The Bible consistently treats rape and sexual assault as evil, violent sins that God condemns, never as something good or acceptable. It portrays rape as an attack on a person made in God’s image and as a form of violence on par with murder.

Core biblical principles

• Every human being is made in the image of God, so violating another person’s body is a direct assault on someone God declares valuable (for example, texts grounded in Genesis 1:26–27). This means rape is never morally neutral or excusable in Scripture.

• Sexual activity in the Bible is meant to be voluntary and within the covenant of marriage, so any forced sexual act is portrayed as both sexual immorality and violent injustice.

Old Testament laws

• Deuteronomy 22:25–27 gives a central legal example: if a man forces a betrothed woman in the countryside, only the man is to be put to death, and the woman is declared innocent, with the crime likened to murder. This law emphasizes that the responsibility lies entirely with the attacker, not the victim.

• Other parts of Deuteronomy 22 distinguish consensual sexual sin from forced assault, treating the forced act as a grave crime demanding strong penalty and social protection for the woman.

Narrative examples of rape

• Stories such as the rape of Dinah (Genesis 34) and the attack on the Levite’s concubine (Judges 19) are presented as horrific events that lead to outrage, judgment, and social chaos, not as something normalized or approved. These narratives expose how deeply sinful societies can become when they ignore God’s standards.

• Prophetic and historical texts sometimes mention rape as part of war or judgment, but they present it as a symptom of extreme wickedness and devastation, not as a divine ideal.

New Testament perspective

• The New Testament intensifies prohibitions against sexual immorality and violence, commanding believers to flee sexual sin, honor others’ bodies, and treat one another with purity, self-control, and love. Assault and coercion directly contradict the command to love one’s neighbor and the Christian call to protect the vulnerable.

• Passages addressing exploitation, impurity, and harming “little ones” are frequently applied by Christian teachers to condemn any form of sexual abuse or coercion within the church or family.

Justice, care, and hope for victims

• Biblical law emphasizes justice and protection for those who have been assaulted, placing blame on the perpetrator and calling for strong consequences. God is described as a defender of the oppressed who hears the cries of those who have been wronged and promises ultimate justice and healing.

• Many Christian resources built on these texts teach that victims of rape bear no guilt for what was done to them, are deeply valued by God, and deserve both practical protection and compassionate care from the community.