And they shall amerce him in an hundred [shekels] of silver, and give [them] unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
Complete Jewish Bible:
The leaders of that town are to take the man, punish him, and fine him two-and-a-half pounds of silver shekels, which they will give to the girl's father, because he has publicly defamed a virgin of Isra'el. She will remain his wife, and he is forbidden from divorcing her as long as he lives.
Berean Standard Bible:
They are also to fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given a virgin of Israel a bad name. And she shall remain his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
American Standard Version:
and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.
¶ When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her out of his house.
Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that [is] abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance.
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Commentary for Deuteronomy 22:19
Deuteronomy 22:19 is part of a broader section of laws found in the book of Deuteronomy, which is the fifth book of the Pentateuch in the Hebrew Bible. This verse specifically addresses a situation within the ancient Israelite community regarding a man who has falsely accused his new wife of not being a virgin at the time of their marriage.
In the historical context of ancient Israel, a woman's virginity prior to marriage was highly valued, and evidence of virginity (such as a bloodstain on the marriage sheet) was considered proof of her chastity. If a husband made a false claim that his wife was not a virgin at the time of their marriage, this verse stipulates that he must pay a fine of one hundred shekels of silver to the woman's father. This fine serves as compensation for the damage done to the woman's reputation (an "evil name") and for the potential difficulty she might face in future marriage prospects due to the allegation.
Additionally, the verse mandates that the man is not allowed to divorce his wife for the rest of his life, as she is deemed to have been wronged by his false accusation. The permanence of the marriage bond under these circumstances underscores the seriousness with which the community regarded the defamation of a woman's character and the importance of preserving her honor and status within society.
The themes present in this verse include the sanctity of marriage, the protection of a woman's reputation, the legal consequences of slander, and the irrevocable nature of marriage once consummated. It reflects the patriarchal structure of Israelite society, where a woman's sexual purity was linked to her family's honor, and where the transactional nature of marriage is evident in the payment made to the father. This law was designed to uphold social order and to provide some measure of protection for women in a society where their rights were limited.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
Strong's Number: H6064 There are 8 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: עָנַשׁ Transliteration: ʻânash Pronunciation: aw-nash' Description: a primitive root; properly, to urge; by implication, to inflict apenalty, specifically, to fine; amerce, condemn, punish, [idiom] surely.
Strong's Number: H3967 There are 512 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: מֵאָה Transliteration: mêʼâh Pronunciation: may-aw' Description: or מֵאיָה; properly, a primitive numeral; a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction; hundred((-fold), -th), [phrase] sixscore.
Strong's Number: H3701 There are 343 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: כֶּסֶף Transliteration: keçeph Pronunciation: keh'-sef Description: from כָּסַף; silver (from its pale color); by implication, money; money, price, silver(-ling).
Strong's Number: H5414 There are 1816 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: נָתַן Transliteration: nâthan Pronunciation: naw-than' Description: a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.); add, apply, appoint, ascribe, assign, [idiom] avenge, [idiom] be (healed), bestow, bring (forth, hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, [phrase] cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, [idiom] doubtless, [idiom] without fail, fasten, frame, [idiom] get, give (forth, over, up), grant, hang (up), [idiom] have, [idiom] indeed, lay (unto charge, up), (give) leave, lend, let (out), [phrase] lie, lift up, make, [phrase] O that, occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, [idiom] pull, put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send (out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), [phrase] sing, [phrase] slander, strike, (sub-) mit, suffer, [idiom] surely, [idiom] take, thrust, trade, turn, utter, [phrase] weep, [phrase] willingly, [phrase] withdraw, [phrase] would (to) God, yield.
Strong's Number: H1 There are 15773 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אָב Transliteration: ʼâb Pronunciation: awb Description: a primitive word; father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application; chief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.
Strong's Number: H5291 There are 57 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: נַעֲרָה Transliteration: naʻărâh Pronunciation: nah-ar-aw' Description: feminine of נַעַר; a girl (from infancy to adolescence); damsel, maid(-en), young (woman).
Strong's Number: H3318 There are 992 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יָצָא Transliteration: yâtsâʼ Pronunciation: yaw-tsaw' Description: a primitive root; to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.; [idiom] after, appear, [idiom] assuredly, bear out, [idiom] begotten, break out, bring forth (out, up), carry out, come (abroad, out, thereat, without), [phrase] be condemned, depart(-ing, -ure), draw forth, in the end, escape, exact, fail, fall (out), fetch forth (out), get away (forth, hence, out), (able to, cause to, let) go abroad (forth, on, out), going out, grow, have forth (out), issue out, lay (lie) out, lead out, pluck out, proceed, pull out, put away, be risen, [idiom] scarce, send with commandment, shoot forth, spread, spring out, stand out, [idiom] still, [idiom] surely, take forth (out), at any time, [idiom] to (and fro), utter.
Strong's Number: H7451 There are 623 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: רַע Transliteration: raʻ Pronunciation: rah Description: from רָעַע; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral); adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, [phrase] not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
Strong's Number: H8034 There are 771 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שֵׁם Transliteration: shêm Pronunciation: shame Description: a primitive word (perhaps rather from through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare שָׁמַיִם); an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character; [phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.
Strong's Number: H1330 There are 50 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: בְּתוּלָה Transliteration: bᵉthûwlâh Pronunciation: beth-oo-law' Description: feminine passive participle of an unused root meaning to separate; a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state; maid, virgin.
Strong's Number: H3478 There are 2229 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יִשְׂרָאֵל Transliteration: Yisrâʼêl Pronunciation: yis-raw-ale' Description: from שָׂרָה and אֵל; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity; Israel.
Strong's Number: H802 There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: אִשָּׁה Transliteration: ʼishshâh Pronunciation: ish-shaw' Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.
Strong's Number: H3201 There are 182 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יָכֹל Transliteration: yâkôl Pronunciation: yaw-kole' Description: or (fuller) יָכוֹל; a primitive root; to be able, literally (can, could) or morally (may, might); be able, any at all (ways), attain, can (away with, (-not)), could, endure, might, overcome, have power, prevail, still, suffer.
Strong's Number: H7971 There are 790 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: שָׁלַח Transliteration: shâlach Pronunciation: shaw-lakh' Description: a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, [idiom] earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
Strong's Number: H3117 There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible Lemma: יוֹם Transliteration: yôwm Pronunciation: yome Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger.