Betrothed – A contract to give a girl in marriage.
God used this word, in its various forms, 13 times in Scripture, with every occurrence being in Israel’s Masoretic Text Old Testament.
A betrothal is a third-party contract of an arranged marriage, between the father of the girl and the man to whom the girl is to be married; the girl is not party in making the arrangement. The betrothal can be, and usually is, made well in advance of the marriage. It is/was not uncommon for the betrothal to occur while the girl was still a child or a very young lady. It was also not uncommon for the betrothed to become sexually active prior to the marriage, as the betrothed girl is already considered to be his wife.
One of the elements of betrothal is a payment: The girl is being purchased from the father and the father determines the price: He can give her freely or set a price.
In Deuteronomy, the penalty for raping an un-betrothed virgin is paid to the damsel’s father: fifty shekels of silver and violator shall marry her and never divorce her. If a man rapes a betrothed damsel, the man is executed. If the sex with a betrothed damsel is consensual, both are executed; the penalty for adultery.
Laban set the price for Jacob to have Rachel at seven-years of service. Because of Laban’s deceit, sending Leah first, Jacob served Laban an additional seven-years to get the promised daughter, and ended-up married both daughters.
Saul set the price for David to have his daughter Michael at 100-foreskins of the Philistines.
See also Concubine, Damsel, Dowry, Endow, Husband, Maid/Maiden, Married, Mistress, Spouse, Virgin, Wife