Females did not enjoy as much freedom as males in the ancient Near East and in Israel. They were subject to the fathers or husbands in authority over them as well as to God (cf. Eph. 5:22-24; Col. 3:18). Verses 7-11 describe a girl whom her father sells as a servant (Heb. amah, v. 7) for marriage, not for slavery.362In such a case the girl would become the servant of the father of her husband-to-be who would than give her to his son as his wife. She would remain in her prospective father-in-law's household unless someone redeemed her before the consummation of her marriage. If for some reason her prospective father-in-law became displeased with her, he was to allow someone to redeem her (set her free by the payment of a price). Her redeemer could be herself or someone else (cf. Deut. 24:1). Her master was not to sell her to some other person, a "foreign"person in that sense (v. 8). Such treatment was unfair to her because it violated her legitimate human rights. "Conjugal rights"(v. 10) here refers to her living quarters and other support provisions, not sexual intercourse. This passage is not discussing marriage as such (after physical consummation) as the NIV and AV imply.
