Bible Dictionary
Wife
A wife is a married woman within the covenant of marriage. Scripture teaches duties of love, fidelity, respect, and mutual care between wives and husbands, while recognizing marriage as God’s ordinance from creation.
Definition
A wife is a married woman within the covenant and household relationship of marriage. Scripture addresses her legal rights, duties, relationship to her husband, and place within the ordinance of marriage.
Biblical Usage
Marriage was sanctioned at creation. Biblical teaching specifies duties between wives and husbands, including mutual care, fidelity, and respect, and the New Testament restricts divorce to the case identified by Christ.
Historical Background
Monogamy was presented as the original law, while polygamy later became common and was regulated by Moses. A wife could not divorce her husband under the stated law, and her legal rights and household duties were specified.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 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 (Ex. 21:10) and her duties (Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim. 5:14) are specified. She could be divorced in special cases (Deut. 22:13-21), but could not divorce her husband. Divorce was restricted by our Lord to the single case of adultery (Matt. 19:3-9). The duties of husbands and wives in their relations to each other are distinctly set forth in the New Testament (1 Cor. 7:2-5; Eph. 5:22-33; Col. 3:18, 19; 1 Pet. 3:1-7).
Smith's Bible Dictionary
[Marriage]
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>wif.</p><p>See MARRIAGE; RELATIONSHIPS, FAMILY.</p>