Deuteronomy 22:15

Deuteronomy 22:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:
• New International Version (NIV)then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring to the town elders at the gate proof that she was a virgin.
• English Standard Version (ESV)then the father of the young woman and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of her virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.
• New King James Version (NKJV)then the father and mother of the young woman shall take and bring out the evidence of the young woman’s virginity to the elders of the city at the gate.

Context of Deuteronomy 22:15

13Perhaps a man will marry a woman, and he has sex with her. Later he decides he no longer wants her to be his wife. 14He may then tell lies against her to say that she is bad. He may say, ‘I married this woman, and I had sex with her. Then I discovered that she had already had sex before I married her.’ If that happens, the woman's parents must bring the cloth that she slept on with her husband. They must take it to the leaders of the town to show them. 16The woman's father must say to the leaders, ‘I gave my daughter to this man to be his wife. But now he does not like her. 17He accuses her that she is bad. He says, “I discovered that your daughter had sex before I married her.” But look at her cloth. This shows that she had never had sex before.’ Then her parents must hold the cloth in front of the leaders of the town.

Deuteronomy 22:15 word by word

וְלָקַ֛ח אֲבִ֥י הַֽנַּעֲרָ֖ה וְאִמָּ֑הּ וְהוֹצִ֜יאוּ אֶת־בְּתוּלֵ֧י הַֽנַּעֲרָ֛ה אֶל־זִקְנֵ֥י הָעִ֖יר הַשָּֽׁעְרָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then shall the fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• of the damselנַעֲרָהna‛ărâh · maidenH5291
• and her motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
• takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• and bring forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
• virginityבְּתוּלִיםbethûlîym · virginityH1331
• unto the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• in the gateשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 22:15

• Deuteronomy 22:19They must make the man pay 100 pieces of silver to the young woman's father. The man has told lies. He has accused a pure Israelite girl to say that she is bad. After that, she will continue to be his wife. He may never send her away as long as he lives.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 22:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Tokens of the damsel's virginity - This was a perfectly possible case in all places where girls were married at ten, twelve, and fourteen years of age, which is frequent in the East. I have known several instances of persons having had two or three children at separate births before they were fourteen years of age. Such tokens, therefore, as the text speaks of, must be infallibly exhibited by females so very young on the consummation of their marriage.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-30Verses 13-30 These and the like regulations might be needful then, and yet it is not necessary that we should curiously examine respecting them. The laws relate to the seventh commandment, laying a restraint upon fleshly lusts which war against the soul.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15proof of her virginity: : A blood-stained cloth would show that the woman’s hymen was ruptured by her first act of intercourse with her husband.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-3013-30. If a man take a wife, &c.--The regulations that follow might be imperatively needful in the then situation of the Israelites; and yet, it is not necessary that we should curiously and impertinently inquire into them. So far was it from being unworthy of God to leave such things upon record, that the enactments must heighten our admiration of His wisdom and goodness in the management of a people so perverse and so given to irregular passions. Nor is…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 22:15

• Adultery
• Character
• Church
• Court
• Damages and Compensation
• Gates
• Government
• Husband
• Slander
• Virgin

In the dictionaries

• Astray
• Chance
• Husband
• Rise
• Wife
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Elder in the Old Testament
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings