Deuteronomy 22:16

16 and her father shall say, I gave my daughter (for a) wife to this man, and for (that) he hateth her,

Deuteronomy 22:16 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 22:16

And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders
Not her mother; hence we learn, says Jarchi, that a woman has not power (or is not allowed) to speak before men; that is, in public see ( 1 Corinthians 14:34 ) and it was most proper for a father to appear in court for her, and defend her; and if she had no parents living then, those that brought her up, her guardians, that had the education of her, and placing her out in marriage, were to undertake her cause; or, as Josephus ^F18 says, those that were next akin to her; or, as, Aben Ezra, one appointed by the court:

I gave my daughter unto this man to wife;
and, by the Jewish canons {s}, a man might give his daughter in marriage, but a woman might not:

and he hateth her;
has taken a dislike to her, and wants to be rid of her, and therefore has brought this infamous action against her.

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FOOTNOTES:

F18 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 23.
F19 Misn. Sotah, c. 3. sect. 8.

Deuteronomy 22:16 In-Context

14 and seeketh occasions by which he may leave her, and he putteth against her the worst name, and saith, I have taken this wife, and I have entered to her, and I found not her a virgin (and I did not find her a virgin);

15 (then) the father and mother of her shall take her, and they shall bear with them the tokens of her virginity to the elder men of the city, that be in the gate (who be at the gate);

16 and her father shall say, I gave my daughter (for a) wife to this man, and for (that) he hateth her,

17 he putteth to her the worst name, that he saith, I found not thy daughter a virgin (he hath put on her the worst name, for he saith, I did not find thy daughter to be a virgin); and lo! these be the tokens of the virginity of my daughter; (and) they shall spread forth a cloth before the elder men of the city.

18 And the elder men of that city shall take the man, and shall beat him,