Exodus 22:15 kjv
But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
Exodus 22:15 nkjv
If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.
Exodus 22:15 niv
But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.
Exodus 22:15 esv
If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.
Exodus 22:15 nlt
But if the owner was present, no compensation is required. And no compensation is required if the animal was rented, for this loss is covered by the rental fee.
Exodus 22 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 22:28-29 | "If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed... and lies with her... he shall pay the father fifty shekels... he shall be his wife." | Closest parallel, specifying fine and prohibiting divorce. |
| Exo 22:16-17 | "If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed... and she shall be his wife. If her father refuses..." | Direct continuation of the law. |
| Gen 34:12 | "Ask me ever so much bride-price and gift, and I will give whatever you say..." | Example of mohar in patriarchal narrative. |
| Deut 22:23-24 | "If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city... both of them shall die." | Contrasting higher penalty for seducing betrothed. |
| Lev 19:20 | "If a man lies sexually with a woman who is a slave... but is not yet ransomed... there shall be an inquiry, but they shall not be put to death..." | Law concerning a different status of woman. |
| Deut 23:17 | "None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor any of the sons..." | High value placed on sexual purity and sanctity. |
| 1 Cor 6:18 | "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." | New Testament call to flee sexual sin. |
| Heb 13:4 | "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." | New Testament command for marital purity. |
| Eph 5:3 | "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you..." | Call for ethical conduct in believers. |
| Prov 6:27 | "Can a man carry fire in his lap and his clothes not be burned?" | Warning against consequences of sexual sin. |
| Matt 5:28 | "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." | Jesus' deeper teaching on lust. |
| 1 Thess 4:3-5 | "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body..." | God's will for sexual holiness. |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness..." | Exhortation to mortify sinful desires. |
| Gen 2:24 | "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." | Biblical foundation of marriage. |
| Mal 2:14 | "...because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless..." | Against unfaithfulness within marriage. |
| Rom 7:2-3 | "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released..." | Law concerning the marriage bond. |
| Lev 21:14 | "He shall marry a virgin from his own people, that he may not profane his offspring among his people..." | Purity requirement for a priest's wife. |
| Num 30:3-5 | "If a woman makes a vow to the Lord... being in her father’s house in her youth..." | Father's authority over unmarried daughter's vows, indicating legal dependency. |
| Prov 7:26-27 | "Many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death." | Warning against seductive women. |
| Ruth 4:10 | "...I have acquired Ruth... to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead..." | Kinsman-redeemer establishing legal marriage. |
| Judg 19:24 | "...here is my virgin daughter... do to them what seems good to you..." | Horrific example showing lack of protection in depraved times, contrasting the law's intent. |
Exodus 22 verses
Exodus 22 15 Meaning
This verse outlines a law addressing the seduction of an unbetrothed virgin. If a man entices such a woman and lies with her, he is legally bound to marry her. He must also pay a bride-price, or mohar, to her family. This mandate protects the woman's honor and future standing in society by ensuring her new marital status and economic security after a sexual transgression.
Exodus 22 15 Context
Exodus 22 is part of the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 20:22–23:33), which elaborates on the Ten Commandments, providing specific civil and social laws for ancient Israel. These are casuistic laws, meaning they present cases and their prescribed consequences, typically beginning with "If...". The chapter addresses various types of property crimes, injuries, and moral offenses. This particular verse falls within a section regulating sexual conduct, reflecting the high value placed on virginity, marital fidelity, and the protection of individuals, especially women and their family honor. In the Ancient Near East (ANE), similar laws existed, but the Israelite law, guided by divine principle, often prioritized justice and mandatory marriage over mere financial compensation, particularly protecting the woman from being cast off without status.
Exodus 22 15 Word analysis
- And if a man: Introduces a conditional, case-based law.
- entice (יְפַתֶּה, ye-fatteh): From the Hebrew root pathah (פָּתָה), meaning to persuade, allure, deceive, or seduce. It implies a deceptive or coaxing influence rather than forceful violence (which is classified as rape and carried a different penalty, typically death for the aggressor if the act happened in a field, as per Deut 22:25-27). This distinguishes the nature of the transgression.
