wife another law which forbad heireffes to marry out of their own tribe w, from which the reft were exempted ; but a man was left to his liberty to marry, not only in any of the twelve tribes, but even out of them, provided it was with nations that used circumcifion *; fuch as the Midianites, Ifhmaelites, Edomites, Moabites, and Egyptians (I). w Num. xxxvi. paff. 7,8. beginning of the verfe? There are three things too hard for me, yea, four, or, rather, a fourth, which I cannot comprehend. What analogy doth the way of a man, whether in or with a maid, bear to that of an eagle in the air, or a fhip in the midft of the fea, &c.? or wherein is the former harder to be underftood than the latter? But if we understand it of the conception of a man in a virgin, as the words feem plainly to imply, then both the analogy and climax will be very natural and the conception of the man, or, as the word, gebber, imports, the mighty man in a virgin,continuing ftill fuch,will appear moft fitly compared to "the flight of an eagle in the air, &c. which leave no trace behind; and, at the fame time, be moft juftly esteemed the hardeft, of all the reft, to be accounted for. This text may therefore juftly be looked upon as parallel to that of Jeremiah xxxi. 22.-The Lord has, or will, create a new thing, a woman fhall incompass gebber, a man, or the mighty man. (I) Accordingly we find, that THESE * Compare Deut. vii. 3. & xxiii. Mofes married a Midianite; Boaz a Moabite (23); Maachah, Abjalom's mother, was the daughter of Talmai, king of Gefbur (24): Amafa was the fon of Jether, an Ishmaelite, by Abigail, David's fifter (25); and Solomon, in the beginning of his reign, married Pharaoh's daughter (26). Whenever, therefore, we find him and other kings blam'd for marrying ftrange women, we must understand it of those nations that were idolatrous and uncircumcifed. This law feems alfo founded upon what the fubtil fons of Jacob faid to the Shechemites ; It is not lawful for us to contract affinity with one that is uncircumcifed (27). However, this must be understood of fuch only as were admitted into the Jewish religion: as for thofe that were not fo, they were not fo much as permitted to have any carnal commerce with them, except in the cafe of an Hebrew foldier's having taken a gentile captive, to whom Mofes indulg'd the liberty of enjoying her once, before the marriage was confirmed: this, at least, seems to be the sense of the 3. 1 Chron. iii. 2. (25) 1 Chror.i. (27) Gen. xxxiv. 14. words; THESE are the main laws relating to marriage. As for the manner of its celebration, Mofes has left no direction about it. Some few ceremonials may be gathered from Scripture, and the reft from the rabbies. We do not find, that it was accompanied with any religious ceremony; fuch as going to the tabernacle or temple, offering of fácrifices, or even that it was performed by or before a přieft: only from the examples of Ifaac with Rebecca, of Boaz with Ruth, and of Tobias with Sarah, we may conclude, that the parents, and the reft of the company, did pray for the profperity of the new-married couple. Thefe nuptials were accompanied with feafting and mirth, which lasted a whole week. Thus Samfon's wedding is faid to have lafted feven days; and Tobias was defired, by his father-in-law, that his might laft twice that spaced; probably, because they were not likely to fee one another after that time (K). THEIR ε e judg. xiv. 17. words (28); becaufe, if he did not like her, he might put her away; only he was to give her liberty, as a récompence for her yirginity. A maid-fervant, tho' converted to Judaifm, was not capable of matrimonial right, whilft her fervitude continued; but, if her redemption was paid, or fhe was manumitted, the might become a wife (29). If a woman was not wholly free, her marriage feems to have been neither in force, nor abfolutely void; because, in cafes of unchaftity, fhe was not to be pnt to death, as the free women were, but only whipt (30). (K) What fplendor did ufually accompany these feafts, where their circumftances wou'd admit of it, we may