Betrothal - A Scriptural Study

By Isaac Aluochier

All scriptural references are from the World English Bible available at http://www.ebible.org/bible/WEB/. "Yah'shuah" is a Hebrew rendition of "Jesus".

CONTENTS

  1. Eve Was Adam's Wife Before Their First Sexual Union (Genesis 2:18-25)
  2. A Woman Becomes A Man's Wife Once Given To Him As His (Genesis 2:18-25)
  3. Pharaoh Unwittingly Took Another Man's Wife As His Own (Genesis 12:10-20)
  4. Yahweh Opposes A Man Taking As His Own The Wife Of Another Man (Genesis 12:10-20)
  5. A Man Who Has Taken Another Man's Wife As His Own Should Restore Her To Her Rightful Husband (Genesis 12:10-20)
  6. Ascertain A Woman's Betrothal Status Prior To Taking Her As Your Wife (Genesis 12:10-20)
  7. Yahweh Punishes Those Who Sin Against Him, Whether They Do So Wittingly Or Unwittingly (Genesis 12:10-20)
  8. Sarai Gave Her Maid As Wife To Her Husband (Genesis 16:1-5)
  9. A Female Slave Owner Has Capacity To Give Her As Wife To A Man (Genesis 16:1-5)
  10. Lot Had Sons-In-Law Though His Daughters Were Still Virgins (Genesis 19:12-17)
  11. Lot's Daughters Were Wives Prior To The Time Appointed For Their Marriages (Genesis 19:12-17)
  12. A Woman Becomes A Man's Wife From The Moment Of Her Betrothal (Genesis 19:12-17)
  13. Abimelech Took Another Man's Wife As His Own (Genesis 20)
  14. Abimelech Unwittingly Took Another Man's Wife As His Own (Genesis 20)
  15. Yahweh Ordered Abimelech To Restore Sarah To Her Rightful Husband After Preventing Their Sexual Union (Genesis 20)
  16. Abimelech Acknowledged His Great Sin In Unwittingly Taking Another Man's Wife As His Own (Genesis 20)
  17. Abimelech Restored Sarah To Her Rightful Husband And Paid Reparations For His Unwitting Sin (Genesis 20)
  18. Yahweh Plagued The Health Of Abimelech's Household (Genesis 20)
  19. Yahweh Opposes The Taking Of Another Man's Wife As One's Own (Genesis 20)
  20. It Seems That Yahweh Temporarily Made Abimelech Impotent (Genesis 20)
  21. True Repentance Entails A Man Restoring Another Man's Wife That He Has To Her Rightful Husband (Genesis 20)
  22. It Is Sin To Betroth To Yourself Another Man's Wife (Genesis 20)
  23. It Is Appropriate To Pay A Rightful Husband Reparations For Having Taken His Wife As Your Own (Genesis 20)
  24. The Penalty For Taking Another Man's Wife Is Death (Genesis 20)
  25. Either Parent Can Take A Wife For His Son (Genesis 21:19-21)
  26. A Woman Is Not To Be Forced To Become Wife To A Particular Man (Genesis 24)
  27. Yahweh Had Appointed A Particular Woman To Be Isaac's Wife (Genesis 24)
  28. Rebekah Was A Virgin At The Time Abraham's Servant Met Her (Genesis 24)
  29. Bethuel And Laban Acknowledged Yahweh's Hand In Appointing Rebekah As Isaac's Wife (Genesis 24)
  30. Rebekah's Family Members Gave Her The Option Of Accepting Yahweh's Appointed Will For Her Life (Genesis 24)
  31. Rebekah Finally Met Isaac After Leaving Her Family's Land (Genesis 24)
  32. A Person Can Authorise Another Person To Act With The Capacity That He Possesses (Genesis 24)
  33. A Person Appointed By Yahweh To Act In A Given Manner Is Not Forced To So Act (Genesis 24)
  34. A Woman Has Authority To Accept Or Reject A Marriage Proposal To Her (Genesis 24)
  35. A Man Is Not Obliged To Take As Wife The Woman Yahweh Appoints For Him If She Refuses To Become His Wife (Genesis 24)
  36. Yahweh Does Not Force Those He Has Appointed To Become Husband And Wife To So Become (Genesis 24)
  37. Is It The Case That Women Yahweh Appoints To Be Wives To Some Men Must Be Virgins? (Genesis 24)
  38. Seek As Your Wife Only A Woman Yahweh Has Appointed To Be Your Wife (Genesis 24)
  39. When Yahweh Appoints A Particular Woman To Be Wife To A Particular Man Her Father Loses Authority To Give Her Away As Wife (Genesis 24)
