John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 22:18

"And the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him;" — Deuteronomy 22:18 (ASV)

And the elders of that city shall take that man. Calumny in this case received a threefold punishment:

1. That he who had invented the false accusation should be beaten with stripes.
2. That he should pay one hundred pieces of silver to the father of the girl.
3. That he should never be allowed to put her away.

The reason is given: because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel. God here shows Himself to be the protector of virgins, so that young women may be more encouraged to cultivate chastity.

If any should object that it was a bad provision for the unhappy woman to be subjected forever to tyrannical rule, I reply that this was done because there were no means for her release. For although, as we will presently see, men were permitted to obtain a divorce from their wives, it was still neither just nor right to overthrow God’s earliest institution.

Besides, it was necessary to obviate the trick of the husband who would have gloried in her divorce, as having gained what he desired.