Deuteronomy 22:29

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

then the man who had intercourse with her must give to the girl's father one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels, and she will become his wife, because he humiliated her; he may not divorce her as long as he lives.

Berean Standard Bible:

then the man who lay with her must pay the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she must become his wife because he has violated her. He must not divorce her as long as he lives.

American Standard Version:

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.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

Then the man^{H376} that lay^{H7901} with her shall give^{H5414} unto the damsel's^{H5291} father^{H1} fifty^{H2572} shekels of silver^{H3701}, and she shall be his wife^{H802}; because he hath humbled^{H6031} her, he may^{H3201} not put her away^{H7971} all his days^{H3117}.

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Commentary for Deuteronomy 22:29

Deuteronomy 22:29 is part of a series of laws in the Old Testament that deal with various aspects of Israelite society, including sexual conduct, marriage, and social justice. The verse specifically addresses a situation where a man has sexual relations with a woman who is betrothed (promised in marriage) to another man, but the act occurs in a setting that is not defined as rape and takes place within a city (where she could have cried out for help but did not).

In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, such an act would be considered a grave offense against the woman's father, as it would compromise her value as a virgin and potentially disrupt the social order by casting doubt on her betrothed's paternity and inheritance rights. The prescribed consequence for the man who has lain with her is that he must pay the bride's father fifty shekels of silver, which likely represents a compensation for the loss of her virginity and the diminished bride price that the father could expect from her future husband. Moreover, the man who lay with her is compelled to marry the woman, and he is prohibited from divorcing her "all his days," suggesting a life-long commitment to care for her, given that her marriage prospects would be significantly reduced after the incident.

The themes present in this verse include the protection of family honor, financial restitution for damages, and the seriousness of premarital sexual relations. It reflects a patriarchal society where women's sexual purity was highly valued and where fathers had significant authority over their daughters' lives. The law also seeks to ensure that the woman is provided for, albeit within the constraints of the social norms of the time, by mandating marriage and prohibiting divorce, thus aiming to mitigate the potential social and economic repercussions for the woman involved.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H376
   There are 1507 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אִישׁ
   Transliteration: ʼîysh
   Pronunciation: eesh
   Description: contracted for אֱנוֹשׁ (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant); a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation); also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phrase] steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare אִשָּׁה.
   
2. Strong's Number: H7901
   There are 194 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁכַב
   Transliteration: shâkab
   Pronunciation: shaw-kab'
   Description: a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection, decease or any other purpose); [idiom] at all, cast down, (lover-)lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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).
   
5. 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-'.
   
6. Strong's Number: H2572
   There are 141 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חֲמִשִּׁים
   Transliteration: chămishshîym
   Pronunciation: kham-ish-sheem'
   Description: multiple of חָמֵשׁ; fifty; fifty.
   
7. 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).
   
8. 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.
   
9. Strong's Number: H6031
   There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָנָה
   Transliteration: ʻânâh
   Pronunciation: aw-naw'
   Description: a primitive root (possibly rather identical with עָנָה through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive (in various applications, as follows); abase self, afflict(-ion, self), answer (by mistake for עָנָה), chasten self, deal hardly with, defile, exercise, force, gentleness, humble (self), hurt, ravish, sing (by mistake for עָנָה), speak (by mistake for עָנָה), submit self, weaken, [idiom] in any wise.
   
10. 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.
    
11. 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).
    
12. 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.