Exodus 22:16-17
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This law doesn't just condemn seduction; it highlights the ancient custom of a bride-price paid to the father, forcing the seducer to essentially purchase his wife and make the union legitimate if her family agrees. It reveals that the focus is on restoring the woman's honor and legal standing, treating her as a valuable member of her family whose "value" (represented by the price) has been diminished.
“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage addresses consequences for sexual sin outside of marriage, specifically when a man deceives an unmarried virgin and has intercourse with her. The law dictates that he must pay the bride-price, essentially compensating her family and making her his wife, thus protecting her social standing and ensuring her future. This law stands as a protective measure for women in a patriarchal society, directly following laws concerning property damage and preceding laws regarding idolatry and other offenses against God.
Ever wonder how ancient cultures viewed marriage and relationships? This verse offers a surprising glimpse into financial and familial responsibilities.
The 'Marriage Price'
This verse talks about a 'bride-price' or 'marriage price.' This wasn't a payment to 'buy' a bride, but rather a sum of money or goods given to the bride's family. It acknowledged their loss of her labor and her status in their household, and it helped secure the family's consent to the union.
Parental Authority
Notice that the law doesn't just focus on the man and the woman. The father's role is central. He had a significant say in whether the marriage would be finalized. This highlights the importance of family structure and parental guidance in ancient society, and how their approval was a key part of validating relationships.
The word 'entice' might sound gentle, but the consequences in this ancient law were anything but.
Beyond a Simple Mistake
This law addresses the act of seduction – a man deceiving or persuading an unmarried young woman into a sexual relationship. The Hebrew word used here implies more than just a casual invitation; it suggests a deliberate drawing away or leading astray.
A Mandated Marriage
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Crucially, the consequence for this act wasn't just shame or a fine, but a mandatory marriage. The man was legally obligated to marry the woman he had seduced. This was a profound protection for the woman, who could otherwise have been ostracized or left vulnerable. It underscores that even consensual sexual activity outside of marriage carried serious social and legal ramifications, especially for the woman.
Understand the original words
mohar · Hebrew Noun
The money or gift paid by a man to the family of his prospective wife, intended to compensate the family for the loss of the daughter's labor and to establish the marriage contract.
betulah · Hebrew Noun
An unmarried young woman, often emphasized in Scripture as being untouched, signifying purity and suitability for marriage.
aras · Hebrew Verb (passive participle)
A woman pledged or promised to be married to a man, a stage in the ancient Near Eastern marriage process that was legally binding and considered equivalent to marriage.
This passage addresses a similar situation of sexual misconduct with an unbetrothed woman, but in cases of rape, and it mandates a hefty bride-price payment, underscoring the legal and economic ramifications of violating a woman's purity and status.
Genesis 34:1-2This narrative shows a young man, Dinah's seducer, who 'took her and lay with her.' It highlights the cultural expectation of marriage and a bride-price, setting a precedent for the consequences of such actions found in Exodus.
1 Samuel 18:25-27This passage describes King Saul asking David for a bride-price of 'a hundred foreskins of the Philistines' for his daughter Michal. It illustrates the custom of a marriage-price, which is directly relevant to the 'bride-price' mentioned in Exodus 22:16.
Proverbs 6:20-35While not a legal code, Proverbs offers wisdom literature that condemns adultery and sexual immorality, framing it as a destructive path that brings ruin, offering a moral perspective on the consequences that the law in Exodus seeks to mitigate.
pooleExodus 22:16: "And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife."
If a man entice a maid, by persuasions, promise of marriage, allurements, or rewards. But if she were betrothed, it was punished with death, Deu 22:23,24 .
pulpitExodus 22:16: "And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife."
Verse 16. - If a man entice. Rather "seduce." He shall surely endow her to be his wife. In the East a man commonly pays money, or money's worth, to the parents in order to obtain a wife. The seducer was to comply with this custom, and make over to the damsel's father the sum of fifty shekels of silver (Deuteronomy 22:29), for his sanction of the marriage. If the father c…
This law doesn't just condemn seduction; it highlights the ancient custom of a bride-price paid to the father, forcing the seducer to essentially purchase his wife and make the union legitimate if her family agrees. It reveals that the focus is on restoring the woman's honor and legal standing, treating her as a valuable member of her family whose "value" (represented by the price) has been diminished.
This passage addresses consequences for sexual sin outside of marriage, specifically when a man deceives an unmarried virgin and has intercourse with her. The law dictates that he must pay the bride-price, essentially compensating her family and making her his wife, thus protecting her social standing and ensuring her future. This law stands as a protective measure for women in a patriarchal society, directly following laws concerning property damage and preceding laws regarding idolatry and other offenses against God.
This passage addresses consequences for sexual sin outside of marriage, specifically when a man deceives an unmarried virgin and has intercourse with her. The law dictates that he must pay the bride-price, essentially compensating her family and making her his wife, thus protecting her social standing and ensuring her future. This law stands as a protective measure for women in a patriarchal society, directly following laws concerning property damage and preceding laws regarding idolatry and other offenses against God.
"“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins." — This law doesn't just condemn seduction; it highlights the ancient custom of a bride-price paid to the father, forcing the seducer to essentially purchase his wife and make the union legitimate if he…
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Last reviewed October 2026
