Dict: easton - Wife

Wife @ The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise kjv@Genesis:2:24; kjv@Matthew:19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced kjv@Genesis: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 kjv@Exodus:21:10) and her duties kjv@Proverbs:31:10-31; kjv@1Timothy:5:14) are specified. She could be divorced in special cases kjv@Deuteronomy:22:13-21), but could not divorce her husband. Divorce was restricted by our Lord to the single case of adultery kjv@Matthew:19:3-9). The duties of husbands and wives in their relations to each other are distinctly set forth in the New Testament ( kjv@1Corinthians:7:2-5; kjv@Ephesians:5:22-33; kjv@Colossians:3:18-19; kjv@1Peter:3:1-7).