Exodus 22:16 meaning and explanation
If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife.
Exodus 22:16, Berean Standard Bible
Explanation preview
These laws, given to Israel at Sinai, address a man who seduces a young woman not yet pledged in marriage. In that culture a daughter's virginity was tied to her family's honor and to her future marriage, so the offense was not private.
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