Wife

The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man "lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued" to prevail all down through Jewish history. The law of Moses regulated but did not prohibit polygamy. A man might have a "plurality of wives, but a wife could have only one husband. A" wife's legal rights (Ex. 21:10) and her duties (Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim. 5:14) are specified. She could be divorced in special "cases (Deut. 22:13-21), but could not divorce her husband." Divorce was restricted by our Lord to the single case of adultery (Matt. 19:3-9). The duties of husbands and wives in their relations to each other are distinctly set forth in the "New Testament (1 Cor. 7:2-5; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18, 19; 1 Pet." 3:1-7).