conclude, from that beautiful comparifon of the pfalmift, of the glory of à Tobit viii. 19, 20. a rifing-fun to a bridegroom coming out of his nuptial chamber (31). He likewife defcribes, in another pfalm, the richness of the bride's attire, the pomp of her attendance,and the grandeur of the folemnity, in most elegant terms (32). The paranymph, or friend of the bridegroom, and the bride-maids,are likewife mentioned here, and in the Canticles. Befides thefe, the bridegroom and bride had a number of companions, that affifted during the whole feaft. Samfon is faid to have had thirty at his wedding (33). However, we must not fuppofe both fexes to have a lifted promifcuoufly; the custom of eaftern countries did not allow of it: and it is much more likely, that they had feparate tables, apartments, and diverfions: thefe laft were fing (28) Deut. xxi. 10, & feq. Vid. of ant. 1. iv. c. 8. Carlton's concord. part i. c. 7. (31) Pfal. xix. 5. (32) Pfal. xlv. pal. Vid. & Ifa. Ixi, 10. (29) Seld. jus nat. & gent. l. v. c. 17. (30) Levit. xx. (38) Judg. XIV, II. VOL. III. ing a THEIR plurality of wives was far from being either charge, or incumbrance, on them, confidering their fimple way of living the domeftic affairs were their province, whilft that of the hufband was the bufinefs of the fields and vineyards. Dreffing of victuals, the care of children, fpinning, carding, weaving, and the like, are often mentioned in the facred books as the occupation of women m; whilst their husbands chofe the more laborious works. However, at the worst, Mofes had indulged them with a remedy, namely, that of, Divorce. 4. DIVORCE, which was permitted to the Jews for the hardness of their hearts, as our Saviour obferves"; neither do we find, that it had ever been practifed by any of the patriarchs (T), whatever it might have been by other na tions. m Vid. int. al. 1 Sam. ii. 19. 2 Sam. viii. 13. Prov. xxxi. 13, & feq. & alib. paff. " Mat. xix. 8. ing, dancing, playing upon mufical inftruments among the women, and fome kind of manly exercifes among the men. To thefe we may add the cuftom of propounding riddles, and affigning fome fort of reward to thofe that expounded them,as we find it was done at Samfon's nuptials (34), and which, the Talmudiffs tell us, was ufually praEtifed upon fuch and the like feftivals (35). They add, that both the bride and bridegroom used to wear a crown during the whole folemnity, until the deftruction of the laft temple; but that, thenceforth, fuch an ornament was fet afide, in memory of that catastrophe (36). We read, indeed, of a nuptial crown made for Solomon, and presented to him by his mother (37) but nothing of the like ornament for the bride. As for the other particular cere monies relating to marriages, as we have no other authority for them but that of the Tal mudifts, we fhall not trouble our readers with them. up (T) The Jews pretend, that Abraham divorced Hagar; and Mofes, either Ziphorah, or Tarbis, the princefs of Ethiopia: and that this was the reason of the quarrel which he had with Aaron and Miriam (38); and from thence conclude, that divorce was not only of earlier date, but that it was lawful on many other accounts,befides that of adultery. But,as to Hagar, whom they pretend to have been divorced for her infolence, it is plain, firft, that the was no wife, but a bond-woman,fubfti tute to Sarah; and, fecondly, that her expulfion was not properly a divorce, because she was received again after the first fault; and that, at the fecond, (34) Fudy. xiv. 12. (35) Pirke aboth. (36) Ibid. Vide Seld, ux. Heb. 1. ii. c. 15. Buxtorf. Synag. & al. (37) Cant. iii. ver. (38) Targ, Onkel. & HierofGrabbin, mult. in Num, xii. 1, & feq. alt. 1 tions. The words of the law, or, rather, permiffion, run thus: "When a man hath taken a wife, and married "her, and it come to pafs that fhe finds no favour in his "eyes, because he has found in her fome uncleannefs (U); "then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give "it into her hand, and fend her out of his house. And "when he is departed fhe may go and be an"other man's