  40. Yahweh Does Not Force A Woman He Has Appointed As Someone's Wife To Abide By His Will (Genesis 24)
  41. Submit To Yahweh's Will With Respect To His Chosen Husband Or Wife For You (Genesis 24)
  42. A Man Incurs Guilt By Sexually Lying With Another Man's Wife, Even When Done Unwittingly (Genesis 26:6-11)
  43. The Dowry Jacob Paid For Rachel To Be His Wife (Genesis 29:13-30)
  44. Rachel Became Jacob's Wife After He Had Paid Her Dowry But Prior To Their Sexual Union (Genesis 29:13-30)
  45. Jacob Unwittingly Married Leah Before Wittingly Marrying Rachel (Genesis 29:13-30)
  46. A Woman's Father Has Capacity To Give Her As Wife (Genesis 29:13-30)
  47. A Woman Becomes A Man's Wife At Betrothal (Genesis 29:13-30)
  48. A Man Can Unwittingly Take A Wife (Genesis 29:13-30)
  49. Postponement Of A Betrothed Wife's Marriage Does Not Terminate Her Betrothal (Genesis 29:13-30)
  50. Rachel Gave Her Maid As Wife To Her Husband (Genesis 30:1-4)
  51. Why Did The Women In Abraham's Household Give Their Maids To Their Husbands As Wives? (Genesis 30:1-4)
  52. Children Borne By A Maid Legally Belong To Her Master Or Mistress (Genesis 30:1-4)
  53. What Happens When A Mistress Gives Her Maid As Wife To A Man Outside Her Husband's Household? (Genesis 30:1-4)
  54. Leah Gave Her Maid As Wife To Her Husband (Genesis 30:9)
  55. Dinah Did Not Become Shechem's Wife Despite Having Been Raped By Him (Genesis 34)
  56. Shechem's Father Spoke With Dinah's Father To Persuade The Latter To Give Her As Wife To The Former's Son (Genesis 34)
  57. Shechem Was Willing To Pay Whatever Dowry Jacob's Household Stipulated (Genesis 34)
  58. The Dowry Jacob's Household Demanded Of Shechem (Genesis 34)
  59. Sex Between A Man And An Unbetrothed Woman Does Not Make Them Husband And Wife (Genesis 34)
  60. The Relevant Factors That Make A Man And A Woman Husband And Wife (Genesis 34)
  61. It Is Appropriate For A Father To Procure A Wife For His Son (Genesis 34)
  62. A Man Should Not Sexually Lie With A Woman Not His Wife (Genesis 34)
  63. Even The Hivites Understood That Dinah Was Not Shechem's Wife (Genesis 34)
  64. The Amount Of Dowry Paid Is Not A Critical Factor In Ratifying A Husband And Wife Relationship (Genesis 34)
  65. Dowry Is Necessary To Secure The Consent Of A Woman's Family To Give Her As Wife To A Man (Genesis 34)
  66. Jacob's Sons Clearly Understood That Dinah Was Not Shechem's Wife At The Time Of Dowry Negotiations (Genesis 34)
  67. It Is Prostitution For A Man To Lie With A Woman Not His Wife (Genesis 34)
  68. There Are Various Ways A Man Can Take A Woman As His Wife (Genesis 38)
  69. Tamar Prostituted Herself When Judah Did Not Give Her In Marriage To His Son, Her Betrothed Husband (Genesis 38)
  70. Judah's Failure To Honour Tamar's Betrothal Was More Sinful That Tamar's Subsequent Prostitution (Genesis 38)
  71. A Man Has Capacity For Both Taking A Wife For Himself And Also For His Son (Genesis 38)
  72. A Widow Of A Man Without Descendants Is Automatically Betrothed As Wife To One Of His Surviving Brothers (Genesis 38)
  73. Tamar Was Shelah's Wife Even Though They Hadn't Come Together Sexually (Genesis 38)
  74. Why Tamar Played The Prostitute (Genesis 38)
  75. The Penalty For Playing The Prostitute Is Death (Genesis 38)
  76. The Penalty For Violating A Betrothal Is Death (Genesis 38)
  77. A Betrothed Woman's Husband Does Not Change When Her Betrothal Is Violated (Genesis 38)
  78. The Appointed Time For Marriage Of A Betrothed Woman Should Not Be Unduly Delayed (Genesis 38)
  79. How To Avoid Coveting Another Man's Wife (Exodus 20:17)
  80. A Slave Woman Given As Wife By Her Master Is Not Released From Her Slavery By This Action (Exodus 21:2-5)
  81. Hagar Was Not Released From Being Slave To Sarai When She Became Abram's Wife (Exodus 21:2-5)
