Deuteronomy 22:20

Deu 22:20 But if this thing be true, [and the tokens of] virginity be not found for the damsel:

Ver. 20. And the tokens.] Nor any natural impediment can be proved, as the Hebrews explain it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. But if this charge be true, etc.] If the physical signs were alone relied on a miscarriage of justice was possible. Other evidence, however, may have been forthcoming. Indeed it is possible that the clause, the tokens, etc., is not original.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house,.... For his greater disgrace, and as a sort of punishment for his neglect of her education, not taking care to instruct her, and bring her up in a better manner:

and the men of her city shall stone her with stones, that she die; which was the death this sort of adulteresses were put to; others was by strangling, and the daughter of a priest was to be burnt; see Lev 20:10, which shows that this sin was committed by her after her espousals, as Jarchi and Aben Ezra note; or otherwise it would have been only simple fornication, which was not punishable with death:

because she hath wrought folly in Israel: a sin, as all sin is folly, and especially any notorious one, as this was; and which is aggravated by its being done in Israel, among a people professing the true religion, and whom God had chosen and separated from all others to be a holy people to himself:

to play the whore in her father's house; where she continued after her espousals, until she was taken to the house of her husband, to consummate the: marriage; and between the one and the other was this sin committed, and which is another reason for her execution at the door of her father's house:

so shalt thou put evil away from among you; deter others from it by such an example, and remove the guilt of it from them, which otherwise would lie upon them, if punishment was not inflicted; the Targum of Jonathan interprets it of the putting away of her that did the evil.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In the other case, however, if the man's words were true, and the girl had not been found to be a virgin, the elders were to bring her out before the door of her father's house, and the men of the town were to stone her to death, because she had committed a folly in Israel (cf. Gen 34:7), to commit fornication in her father's house. The punishment of death was to be inflicted upon her, not so much because she had committed fornication, as because notwithstanding this she had allowed a man to marry her as a spotless virgin, and possibly even after her betrothal had gone with another man (cf. Deu 22:23, Deu 22:24). There is no ground for thinking of unnatural wantonness, as Knobel does.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

General Information:

Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.

But if this thing is true

"But if it is true" or "But if what the man said is true"

that the proof of virginity was not found in the girl

This can be stated in active form. AT: "that the man did not find proof that the girl was a virgin" (See: Active or Passive)

the proof of virginity

The abstract nouns "proof" and "virginity" can be translated as verb phrases. AT: "something that proves that the girl has never had sexual relations" (See: Abstract Nouns)

then they must bring out the girl

"then the elders must bring out the girl"

stone her to death with stones

"throw stones at her until she dies"

because she has committed a disgraceful action in Israel

"because she has done a disgraceful thing in Israel"

to act as a harlot in her father's house

"acting like a harlot while living in her father's house"

you will remove the evil

The adjective "evil" can be translated as a noun phrase. AT: "you must remove from among the Israelites the person who does this evil thing" or "you must execute this evil person" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

translationWords

true

virgin

stone

die

commit

Israel

prostitute

evil

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

ואם אמת היה הדבר BUT IF THE THING BE TRUE — proven by evidence of witnesses and after legal warning that she had committed adultery after her betrothal (Ketubot 44b).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.