- a virgin (בְּתוּלָה, betulah): Refers to an unmarried, sexually untouched female. In Israelite society, virginity was highly valued, especially before marriage, for the purity of the family line, inheritance, and social honor.
- that is not betrothed (לֹא אֹרָשָׁה, lo orasah): Crucial distinction. Betrothal was a formal, legally binding step that was tantamount to marriage, though not yet consummated. If the virgin were betrothed, the act would be considered adultery, subject to the death penalty for both parties (Deut 22:23-24), because it violated an existing legal covenant. Her "not betrothed" status indicates her current single, unpledged standing, leading to the specified, distinct legal remedy.
- and lie with her (וְשָׁכַב עִמָּהּ, ve-shakhav immah): A common biblical euphemism for sexual intercourse.
- he shall surely endow her (מָהֹר יִמְהָרֶנָּה, mahor yimharenhu): This uses an infinitive absolute before the finite verb, intensifying the command—"he shall certainly, undoubtedly pay a bride-price."
- endow her (מֹהַר, mohar): Refers to the bride-price or dowry, a customary payment from the groom or his family to the bride's family. It was not a "purchase" of the bride, but compensation for the family's loss of their daughter's labor and presence, and importantly, it served to legalize the marriage, affirm the groom's commitment, and provide security for the woman, demonstrating her worth.
- to be his wife (לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה, lo l'ishshah): Literally, "to him for a woman." This mandates marriage. The legal requirement ensures that the seducer takes full responsibility, validating the relationship and providing the woman with the legal status and protection of marriage, thereby mitigating the dishonor and potential social ostracization.
Words-group analysis:
- "entice a virgin that is not betrothed": This phrase pinpoints the specific scenario: a calculated act of seduction, not forcible rape, against a woman who is not under a marriage contract. This precise legal framing shows a nuanced understanding of different forms of sexual transgression and their differing consequences in Israelite law.
- "he shall surely endow her to be his wife": This collective command demonstrates the legal resolution to the seduction. It mandates that the man fulfills the obligations of a husband, including financial compensation (the mohar) and assuming the full responsibilities of marriage, underscoring the legal and societal emphasis on protecting women's status and family honor through marriage.
Exodus 22 15 Bonus section
- Comparison to Ancient Near Eastern Laws: While other ANE legal codes (like Hammurabi's) often prescribed fines for similar offenses, Israelite law's emphasis on mandatory marriage (unless the father refused) highlighted a unique concern for the status and long-term well-being of the seduced woman, not just monetary compensation. This showcased God's covenant people prioritizing justice and restorative measures over mere punitive measures for male perpetrators.
- Father's Prerogative and Permanent Marriage: The continuation of this law (e.g., in Deut 22:28-29) reveals a significant aspect: the father's right to refuse the marriage. Even in such cases, the seducer was still required to pay the full bride-price. Furthermore, Deuteronomy explicitly states that if the marriage occurred, the man could never divorce the woman, ensuring her lifelong security and solidifying the legal repercussions for the initial transgression.
- Valuation of Virginity: The severity and specifics of this law, particularly the different penalties for an unbetrothed vs. a betrothed virgin, underscore the high value society placed on female virginity prior to marriage. It reflected the honor of the family and the sanctity of the marital bond.
- God's Holiness and Societal Purity: This law, alongside others in the Book of the Covenant, serves to regulate sexual conduct within the community, reinforcing principles of purity and accountability. It illustrates how God's moral law aimed to establish a holy nation distinct from surrounding pagan cultures where sexual license was often tolerated or even ritually practiced.
Exodus 22 15 Commentary
Exodus 22:15 reflects God's concern for justice, moral order, and the protection of the vulnerable within Israelite society. Rather than leaving a woman dishonored and destitute after seduction, the law mandates a solution that provides for her future and attempts to restore a degree of her standing. The emphasis is on compelling the seducer to accept full marital responsibility. This requirement of marriage, coupled with the payment of a bride-price, acted as a powerful deterrent against casual sexual immorality. It legally bound the man, making him accountable for his actions and preventing the social and economic devastation that an abandoned woman might face in an honor-shame society. This law demonstrates a societal value of protecting marital purity and lineage integrity, ensuring stability within families and the community.