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:

But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die:

But if a man find a damsel that is betrothed, in the field, and taking hold of her, lie with her, he alone shall die:

'And if in a field the man find the damsel who is betrothed, and the man hath laid hold on her, and lain with her, then hath the man who hath lain with her died alone;

But if the man, meeting such a virgin in the open country, takes her by force, then only the man is to be put to death;

But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man take hold of her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die.

But if a man discovers, in the countryside, a girl who has been betrothed, and, apprehending her, he lies with her, then he alone shall die.

At si in agro invenerit vir puellam desponsatam, et apprehenderit eam vir ille, et coierit cum ea, morietur vir qui coierit cum ea solus.

And the man force her - A rape also, by these ancient institutions, was punished with death, because a woman's honor was considered equally as precious as her life; therefore the same punishment was inflicted on the ravisher as upon the murderer. This offense is considered in the same point of view in the British laws, and by them also it is punished with death.

But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field,.... Alone, and where she might cry out, and none hear, nor were any to help her:
and a man force her, and lie with her; or "take fast and strong hold on her" (b); so that she is not able to get out of his hands, and make her escape, he being stronger than she, and so commits a rape upon her:
then the man only that lay with her shall die; he being guilty of adultery, in lying with a woman espoused to another man, but not she, because she consented not to it.
(b) "et apprehenderit (in) eam", Pagninus, Montanus; "et apprehendens eam", Piscator.