Exod. xxxiv. 15, 16; Deut, vii. 3. The law was extended by Ezra and Nehemiah to intermarriages with all foreigners, on the ground that there was as much danger of contamination from other nations in their time, as there was from the Canaanites anciently, Ezra ix. 2—12; x. 3; Neh. xiii. 23. It was not lawful for a priest to marry a prostitute, a divorced, or a profane woman; and in the case of a high priest the interdiction was extended to widows, and to women of foreign extraction, Lev. xxi. 7, 13, 14. Daughters, who, having no brothers were heiresses to an estate, were commanded to marry some one of their own tribe, and indeed some kinsman, if possible, of more or less remote relationship, lest the estate should go to another tribe or family, Numb. xxvii. 1-11; xxxvi. 1-12.

§. 153. THE MARRIAGE VOW and Dowry.

The marriage vow,, was a covenant between the father and the brothers of the bride, and the father of the bridegroom, made in the presence of witnesses. At a more recent period the covenant was committed to writing, and was sometimes confirmed by the additional precaution of an oath, Prov. ii. 17; Ezek. xvi. 8; Mal. ii. 14. A reference appears to have been made to this oath in the nuptial sacrifices, in Josephus, Antiq. iv. 8, 23. By the marriage vow or covenant, not only was the marriage confirmed, but the amount of the presents which were to be given to the brothers was fixed; and also the dowry, ¬b, which the father received for the bride, was estimated at a certain price, Gen. xxix. 18, 27; xxxiv. 11, 12; Josh. xv. 16; 1 Sam. xviii. 23-26, which varied according to circumstances. In the time of Moses the medium estimation was thirty shekels, and the highest fifty, Deut. xxii. 29; comp. Hos. iii. 1, 2. Wives, who were thus purchased, were often considered by their husbands as mere servants, though there are some instances of their having obtained the ascendancy and reduced their husbands to subjection, 1 Sam. xxv. 19—30; 1 Kings, xi. 2—5; xix.1, The honour which is now rendered to the female sex, originates from the instructions of the apostles, Eph. v. 25-33; 1 Peter, iii. 7.

2.

The wife who was freely given up by her father, without his receiving any pecuniary compensation was the more highly esteemed; and in consequence thereof was proud of her dignity,

Gen. xvi. 5, 6; xxi. 9-11; comp. xxxi. 15. Some obtained a wife as the reward of their bravery, Josh. xv. 16—19; Judg. i. 15; 1 Sam. xviii. 24-27; and it was sometimes, though rarely, the case, that the bride, instead of being purchased by the bridegroom, received a dowry from her father, Josh. xv. 18, 19; Judg. i. 12, 13, 14, 15; 1 Kings, ix. 16.

§. 154. CELEBRATION OF NUPTials.

There was commonly an interval of ten or twelve months between the time when the agreement to marry was made, and the time when the marriage was celebrated, Gen. xxiv. 55; Judg. xiv. 8. From the time of the agreement till its consummation by marriage, although there was no intercourse between the bride and bridegroom, not even so much as an interchange of conversation, they were, nevertheless, considered and spoken of as man and wife. If at the close of this probationary period, the bridegroom should be unwilling to complete his engagements by the marriage of the bride, he was obliged to give her a bill of divorce, the same as if she had been his wife. If the bride were convicted of having had an illicit intercourse with any person between the period of the promise and its consummation, she was condemned to be stoned, the same as if she had been married, Matt. i. 18-20; Luke, ii. 5.

When the day of marriage had arrived, the bride having previously visited the bath, adorned herself splendidly with the choicest of her ornaments. Her head was encircled with a crown; a fact, which is a reason why 2, which primarily means a person that is crowned, should possess the secondary signification of bride. It was the duty of the bridegroom to see that a feast was prepared for the occasion, and in case he was a wealthy person, it was prolonged through the week, Judg. xiv. 17. About evening, the bridegroom, clothed in the festival robe, Is. lxi. 10, attended with a company of young men of about the same age, οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος, and cheered with songs and instrumental music, conducted the bride from her father's house, to the house of his father. She was also surrounded with virgins of her own age, Judg. xiv. 11-16; 1 Mac. ix. 37-47; John, iii. 29; comp. Jer. vii. 34; xxv. 10; xxxiii. 11. In the time of Christ, whenever the bride was conducted by the bridegroom and his attendants to the house of the bridegroom's father,

in case it was evening, the way was lighted by the second sort of flambeaux, that are mentioned in the fortieth section; as we learn not only from the statement in the Talmud, but also from intimations in Matt. xxv. 1-10. Having arrived at the place where the nuptials were to be celebrated, the men began to indulge themselves in feasting and conviviality; while the women, who were assembled in an apartment appropriated to themselves, were equally prompt in partaking of the feast, and in the exhibition of their gaiety and cheerfulness. At length the nuptial blessing, viz. a numerous offspring, was implored upon the parties concerned, Gen. xxiv. 60; Ruth, iv. 11, 12: a ceremony, which, simple and concise as it was, appears anciently to have been the only one that was performed at the consummation of the marriage. At a later period, there were probably some additional ceremonies; for we read in Tobit, vii. 15, that the father took the right hand of his beautiful daughter, and placed it in the right hand of the young Tobias, before he uttered his solemn and impressive blessing. The spouse, who to this time was veiled from head to foot, was at last led into the bed cham

§. 155. CONCUBINES,,.