  82. To Avoid Conflict Of Authority A Slave Woman Should Be Given As Wife To A Man In One's Household (Exodus 21:2-5)
  83. Distinction In Legal Right Between A Slave Woman And A Free Woman (Exodus 21:2-5)
  84. It Is Prudent Not To Marry Another Person's Slave Woman (Exodus 21:2-5)
  85. A Virgin Not Pledged To Be Married Does Not Become A Man's Wife By Their Sexual Union (Exodus 22:16-17)
  86. There Are Different Categories Of Dowry (Exodus 22:16-17)
  87. A Dowry Ought To Be Paid When A Man Takes A Woman As Wife (Exodus 22:16-17)
  88. Punishment For Adultery By A Bondmaid Is Less Severe Than For Adultery By A Free Woman (Leviticus 19:20-22)
  89. A Man Who Commits Prostitution But Not Adultery Is Not Punished With Death (Leviticus 19:20-22)
  90. A Man Who Takes Another's Wife Incurs The Death Penalty (Leviticus 20:10)
  91. There Are Two Types Of Virgins, Those With Husbands And Those Without (Leviticus 21:1-4)
  92. Non-Virgins Can Indeed Be Taken As Wives (Leviticus 21:10-15)
  93. When A Woman's Action In Giving Herself As Wife To A Man Is Ratified (Numbers 30:1-5)
  94. A Widow Or A Divorced Woman Does Not Need A Man's Approval In Giving Herself As Wife To Some Man (Numbers 30:9)
  95. The Authority Of Women Who Possess An Inheritance To Give Themselves As Wives (Numbers 36)
  96. A Woman Belongs To The Household Of The Man She Is Wife To (Numbers 36)
  97. A Fatherless Woman Has The Same Authority As A Widow Or A Divorced Woman In Giving Herself As Wife (Numbers 36)
  98. Do Not Covet Your Neighbour's Wife (Deuteronomy 5:21)
  99. Do Not Multiply Wives To Yourself, Lest Your Heart Turn Away From Yahweh (Deuteronomy 17:14-17)
  100. A Man Betrothed To A Woman Should Not Be Denied The Opportunity Of Marrying Her (Deuteronomy 20:1-9)
  101. A Betrothed Woman Belongs To Her Husband Until He Dies, Irrespective Of Whether Or Not He Has Married Her (Deuteronomy 20:1-9)
  102. Taking A War Captive Slave Woman As Wife (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
  103. How To Prudently Take A Slave Woman As Wife (Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
  104. A Woman Should Strive To Remain A Virgin Up To The Time Of Her Marriage (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
  105. A Woman Incurs The Death Penalty For Prostitution When There Is Evidence That She Has Prostituted Herself (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
  106. A Woman's Parents Are Responsible For Ensuring That She Does Not Play The Prostitute (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
  107. A Woman Does Not Have To Be Caught In The Act Of Prostitution To Be Sentenced For Prostitution (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
  108. Two Or Three Human Witnesses Are Not Always Necessary For Convicting A Person (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
  109. It Is A Great Offence To Besmirch A Person's Name (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
  110. Death Is The Penalty For Adultery (Deuteronomy 22:22)
  111. It Is Adultery For A Betrothed Woman To Sexually Lie With A Man Not Her Husband (Deuteronomy 22:23-24)
  112. A Man Who Rapes Another Man's Wife Commits Adultery (Deuteronomy 22:25-27)
  113. A Raped Woman Has Not Committed Sexual Sin In The Rape (Deuteronomy 22:25-27)
  114. A Rapist Who Has Not Committed Adultery In The Rape Is Not Sentenced To Death (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
  115. How A Virgin Who Loses Her Virginity Without Being Betrothed Can Escape The Death Penalty (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
  116. If You Are A Virgin And Are Raped Disclose The Matter To Your Parents (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
