Deuteronomy 22:28-29
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While this passage deals with sexual sin, the phrase "lays hold on her" suggests a forceful seizure, distinct from seduction by enticement mentioned elsewhere. This implies a greater degree of violence and lack of consent, highlighting that not all sexual transgressions are the same in their nature or severity.
“If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage addresses a specific scenario of sexual intercourse outside of marriage where force is involved, though it's distinguished from outright rape by the use of a different Hebrew word for "seizes." It comes after laws about various sexual sins and immediately before punishments for adultery and incest, framing these regulations within the broader context of sexual morality and justice within ancient Israelite society. The consequence here is significant: the man must pay a bride-price and marry the woman he violated, with no option for divorce, highlighting the value placed on protecting women and ensuring accountability.
This verse describes a man taking a virgin, but the language used points to more than just sweet-talking someone into intimacy. What kind of force was involved?
While Exodus 22:16 describes a man enticing a virgin, Deuteronomy 22:28 uses the phrase 'lay hold on her.' This suggests a stronger action, possibly a forceful seizure, even if the act itself wasn't completed as a full rape (which has a different penalty in verse 25). The Hebrew word implies grabbing or seizing, indicating the man's initiative and her lack of full, free consent. It wasn't necessarily a violent rape, but it certainly wasn't a mutual, loving encounter. The power dynamic is stark: he 'seizes' her, highlighting his control and her vulnerability in that moment.
The consequence for this act wasn't just punishment, but also a mandatory marriage. What does this tell us about God's view of restoring honor?
When a man 'seizes' an unmarried virgin and lies with her, the law mandates that he must marry her and pay a bride-price. This wasn't a reward for his transgression, but a form of restitution. It aimed to restore the woman's honor and security in a society where her value could be significantly diminished by such an encounter. Unlike other situations, the father could not refuse the marriage, and the man could not divorce her. This imposed a lifelong commitment as the ultimate consequence for his violation of her person and purity.
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Understand the original words
betulah · Hebrew Noun
A young, unmarried woman, often implying purity or lack of previous sexual experience.
shakhav · Hebrew Verb
A legal act of sexual intimacy; in biblical law, it carries a sense of forced or illicit sexual union that imposes binding consequences on the perpetrator.
anah · Hebrew Verb
To humble, afflict, or defile; in a sexual context, it refers to the degradation of a woman's honor and the violation of her personal sanctity.
shalach · Hebrew Verb
To legally terminate a marriage; biblically, it represents the dissolution of the covenantal bond between a husband and wife.
sheqel · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew monetary unit; silver shekels were the standard currency used for legal payments, fines, and trade in ancient Israel.
This passage describes a very similar situation of seduction where a man must pay a bride-price and marry the virgin if her father agrees, highlighting the ancient concern for the vulnerability of unmarried women.
Leviticus 18:7This verse, and the surrounding chapter, deals broadly with prohibitions against incestuous and unlawful sexual relations, reinforcing the societal and moral framework within which Deuteronomy's specific laws operate.
2 Samuel 13:1-22The tragic story of Amnon and Tamar illustrates the devastating consequences of sexual violation and the societal breakdown that occurs when justice is not served, showing the human cost behind these laws.
1 Corinthians 6:18Paul's strong admonition to flee sexual immorality connects the Old Testament's detailed laws about sexual conduct to the New Testament's emphasis on the sanctity of the body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
pooleDeuteronomy 22:28: "If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;"
i.e. An unmarried man, as appears, 1. From his obligation to marry the person he abused, which it is not probable would have been imposed upon him, had he been married. 2. Because if the man had been married, this had been adultery, and so had been punished with death. Lay hold on her; which notes some kind of force or artifice, whereby she was overpowe…
ellicottDeuteronomy 22:28: "If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;"
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 .— SEDUCTION. See Exodus 22:16-17. The sin of seduction before marriage is punished by a heavy fine. We have recently amended our own laws in the direction of this very precept. But the fact that marriage was made compulsory in these cases makes the Law stricter still. It seems, however, from Exodus 22:17, that the girl’s father mig…
While this passage deals with sexual sin, the phrase "lays hold on her" suggests a forceful seizure, distinct from seduction by enticement mentioned elsewhere. This implies a greater degree of violence and lack of consent, highlighting that not all sexual transgressions are the same in their nature or severity.
This passage addresses a specific scenario of sexual intercourse outside of marriage where force is involved, though it's distinguished from outright rape by the use of a different Hebrew word for "seizes." It comes after laws about various sexual sins and immediately before punishments for adultery and incest, framing these regulations within the broader context of sexual morality and justice within ancient Israelite society. The consequence here is significant: the man must pay a bride-price and marry the woman he violated, with no option for divorce, highlighting the value placed on protecting women and ensuring accountability.
This passage addresses a specific scenario of sexual intercourse outside of marriage where force is involved, though it's distinguished from outright rape by the use of a different Hebrew word for "seizes." It comes after laws about various sexual sins and immediately before punishments for adultery and incest, framing these regulations within the broader context of sexual morality and justice within ancient Israelite society. The consequence here is significant: the man must pay a bride-price and marry the woman he violated, with no option for divorce, highlighting the value placed on protecting women and ensuring accountability.
"“If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he h…" — While this passage deals with sexual sin, the phrase "lays hold on her" suggests a forceful seizure, distinct from seduction by enticement mentioned elsewhere. This implies a greater degree of violen…
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Last reviewed October 2026
