Wife: The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise
(Genesis 2:24)
(Matthew 19:4-6) Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but
polygamy early commenced
(Genesis 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
(Exodus 21:10) and
her duties
(Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Timothy 5:14) are specified. She could be
divorced in special cases
(Deuteronomy 22:13-21) but could not divorce her
husband. Divorce was restricted by our Lord to the single case of
adultery
(Matthew 19:3-9) The duties of husbands and wives in their
relations to each other are distinctly set forth in the New Testament
(1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18,19; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
