her claim to equal rights being nowhere fully recognised. Hence polygamy was regarded as perfectly justifiable. But we find no trace among the patriarchs of such degradation of the woman, as is found wherever she is regarded as nothing but a slave of the man, affording him the means of perpetuating his race and gratifying his lusts. On the contrary, we find many a proof of the esteem and love which she received as a wife, and of the personal rights which she possessed as the mistress of the house. (2) We also find the inviolable purity of the marriage bed maintained with such severity that adultery was punished with death (Gen. xxxviii. 24), and in the case of the patriarchs it was rendered peculiarly important from their consciousness of a divine call and of the destiny of the family. The strongest incitement to polygamy arose from the desire to maintain and enlarge the family, and this was also the cause of the peculiar institution of the Levirate marriage (see Vol. i., § 86. 2). (1.) Hengstenberg (Beitr. ii. 431 seq.) has made an excellent collection of proofs that general culture was both sought after and possessed: "In the case of the patriarchs it is very apparent, that their wandering mode of life was forced upon them by the fact that they were sojourners in a land, the whole of which was held in possession by its original occupants. We find no marks of the rudeness of nomad tribes. Both mentally and morally they were on a level with civilized nations. They shared in the advantages, conveniences, and luxuries enjoyed by more favoured nations. Jacob possessed a signet-ring; Joseph wore a richly ornamented dress; Abraham paid for the field he bought, in coin; the sons of Jacob also took money with them to purchase corn; and Abraham's servant presented Rebekah with a gold ring and armlets. Wherever it was possible, the nomadic life was immediately relinquished. Lot settled in Sodom, occupied a house there, and entered too readily into the habits of the town. When Abraham went down to Egypt, instead of doing what nomads by profession and inclination have been in the habit of doing for thousands of years, namely taking up his abode in the pasture lands on the border, he went direct to the court of the king (Gen. xii. 10 sqq.). He afterwards settled in Hebron as a home, and was there the prince of God in the midst of the Hittites. (Gen. xxiii.). Isaac lived in the capital of the Philistines, and occupied a house opposite to the palace (Gen. xxvi. 8). He also sowed a field (ver. 12). Jacob built himself a house after his return from Mesopotamia (chap. xxxiii. 17).—Joseph's dream of the sheaves of his brethren bowing down to his sheaf is also an important illustration of the point in question (cf. Vol. i., § 84. 1). (2). There are many proofs that the person of the woman was highly esteemed. The history of Sarah shows, that in several respects she had the right to exercise her own authority in the sphere of domestic life. The consent of the bride was asked on the occasion of her marriage (chap. xxiv. 58). The husband showed the most devoted affection to his wife (chap. xxiv. 67, xxix. 20). The multiplication of wives does not appear to have been entirely dependent upon the caprice of the husband, but was generally founded upon, and defended by the barrenness of the lawful wife (chap. xvi. 2 sqq., xxx. 3, 4, 9). And when any plan was decided upon, which was intended to alter the general condition of the family, the wife was asked to give her consent. Thus, for example, when Jacob fled from Mesopotamia, he explained his reasons to his wives, that he might obtain their approbation (chap. xxxi. 4 sqq.). |