The ceremonies mentioned in the preceding section, took place only in case of the marriage of a wife properly so called. CONCUBINES, (some of whom had previously acted in the humble capacity of maid servants, and others were females who had possessed their freedom,) were sometimes permanently associated by mutual consent with individuals of the other sex ; but, although this connexion was in fact a marriage, and a legitimate one, it was not celebrated and confirmed by the ceremonies above related. The concubine thus associated had a right to claim the privileges of a wife; and it was no longer in the power of her husband to dispose of her by public sale, even if she had previously been his slave. In order to prevent worse consequences, FATHERS frequently gave concubines to their sons; and, whenever this was the case, they were bound by the laws of the state to treat them with the same tenderness, that they would a daughter or daughter-in-law, Exod. xxi. 9-11. If a woman were made captive in war, she was allowed a month, as a period in which she was at liberty to mourn the loss of her parents and

friends; and neither father nor son was permitted to take her as a concubine, till the expiration of that time.

§. 156. FRUITFULNESS IN THE MARRIAGE STATE.

This was greatly desired. A numerous offspring was considered an instance of the divine favour of the highest kind. Sons were generally more desired than daughters, because they transmitted the name of the father in genealogies. Sterility was looked upon, not only as a ground of great reproach, especially to wives, but as a punishment from God, 1 Sam. i. 6, 7; Psalms, exxvii. 3-5; cxxviii. 4; Hos. ix. 14; Prov. xix. 6; Eccles. vi. 3.

Scarcely less reproach was attached to a state of celibacy, and no prospect, accordingly, was more melancholy to virgins, than that of living and dying unmarried and childless, Gen. xvi. 2— 14; xix. 30-32; xxx. 13; Isaiah, iv. 1; xlvii. 9. Barren wives deemed it expedient to make use of various means to produce or to increase fruitfulness, Gen. xxx. 15, 16. They even offered their servants to their husbands, whose offspring they adopted, Gen. xvi. 1—3; xxx. 1—18.

§. 157. MARRIAGE OF A CHILDLESS BROTHER'S WIDOW.

There was an ancient law, existing prior to the time of Moses, Gen. xxxviii. 8-12; to this effect. If in any case the husband died without issue, leaving a widow, the brother of the deceased, or the nearest male relation,, was bound to marry, D, the widow, to give to the first-born son the name of the deceased kinsman, to insert his name in the genealogical register, and to deliver into his possession the estate of the deceased. This peculiar law is technically denominated the Levirate law, and had its origin without doubt in that strong desire of offspring, which has been mentioned in the preceding section. Moses was aware, that the LEVIRATE LAW was in some respects pernicious, but when he recollected the feeling from which it originated, and the importance of that feeling being cherished, he did not think proper to abolish it. While, therefore, he did not withhold from it his sanction, and thought proper to make it one of the permanent laws of the Jewish state, he reduced it within certain limits, and thereby rendered the injurious consequences as small as possible. He, accordingly, enacted, that whoever was unwilling to marry

the widow of his deceased kinsman, might decline it in the presence of judges, in case he would allow the woman the privilege of taking off his shoes, of spitting in his face, and of addressing him with the disreputable salutation of unshod; an appellation, which in effect would be the same with stigmatizing him, as the destroyer of his father's house, Deut. xxv. 5-10. The disgrace which would be the consequence of such treatment from the widow, was not so great, but a person, who was determined not to marry, would venture to encounter it, Ruth, iv. 7, Matt. xxii. 23-28.

§. 158. CONCERNING ADULTERY.

8;

In those countries where polygamy prevails, the opinion respecting the commission of ADULTERY is this. If a married man have criminal intercourse with a married woman, or with one promised in marriage, or with a widow expecting to be married with a brother-in-law, it is accounted adultery. If he be guilty of such intercourse with a woman who is unmarried, it is considered fornication, . ADULTERY, even before the time of Moses, Gen. xxxviii. 24; was reckoned a crime of a very heinous nature, and was severely punished. In Egypt the nose of the adulteress, in Persia the nose and ears, were cut off, Ezek. xxiii. 25. In the penal code of Moses the punishment annexed to this crime was that of death: but the mode of being put to death is not particularly mentioned, because it was known from custom, Lev. xx. 10. It was not, however, as the Talmudists contend, strangulation, but stoning, as we may learn from various parts of scripture, for instance, Ezek. xvi. 38, 40; John, viii. 5; and as in fact Moses himself testifies, if we compare Exod. xxxi. 14; xxxv. 2; with Numbers, xv. 35, 36. If the adulteress were a slave, the persons guilty were both scourged with a leathern whip, e, the number of the blows not exceeding forty. The adulterer in this instance, in addition to the scourging, was subjected to the further penalty of bringing a trespass-offering, viz. a ram, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to be offered in his behalf by the priest, Lev. xix. 20-22.