Exodus 22:16
““If a man entices a virgin who isn’t pledged to be married, and lies with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife.”
What does Exodus 22:16 mean?
In ancient Israel, a woman's value in the marriage market was deeply tied to her virginity, and this law protected young women from being seduced and then abandoned. If a man had sexual relations with an unmarried woman, he couldn't simply walk away—he had to take full financial and relational responsibility by marrying her and providing her dowry (the bride price paid to her family). The law assumes the man is the active pursuer ("entices") and holds him accountable for the consequences of his actions. While the cultural framework feels distant from us now, the core principle is about protecting the vulnerable and requiring people to take responsibility for how their choices affect others.