Dictionary of Bible Themes The female partner in a marriage relationship. The origin of this God-ordained institution is traced back in the Bible to the Garden of Eden. Scripture stresses that marriage is a God-ordained institution, within which the husband should love and care for his wife, just as the wife should obey, honour and care for her husband. A good wife is portrayed as a great blessing, but a bad wife influences her husband for evil. In the OT, Israel is sometimes portrayed as God's wife; in the NT, the church is described as Christ's bride. Genesis 1:27God's pattern for marriage See also Husband and wife are one flesh Genesis 2:23-24Malachi 2:15 Matthew 19:4-6 Genesis 2:18 pp Mk 10:6-9 See also The wife as helper and companion Genesis 2:20-22Ephesians 5:23 See also The husband is head of the wife 1 Corinthians 11:31 Peter 3:7 See also The wife is the weaker partner Genesis 3:16Deuteronomy 7:3-4 The Israelites were forbidden to take foreign wives See also Exodus 34:16Joshua 23:12-13 Colossians 3:18 Duties of a wife See also To submit to and respect her husband Ephesians 5:22-24,331 Peter 3:1-6 Proverbs 31:10-31 See also To care for her husband and household Titus 2:4-5Exodus 20:14 To be faithful to her husband See also Numbers 5:11-31pp Dt 5:18 Proverbs 23:27Matthew 14:3-4 Mark 10:12 Luke 3:19 pp Mk 6:17-18 1 Corinthians 7:39-40Advice on widows remarrying See also 1 Corinthians 7:8-9Genesis 25:21 Childless wives See also Genesis 18:9-15Judges 13:2-5 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Luke 1:5-25 Proverbs 31:10-31 Good wives See also 1 Samuel 19:11-17; 25:14-35Proverbs 12:4; 18:22; 19:14 Titus 2:3-5 1 Peter 3:1-6 Matthew 27:19 Wives giving good counsel See also Judges 13:22-23Daniel 5:10-12 Proverbs 12:4 Bad wives See also Proverbs 19:13; 21:19; 25:24Genesis 3:8-12 Wives influencing their husbands for evil See also 1 Kings 11:3-4; 21:20-26Esther 5:9-14 Job 2:9 Jeremiah 3:20 Israel as the wife of God Ezekiel 16:8See also Israel's relationship with God was at times comparable to that of an unfaithful wife Isaiah 62:5Jeremiah 2:2 Ezekiel 16:32 Hosea 1:2; 2:2 Revelation 21:2 The church as the bride of Christ See also Ephesians 5:25-27Revelation 19:7 See also 5094 Jacob5225 barrenness 5659 bride 5675 divorce 5703 inheritance 5708 marriage 5729 one flesh 5733 pregnancy 5743 widows 6242 adultery 6243 adultery, spiritual 7135 Israel, people of God |
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