  117. Why Women Should Always Disclose The Loss Of Their Virginity At The Time So Lost (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
  118. Divorcing A Betrothed Wife (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
  119. Cheer Your New Wife, Especially In Your First Year Together (Deuteronomy 24:5)
  120. When A Man With A Wife Dies Without Descendants (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
  121. Yahweh Does Not Force A Man To Take As Wife A Woman He Has Appointed For Him (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
  122. Yahweh's Levirate Law Applies Irrespective Of Whether Or Not The Wife Has Been Married (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
  123. It Is Shameful To Refuse To Honour Yahweh's Appointed Will For One (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
  124. A Curse For Disobeying Yahweh (Deuteronomy 28:30)
  125. The Dowry Caleb Insisted On For His Daughter Achsah (Joshua 15:13-19)
  126. Samson Took A Philistine Woman As A Betrothed Wife (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  127. Samson’s Wife Was Given To His Companion Prior To Samson Sexually Lying With Her (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  128. Samson Subsequently Sought To Sexually Lie With His Betrothed Wife (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  129. Samson Acknowledged The Role That Fathers Have In Procuring Wives For Their Sons (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  130. Samson Sought A Philistine Wife Because Yahweh Moved Him To Do So (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  131. It Was Clearly Understood That The Philistine Woman Was Samson's Wife Even Prior To Samson Sexually Lying With Her (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  132. A Woman Betrothed To A Man Belongs To The Man (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  133. Samson's Philistine Wife Committed Adultery Against Him (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  134. Failure To Sexually Lie With One's Betrothed Wife At The Time Appointed Does Not Terminate That Betrothal (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  135. Even The Philistines Considered Samson To Have Been The Timnite's Son-In-Law (Judges 14:1-15:6)
  136. Other Israelite Tribes Swore Not To Give Their Daughters To The Men Of Benjamin For Wives (Judges 21)
  137. How Were The Men Of Benjamin To Procure Wives? (Judges 21)
  138. The Men Of Israel Found Loopholes Around Their Oath (Judges 21)
  139. It Is The Responsibility Of Fathers To Give Their Daughters As Wives To Other Men (Judges 21)
  140. Application Of Yahweh's Levirate Law (Ruth 4)
  141. Merab, Saul's Elder Daughter, Was David's Betrothed Wife (1 Samuel 18)
  142. Michal, Saul's Younger Daughter, Became David's Wife (1 Samuel 18)
  143. Saul Was Unfaithful In Merab's Betrothal To David (1 Samuel 18)
  144. The Dowry Saul Demanded For Michal (1 Samuel 18)
  145. The Dowry Saul Demanded For Merab (1 Samuel 18)
  146. David Takes Two More Wives In Addition To Michal (1 Samuel 25:39-44)
  147. Abigail, Nabal's Widow, Had Capacity To Give Herself To David As Wife (1 Samuel 25:39-44)
  148. Saul's Wickedness In Violating The Husband And Wife Relationships Of His Daughters (1 Samuel 25:39-44)
  149. Michal Remained David's Wife Even After Her Adulterous Marriage (2 Samuel 3:12-16)
  150. Bathsheba, Uriah's Widow, Gave Herself As Wife To David (2 Samuel 11:26-27)
  151. Yahweh Decrees David's Punishment For His Adultery With Uriah's Wife (2 Samuel 12:7-15)
  152. Yahweh Shows No Partiality (2 Samuel 12:7-15)
  153. Solomon Had Capacity To Give Abishag The Shunammite As Wife (1 Kings 2:12-18)
  154. How Solomon Had Capacity To Give Abishag The Shunammite As Wife (1 Kings 2:12-18)
