BIBLE DICTIONARY + WORD STUDY
How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.
GREEK · G3423
mnēsteuō — to betroth
μνηστεύω [in LXX for אָרַשׂ pi., pu. ;] 1. to woo and win, espouse. 2. to promise in marriage, betroth; pass., of the woman, to be betrothed: with dative of person(s), Mat.1:18, Luk.1:27 2:5.† (AS)
3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →(2 Sam. 3:14), to betroth. The espousal was a ceremony of betrothing, a formal agreement between the parties then coming under obligation for the purpose of marriage. Espousals are in the East frequently contracted years before the marriage is celebrated. It is referred to as figuratively illustrating the relations between God and his people (Jer. 2:2; Matt. 1:18; 2 Cor. 11:2). (See BETROTH.)
Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.
