Deuteronomy 22:14

14 Then he might make up charges against her and ruin her reputation by saying, "I married this woman. But when I slept with her, I found out she wasn't a virgin."

Deuteronomy 22:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:14

And give occasions of speech against her
Among her neighbours, who by his behaviour towards her, and by what he says of her, will be led in all company and conversation to traduce her character, and speak of her as a very bad woman:

and bring up an evil name upon her;
take away her good name, and give her a bad one; defame her, and make her appear scandalous and reproachful to all that know her: though the Jews understand this not of private slander, but of bringing an action against her in a public court of judicature, the substance of which follows: "and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid"; the sense is, that he had married her, and when he came to cohabit with her as man and wife, it appeared to him that she was vitiated, and not a pure virgin. This is the charge in court against her, the action laid by him; so Jarchi observes, a man might not say this but before a magistrate, in a court of judicature, which is thus represented by Maimonides F16;

``a man comes to the sanhedrim, and says, this young woman I married, and I did not find her virginities; and when I inquired into the matter, it appeared to me that she had played the whore under me, after I had betrothed her; and these are my witnesses that she played the whore before them.''


FOOTNOTES:

F16 Hilchot Naarah Betulah, c. 3. sect. 6.

Deuteronomy 22:14 In-Context

12 Make tassels on the four corners of the shawl you wear over your clothes.
13 A man might marry a woman, sleep with her, and decide he doesn't like her.
14 Then he might make up charges against her and ruin her reputation by saying, "I married this woman. But when I slept with her, I found out she wasn't a virgin."
15 The girl's father and mother must go to the city gate where the leaders of the city are and submit the evidence that their daughter was a virgin.
16 The girl's father will tell the leaders, "I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he doesn't like her.
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