wife; and if her fecond husband hate her, "and write her a bill of divorce - or if he chance to "die her former husband shall not take her again "to be his wife, after fhe is defiled; for that is an abo"mination to the LORD." The queftion is here, What is meant by the words, if he find any uncleanness, turpitude, or nakedness, in her? We have seen in the last note, how the Jews are divided in their opinion about it: the Chriftians are no lefs fo; fome confining it to adultery, and others to all enormous crimes, fuch as idolatry, apostasy, and the like; which the Scriptures often call fornication, and is the word made use of by our Saviour for • Deut. xxiv. 1, & feq. : it was her fon's behaviour, and not her own, that fent her away (18) and as to the case of Ziphorah and Tarbis,they are mere fictions,as we may have occafion to fhew in the sequel. So that we do not find one precedent of divorce before the law of Moses; but afterwards they became fo frequent, that the prophets often upbraided the Jews with it (19); and Solomon doth as much condemn the divorce of a virtuous woman, as he doth the keeping of an adulterous one (20). (U) As plain as the import of the text is, yet the famous Hillel has found out a way to evade it, in order to make divorce lawful, even upon the Alightest fault; fuch as spoiling his meat in cooking; or, ac cording to Akkiba, another of & feq. (18) Conf. Gen. xvi. 1, & feq. & xxi. 9, Malach. ii. 14, & feq. . iii. c. 18, & 20. (22) Mat. v. 32, & alib. L 2 (19) Mic ii. 9. adultery. adultery. For our part, we cannot believe any of these cafes to be meant by the words of Moses; because, as these were all capital crimes, it would have been ridiculous to have ordained a divorce against thofe that were to be put to death. We rather think, therefore, that it meant fome involuntary uncleannefs, whether natural, or contracted, which rendered her loathfome in his eyes, or unfit for the nuptial intercourfe; which Chrift therefore difcommends. in the gospel, not only because it was become too frequent, and permitted upon every trivial occafion P; but, allo, to affure the people, that the marriage-knot was not to be diffolved upon any pretence, except that of infidelity (W). Laws P Vide JOSEPH. ant. 1. iv. c. 8, & lib. de vit. fua ad fin. & PHIL. de fpecial. legib. præc. 6, & 7. (W) We may add, that the words (being any, barvath-dabar, and not my 27, debar-harvath; which laft only doth fignify the cafe of turpitude) may be more properly rendered, for any turpitude or immadefty of words, difcourfe, or even behaviour. So that this indulgence might have been defigned to deter the wanton fort of wives from fuch immodeft fpeeches or behaviour as might be apt to difguft a fober hufband; and to infpire them with fuch chaite deportment, as could alone preserve a true conjugal affection. According to this fenfe, alfo, our SAVIOUR's reflection will be very juft; that it was their indocible temper that extorted fuch an indulgence from Mofes, which was manifeftly contrary to the original defign and inftitution of marriage. One thing which fhews that the nuptial breach was not (23) 2 Sam, XX. 3, thought the ground of a divorcement in David's time, is, that that monarch did not repudiate thofe concubines, or wives of the fecond rank,whom his fon Abfalom had publicly debauched; but contented himfelf with fhutting them up for life (23); and that the Levite did not divorce his concubinewife, as the text calls her, after fhe had played the harlot, and forfaken him; but went to seek and bring her home again (24). The fame may be faid of Samfon, who went and demanded his wife, after she had been given to another man (25). To this we may add, that we do not find any inftances, through the whole Old Teftament, of men divorcing their wives,either upon this, or any other account, except thofe who put away the ftrange women they had brought with them from the captivity (26). However that be, it is plain, the Jews have (24) Judg. xix. L, & feq. 2 Sam. iii. 13, & feq. (25) Judg. xv. 1, & feq. (26) Ezra x. pass. Nehem, xiii. 23, & feq. underflood |
