Deuteronomy 22:16 - The young lady’s father shall tell the elders, “I gave my daughter to this man as his wife, and he hates her.

Generated Verse: Deuteronomy 22:16

What does "Deuteronomy 22:16" mean?


Deuteronomy 22:16 is part of a set of laws dealing with sexual offenses and the protection of women. To understand the verse, it's important to consider the context:

The Situation: This verse is part of a legal scenario where a man accuses his newly married wife of not being a virgin at the time of their marriage. This accusation has significant consequences for the woman, potentially leading to severe punishment and social stigma.

The Father's Role: The father of the accused woman is given the opportunity to defend his daughter. Deuteronomy 22:16 indicates one possible defense. The father argues that the husband now "hates her" and is using the accusation as a way to get out of the marriage.

Interpretation of the Verse:

Claim of False Accusation: The father's statement implies that the husband's accusation of premarital sex is false. The father is suggesting the husband's current dislike of the wife is not due to discovering she wasn't a virgin, but to some other reason.
Shifted Motivation: The father asserts the husband no longer desires his wife and, rather than going through a standard divorce, is using this serious accusation as a malicious way to end the marriage and damage her reputation.
Defense Strategy: The verse is part of a defense strategy where the father attempts to discredit the husband's testimony by showing that the accusation is motivated by animosity, not by genuine discovery of premarital impurity.

In Summary:

Deuteronomy 22:16 presents a scenario where a father defends his daughter by arguing that her husband is making a false accusation of premarital sex because he has grown to dislike her and wants to end the marriage in a particularly damaging way. It highlights the potential for abuse within the marital system of the time and offers a legal recourse for the woman's family to challenge the husband's claims.

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