Text: Deuteronomy 22:28
OT Text Referred to: Exodus 22:16
Subject: seduction/assault of unbetrothed virgin
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): None
Significance: Exodus 22:16 addresses seduction (פָּתָה, patah, "to entice/persuade") of an unbetrothed virgin, requiring the man to pay the bride-price and marry her, with the father retaining the right to refuse. Deuteronomy 22:28 deals with a related but more forceful scenario using the verb תָּפַשׂ (taphas, "to seize"), prescribing that the man must marry the woman, pay fifty shekels, and may never divorce her. Both laws protect the unbetrothed woman's economic security and social standing by requiring marriage and compensation, but Deuteronomy's prohibition of divorce adds a permanent consequence for the aggressor. Together they address a spectrum of sexual violations against unmarried women, from persuasion to force.