(2 Samuel 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 (Jeremiah 2:2; Matthew 1:18; 2 Corinthians 11:2). (see BETROTH.) 1. (v. t.) To make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace; to marry; as, to espouse a new belief or principle.

2. (v. t.) To betroth; to promise in marriage; to give as spouse.

3. (v. t.) To take as spouse; to take to wife; to marry.

ESPOUSAL; ESPOUSE

es-pouz'-al, es-pouz':

In the King James Version these words, following English usage of an earlier day, are used to signify either marriage or betrothal, while the American Standard Revised Version discriminates, and uses them only for marriage. For example, in 2 Samuel 3:14, "I espoused to me" (Hebrew 'erasti li) becomes "I betrothed to me." So also, in Matthew 1:18 Luke 1:27; Luke 2:5 which refer to the relation between Joseph and Mary before the birth of Jesus, "espoused" (mnesteuo) becomes "betrothed." On the other hand, "espoused" is retained in Songs 3:11 ("the day of his espousals"-that is, day of marriage); in Jeremiah 2:2 ("the love of thine espousals"-that is, the love of married state); and in 2 Corinthians 11:2 ("I espoused (hermosamen) you to one husband").

E. J. Forrester

3423. mnesteuo -- to espouse, betroth
... to espouse, betroth. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: mnesteuo Phonetic Spelling:
(mnace-tyoo'-o) Short Definition: I ask in marriage Definition: I ask in ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3423.htm - 7k

718. harmozo -- to fit, join, hence to join oneself to (in ...
... Spelling: (har-mod'-zo) Short Definition: I fit, join Definition: I fit, join; mid:
(the middle indicating deep personal interest) I espouse, betroth; mid: I ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/718.htm - 6k

1061. gamisko -- to give in marriage
... give in marriage. From gamos; to espouse (a daughter to a husband) -- give
in marriage. see GREEK gamos. (gamizontai) -- 3 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1061.htm - 6k

781. aras -- to betroth
... engaged (6). betroth, espouse. A primitive root; to engage for matrimony --
betroth, espouse. 780, 781. aras. 782 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/781.htm - 5k

A Preliminary Discourse to Catechising
... They that are not settled hang in suspense; when they think of the joys of heaven
they will espouse the gospel, but when they think of persecution they desert ...
/.../watson/a body of divinity/1 a preliminary discourse to.htm

Christ the Best Husband: or an Earnest Invitation to Young Women ...
... I shall show,. I. How Christ doth espouse himself unto the children, but,
more especially, unto the daughters of men. The Lord Jesus ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/christ the best husband or.htm

"He Hardened his Heart"
... "Dost thou espouse the cause of thy nation's enemy?" he asked. "I espouse the cause
of the oppressed, and which, now, is more oppressed"Egypt or the Hebrew?". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxx he hardened his.htm

The Minister's Farewell
... sometimes trembled for him. Espouse but one phase of the truth, and you shall
be cried up to the very heavens. Become such a Calvinist ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/the ministers farewell.htm

Preface
... They have been zealous to espouse the defence, and to maintain the honor and usefulness
of each apart whereas the honor, as well as the usefulness seems to me ...
/.../doddridge/the rise and progress of religion in the soul/preface.htm

The Conquest of Lydia.
... cross the Halys and attack him; and, thirdly, he felt under some obligation to consider
himself the ally of Astyages, and thus bound to espouse his cause, and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter vii the conquest of.htm

The Best Introduction to this Production Will be the Following ...
... Then the goddesses say to the gods, making the matter plainer, Pege [1062] is
she who is embraced; for did not Juno espouse an artificer? ...
/.../africanus/the writings of julius africanus/the best introduction to this.htm

Treats of How God Suspends the Soul in Prayer by a Trance, Ecstasy ...
... So I think, were he an earthly monarch, but there is need of more fortitude
than you suppose in order to espouse the King of heaven. ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter iv treats of how.htm

On the Feast of St Agatha, or the Holy virgins
... what qualifications such a bride and virgin of God must possess, who desires to
be pleasing and acceptable unto God; so that, at last, He may espouse her unto ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tauler/the inner way/sermon viii on the feast.htm

The Tabernacle of the Most High
... aspire. It is disgraceful to the present century to hear some men talk as
they do. They had better at once espouse the Jewish creed. I ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/the tabernacle of the most.htm

Espouse (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace; to marry;
as, to espouse a new belief or principle. ... ESPOUSAL; ESPOUSE. ...
/e/espouse.htm - 9k

Espoused (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (imp. & pp) of Espouse. Multi-Version Concordance
Espoused (7 Occurrences). Matthew 1:18 Now the birth ...
/e/espoused.htm - 8k

Lead (192 Occurrences)
... 13. (vt) To draw or direct by influence, whether good or bad; to prevail on; to
induce; to entice; to allure; as, to lead one to espouse a righteous cause. 14. ...
/l/lead.htm - 42k

Range (9 Occurrences)
... individual) among others in a line, row, or order, as in the ranks of an army; --
usually, reflexively and figuratively, (in the sense) to espouse a cause, to ...
/r/range.htm - 13k

Espousals (2 Occurrences)

/e/espousals.htm - 7k

Espousal
... maintenance; adoption; as, the espousal of a quarrel. Int. Standard Bible
Encyclopedia. ESPOUSAL; ESPOUSE. es-pouz'-al, es-pouz': In the King ...
/e/espousal.htm - 7k

Betroth (5 Occurrences)
... In Exodus 21:8, 9 the Revised Version (British and American) renders "espouse" for
the "betroth" of the King James Version, the context implying the actual ...
/b/betroth.htm - 9k

Spouse (7 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A married man, in distinct from a spousess or married woman; a bridegroom
or husband. 3. (n.) To wed; to espouse. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. ...
/s/spouse.htm - 9k

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