 'half a bondmaid and half free' if only part of the redemption price had been paid. In ancient Israel, slaves were property, yet they also had certain rights. The law distinguishes this case from the capital offense of adultery with a free betrothed woman (Deuteronomy 22:23, 24). The punishment here is an 'inquiry' (בִּקֹּרֶת), which likely led to scourging. In addition, the man must bring a trespass offering (vv. 21, 22), indicating that God still holds him accountable for sin even when the civil penalty is reduced. The surrounding verses in chapter 19 include commands against mixtures (v. 19), which may connect to the 'mixed' status of this bondmaid, partly free, partly bound.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Leviticus 19:20 is well preserved with no major manuscript variants noted in the supplied sources. The key word בִּקֹּרֶת (biqqoret) appears only here in the Old Testament; its root meaning of 'inquiry' or 'investigation' (like a ransacking) leads to the sense of 'punishment' or 'scourging' after a judicial process. The KJV margin reflects this ambiguity with 'there shall be a scourging.' The translations vary between 'she shall be scourged' and 'they shall be punished,' but the overall sense of physical penalty is clear across all versions.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this law was discussed extensively. The Mishnah and Talmud treated it as applying to a Canaanite slave girl who was partially redeemed, half free and half slave. Rashi and Maimonides followed this interpretation, specifying details about the scourging and the conditions under which the man was exempt from death. During the Reformation, Christian commentators such as Calvin and Gill emphasized that the law accommodated the social realities of slavery while still upholding the seriousness of sexual sin. Matthew Henry saw in it a pattern of God's justice tempered with mercy. In modern scholarship, the verse is often examined in discussions of biblical ethics, particularly the moral tensions within the Old Testament's acceptance of slavery. The passage reminds readers that God's law addressed people where they were, even while pointing toward higher standards later revealed in Christ.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Law Recognizes Different Circumstances. The same act is treated differently based on the woman's legal status. God's law is not one-size-fits-all; it accounts for real-world conditions.
- Even a Lesser Penalty Requires Atonement. Though the death penalty is not applied, the sin still demands a trespass offering. No sin is trivial before God.
- God's Justice Is Both Firm and Nuanced. The law upholds holiness while showing mercy to those with limited freedom. Justice and compassion meet.
Five-point outline
- The Setting: Holiness in Daily Life. Leviticus 19 calls Israel to be holy in every area, including sexual conduct and treatment of slaves.
- The Unique Situation: A Betrothed Slave Girl. She is promised to a man but not fully free; her legal status creates a special category.
- The Penalty: Scourging, Not Death. The law prescribes a lesser punishment, yet still holds both parties accountable.
- The Reason: She Was Not Free. The text states this explicitly; her lack of freedom limits the applicability of the death penalty for adultery.
- The Trespass Offering: Forgiven but Not Forgettable. The sin is covered, but at a cost. Atonement acknowledges both the offense against God and the injury to others.
Illustration hooks
- A judge in a courtroom adjusts a sentence based on the defendant's background and circumstances, justice is not blind to context but sees it clearly.
- In many countries, penalties for crimes differ based on the victim's legal status (e.g., hate crime enhancements). Status matters in how societies weigh wrong.
- Parents give different consequences to a toddler and a teenager for similar misbehavior, not because one is more guilty, but because their capacity and freedom differ.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God's law seem to treat slaves differently from free people? Does that mean God approves of slavery?
- How do we reconcile this law with the command to love your neighbor as yourself in the same chapter?
- What does this passage teach us about God's character, his justice and his mercy?
Leading a Discussion
This small-group guide helps you explore Leviticus 19:20 in its ancient context and draw connections to faith today. The passage raises hard questions about justice, status, and God's standards. Use the questions below to move from what the text says to what it means for us.
Discussion questions
- Read Leviticus 19:20 carefully. What does the verse describe? Who are the people involved, and what is the situation?
- Compare this verse with Deuteronomy 22:23, 24:
What is the difference in penalty, and what reason does the law give for it?“If there is a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her, 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 remove the evil from among you.”
— Deuteronomy 22:23-24 (WEB) - The text says “because she was not free.” What does that phrase suggest about the woman’s legal status and responsibility? How does that affect the severity of the penalty?
- In verses 21, 22, the man must bring a trespass offering. Why do you think the offering is required for the man but not mentioned for the woman? (Consider that the woman, being a slave, may have had no property to offer, as Wesley suggests.)
- What does this law reveal about God’s view of sin? Even when the civil penalty is reduced, does God treat adultery lightly? What does the requirement for atonement tell us?
- How does this passage challenge us to think about justice that considers a person’s circumstances? Are there situations today where the law accounts for different levels of freedom or responsibility?
- Read Leviticus 19:18: “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” How does verse 20 relate to that command? In what ways does the law try to protect the vulnerable, even within a system of slavery? Where does it fall short of full justice, and how might Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom expand on this?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 21:20 | “If a man strikes his servant or his maid with a rod, and he dies under his hand, the man shall surely be punished. |
| Exodus 21:21 | Notwithstanding, if his servant gets up after a day or two, he shall not be punished, for the servant is his property. |
| Deuteronomy 22:23 | If there is a young lady who is a virgin pledged to be married to a husband, and a man finds her in the city, and lies with her, |
| Deuteronomy 22:24 | 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 remove the evil from among you. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the law distinguishes between a free woman and a bondmaid in this case. Because a slave is presumed to have less self-command and therefore less guilt, she is scourged rather than executed. But the fact that she did not resist implies consent, so the man must still bring a trespass-offering.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that this law addresses a bondwoman whom her master had betrothed to a fellow-servant, not a free woman. The punishment is scourging rather than death, and the man's trespass offering is required not only for the sin but also for injuring the master's rights over the woman.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that adultery with a betrothed bond-maid receives a milder punishment than with a free woman, scourging instead of death, out of consideration for human weakness. Yet the required scourging and reconciliation prove the offense is not trivial: its penalty does not measure its actual gravity.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary highlights a unique case where a woman is both betrothed and a slave, so it is not ordinary adultery punishable by death. The lesser penalty demanded is based on her status as her husband's property. The Hebrew term used for "bondmaid" appears nowhere else in a legal enactment.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights the legal distinction based on the woman's status: because she is a bondmaid not yet freed, she receives scourging rather than death. Her lack of freedom modifies the penalty for adultery, showing that Mosaic law adjusted punishment according to a person's civil condition.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill examines the legal distinctions in this case involving a betrothed bondmaid. He notes that Jewish interpreters held only the woman is scourged, not the man, and that both escape death because she is not fully free. Under the Gospel, he adds, such differences between bond and free no longer apply.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the command against mixing kinds as a call to honor the order of creation. Because God made each creature after its kind, humans should not seek to combine what God separated. The prohibition targets the desire for unnatural mixtures, which he calls monsters.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley argues that the lighter penalty for this offense is not because God values the bondwoman less, but because her marriage was not a full one. It was arranged by her master's authority and could end at the year of release, so it carried less legal weight.