VI. Sanctity of Marriage, anel Mutual Rights of Hus- band and Wife. — 1. Though at the creation the wife oc- cupied an equal position with the husband, being a part of him, yet, as she became the cause of his sin, God or- dained it as part of her punishment that the wife should be in subjection to the will of her husband, and that he should be her master, and "rule over her" (Gen. iii, 16), This dependence of the wife on her husband is hence- forth declared by the very Hebrew appellation (^N3) for husband (Exod. xxi, 3, 22), which literally denotes lord, master, owner, and is seen in the conduct of Sarah, who speaks of her husband Abraham as (^2'^N) my lord (Gen. xviii, 12), which is commended by Peter as illus- trating the proper position of a wife (1 Pet. iii, 6). From this mastery of the husband over the wife arose the different standard of virtue which obtained in mar- ried life. The wife, as subject to her husband, her lord and master, was not allowed to practice polyandry ; she was obliged to regard the sanctity of marriage as abso- lute, and any uuchastity on her part was visited with capital punishment ; while the husband could take any unmarried ^\•oman he liked and violate the laws of chastity, as we should view it, with impunity (Gen. xxxviii, 24). This absolute sanctity of marriage on the part of the wife was also acknowledged by other na- tions of antiquity, as is gathered from the narratives of the patriarchs. Thus Abraham knew that Pharaoh would not take Sarah from her husband, and we are told that as soon as the Egyptian monarch discovered that she was a married woman, he immediately restored her to her husband (Gen. xii, 15-19) ; and this is con- firmed by Egyptology, which, based on ancient writers and monuments, shows that he who seduced a married woman received a thousand rods, and that the woman had her nose cut off (Uhlemami, Egypt. Alterthumsk. 11, sec. 25, 65). The same sanctity was attached to a mar- ried woman in Philistia (Gen. xx, 1-18; xxvi, 9-11).
2. Recognising the previously-existing inequality of husband and wife, and basing its laws upon the then prevailing notion that the husband is lord over his mfe, that he can take as many wives as he likes, and send them away whenever he dislikes them, the Mosaic gamology, as a matter of course, could neither impose the same ob- ligation of nuptial fidelity nor confer the same rights on both. This is evident from the following facts : 1. The husband had a right to .expect from his wife connubial chastity, and in case of infidelity could demand her death as well as that of her seducer (Lev. xx, 10; Deut. xxii, 20-22 ; Ezek. xvi, 40 ; John viii, 5). 2. If he be- came jealous and suspicious other, even when she had not been unfaithful, he could bring her before the priest and have administered to her the water of jealousy (Numb, v, 12-31). But if the husband was suspected, or was actually guilty of carnal intercourse with an unmarried woman, no statute was enacted to enable the wife or wives to arraign him for a breach of marriage or in- fringement of her or their rights. Even when he was discovered with another man's wife, it ;vas the injured husband that had the power to demand the death of the
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seducer, hut not the wife of the criminal. 3. If the wife vowed anything to the Lord, or imposed uijon lierself vohmtary obhgations to the Deity, her husband coidd nulHCy it (Numb, xxx, G-8). 4. He could send her away or divorce her when she displeased him (Deut. xxiv, 1- 4). The woman, again, is protected by the following laws: l.When a Hebrew maiden is sold by her father to a man, with the understanding that she is to be his half-wife (n:a5< = i:35l:"'B, Exod. xxi, 7; Judg. ix, 18 vrith Judg. viii, 31), the law enacts that, in case her master and intended husband is displeased with her, and lie refuses to redeem his promise — i, he is not to keep licr till the sabbatic year, and then give her her liberty lilce ordinary servants; ii, he is not to sell her to any one else as a wife; iii, he may give her to his son as a STiie, and in that case must treat her as a daughter-in- law ; iv, if he gives his son an additional wife, she is to obtain — a, her food, h, raiment, and, c, conjugal right as heretofore ; and, v, if these three last-mentioned points are refused to her, she is forthwith to be set at liberty (Exod. xxi, 7-11). 2. If he maliciously impugns her chastity, he is to be scourged, and loses his right over her to divorce her (Deut. xxii, 13-19)- 3. If she has children, thev must render equal obedience to her as to the father (Exod. xx, 12; Deut. xxvii, 16). 4. The luisband must not vex her by marrying two sisters si- multaneously (Lev. xviii, 18). 5. He is not allowed to annoy his less-beloved wife by transferring the primo- geniture from her son to the child of his favorite wife (Deut. xxi, 15-17). 6. If her husband dislikes her, he is not arbitrarily to dismiss her, but give her a " bill of divorcement"' (Dent, xxiv, 1), which requires the in- terposition of legal advisers. 7. When a woman is di- vorced, or her husband dies, she is free, and at liberty to marry any one she likes, as is evident from the en- actments in Lev. xxi, 7, 8, 13; Deut. xxiv, 2-4; xxv, 6, which are based upon this fact.