Deuteronomy 22:29

29 Then the man will have to give the virgin's father fifty shekels of silver and make her his wife, because he has put shame on her; he may never put her away all his life.

Deuteronomy 22:29 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:29

Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's
father fifty shekels of silver,
&.] For the abuse of his daughter; and besides this was obliged to give her her dowry also, as Philo F4 says, which is commonly said to be fifty more:

and she shall be his wife;
if her father and she agreed to it; and in such a case the man was not at his liberty to refuse, be she what she would, agreeable or not, handsome or ugly; he must, as the Jews express it, drink out of his pot, or marry her, if she is lame, or blind, or full of ulcers F5:

because he hath humbled her he may not put her away all his days:
to all the other parts of his punishment, paying a fine of fifty shekels to the damsel's father, a dowry of the same sum to her, obligation to marry her whether he likes her or not, this is added, that he is not allowed to divorce her as long as he lives; which was permitted to other men, and this was wisely ordered to preserve chastity.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 De Special. Leg. p. 787.
F5 Misn. Cetubot, c. 3. sect. 5.

Deuteronomy 22:29 In-Context

27 For he came across her in the open country, and there was no one to come to the help of the virgin in answer to her cry.
28 If a man sees a young virgin, who has not given her word to be married to anyone, and he takes her by force and has connection with her, and discovery is made of it;
29 Then the man will have to give the virgin's father fifty shekels of silver and make her his wife, because he has put shame on her; he may never put her away all his life.
30 A man may not take his father's wife or have sex relations with a woman who is his father's.
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