What was the Old Testament punishment for adultery?

Answer 1

A:Adultery in Old Testament times was limited only to sex with another man's wife or virgin fiancee. In effect, the crime of adultery was about property rights. A married man was not considered to commit adultery if he had sex with an unmarried woman who was not betrothed, or with a prostitute, although this could perhaps be frowned upon.

Deuteronomy 22:22 says: "If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel."

Deuteronomy 22:23-25: "If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die:"

These passages tell us that prior to the seventh century BCE, the punishment for adultery was execution of both parties.

Notice in the second passage that there was no penalty specified for sex with a fiancee who was not a virgin. The fiancee was considered equally guilty if the sex took place in an urban area, even if she was raped, since she should have called out for help.

Jeremiah 3:8 show that by around the time of the Babylonian Exile, the penalty was divorce with a bill of divorce provided, but not execution. In Hosea chapter 2 the penalty was divorce and abandonment.