Bride price

I would kindly like a detailed explanation of Exodus 22:16-17. 16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife. 17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

In my Chumash the relevant verses are Exodus:15-16.

A good place to start to understand these verses is the Rashi commentary.

15: If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall provide her with a marriage contract as a wife.

If a man seduces: he speaks to her heart until she yields to him. 

he shall provide her with a marriage contract. He shall stipulate for her a dowry, as is the custom of a man to his wife, that he writes for her a kethubah, and he shall marry her. 

16:  If her father refuses to give her to him [in marriage], he shall weigh out money according to the dowry of the virgins. 

according to the dowry of the virgins. which is fixed at fifty silver shekels in the case of one who seizes a virgin and forcibly lies with her, as it is said: “The man who lay with her shall give the maiden’s father fifty silver shekels” (Deut. 22:29).