  155. Solomon Multiplied Wives To His Eventual Shame (1 Kings 11:1-13)
  156. Yahweh's Words Never Fall To The Ground (1 Kings 11:1-13)
  157. Yahweh Punishes Those Who Fall Away From Serving Him (1 Kings 11:1-13)
  158. Pharaoh Had Capacity To Give His Sister-In-Law As Wife (1 Kings 11:14-22)
  159. Judgements Against Adulterers (Job 31:9-12)
  160. Parental Teaching Against Adultery (Proverbs 6:20-35)
  161. Avoid Prostitutes And Adulteresses (Proverbs 23:26-28)
  162. Adultery Is Treachery (Jeremiah 3:20)
  163. The False Pen Of The Scribes Has Worked Falsely (Jeremiah 8:4-12)
  164. A Reason Yahweh Allows A Person's Wife To Be Given To Another Man (Jeremiah 8:4-12)
  165. Seek Yahweh To Ascertain Whether What Purports To Be His Word Is Really His Word (Jeremiah 8:4-12)
  166. Yahweh's Authority To Men With Respect To Taking And Giving Wives (Jeremiah 29:4-6)
  167. Yahweh Punishes Adulterers (Jeremiah 29:21-23)
  168. Even Betrothed But Unmarried Women Commit Adultery (Ezekiel 16:32)
  169. Yahweh Allows Priests To Take As Wives The Widows Of Fellow Priests (Ezekiel 44:21-22)
  170. A Priest Can Defile Himself For His Unbetrothed Sister (Ezekiel 44:25)
  171. When Yahweh Appoints A Prostitute To Become A Man's Wife He Should Take Her As His Wife (Hosea 1:1-3)
  172. The Dowry Jacob Paid For His Wives (Hosea 12:12)
  173. Some Virgins Mourn For The Husbands Of Their Youth (Joel 1:8)
  174. Some Men Deal Treacherously Against The Wives Of Their Youth (Malachi 2:13-16)
  175. Yahweh Does Not Accept The Offerings Of Those Who Are Treacherous To The Wives Of Their Youth (Malachi 2:13-16)
  176. Some Dealt Treacherously With The Betrothed Wives Of Their Youth (Malachi 2:13-16)
  177. Joseph And Mary Were Husband And Wife Prior To Sexual Union (Matthew 1:18-25)
  178. The Righteous Action Joseph Contemplated Was Founded In The Law (Matthew 1:18-25)
  179. Yah'shuah's Words Against Adultery Apply To Any Wife, Whether Married Or Betrothed But Not Married (Matthew 5:31-32)
  180. Is It Lawful For A Man To Divorce His Betrothed Wife For Any Reason? (Matthew 19:3-9)
  181. Do Not Sever A Betrothal That Yahweh Has Joined Together (Matthew 19:3-9)
  182. A Betrothed Woman Who Puts Away Her Husband And Marries Another Commits Adultery (Mark 10:2-12)
  183. Paul Understood That A Betrothed Woman Who Sexually Lay With A Man Not Her Husband Committed Adultery (Romans 7:1-3)
  184. Paul Made No Distinction Between Married And Betrothed Wives (1 Corinthians 7:39)
  185. The Only Virgin That Can Be Presented To A Husband Is One Betrothed To Him (2 Corinthians 11:2)
  186. The Assembly Of Believers Is Currently Betrothed To Yah'shuah (2 Corinthians 11:2)
  187. Christ Is The Husband Of The Assembly (Ephesians 5:22-33)
  188. The Assembly Is To Be Presented To Christ Holy And Without Blemish (Ephesians 5:22-33)
  189. Is The Assembly Already One Flesh With Christ? (Ephesians 5:22-33)
  190. One Who Breaks A Pledge Incurs Condemnation (1 Timothy 5:9-15)
  191. Yah'shuah Asserts That Some Betrothed To Him In The Assembly Have Committed Adultery (Revelation 2:18-29)
  192. The Future Marriage Of The Lamb To His Betrothed Bride (Revelation 19:6-9)
  193. The Holy City, New Jerusalem, The Lamb's Bride (Revelation 21)
  194. The Holy City, New Jerusalem, Is The Assembly Of Believers (Revelation 21)
  195. Why Betrothal? (John 14:2-3)

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© 1999, Isaac Aluochier, All rights reserved. Published by Servants of Yahweh, P O Box 44848, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. E-mail: servantsofyahweh@serveyahweh.org. Permission is hereby GRANTED to reproduce this and other publications in the Servants of Yahweh web site, http://www.serveyahweh.org, unless otherwise stated.