Deuteronomy 22:15

15 The let the father of the damsell and the mother brynge forth the tokens of the damsels virginite, vnto the elders of the citie, euen vnto the gate.

Deuteronomy 22:15 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:15

Then shall the father and the mother of the damsel take
Power from the court, according to the Targum of Jonathan; having leave and licence granted them to do what follows, these were to, and would, concern themselves in such an affair, partly for the credit and reputation of their child, and partly for their own honour, who were in danger, as Jarchi observes, of coming into contempt for their ill education of her:

and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity;
the sheet she lay in when she first bedded with her husband, in her parents' possession, and kept by them as a witness of her purity, should there ever be any occasion for it: and which were to be brought

unto the elders of the city in the gate;
which sat in the gate of the city to try causes: the Targum of Jonathan calls it the gate of the sanhedrim, or court of judicature; and, according to Maimonides ^F17, this court was the court of twenty three judges; for this was a capital crime accused of, a cause relating to life and death, which could not be heard and tried in a lesser court.

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Hilchot Naarah Betulah, c. 3. sect. 3.

Deuteronomy 22:15 In-Context

13 Yf a man take a wyfe and when he hath lyen with her hate her

14 ad leye shamefull thinges vnto hyr charge and brynge vp an euell name vppon her and saye: I toke this wyfe, and whe I came to her, I founde her not a mayde:

15 The let the father of the damsell and the mother brynge forth the tokens of the damsels virginite, vnto the elders of the citie, euen vnto the gate.

16 And let the damsels father saye vnto the elders, I gaue my doughter vnto this man to wife and he hateth her:

17 and loo, he layeth shamefull thinges vnto hir charge saynge, I founde not thy doughter a mayde. And yet these ar the tokens of my doughters virginite. And let them sprede the vesture before the elders off the citie.