King James Bible Dictionary

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

Called:

Desire of the Eyes
Ezekiel 24:16

Helpmate
Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:20

Fruitful Vine
Psalms 128:3

The judgment denounced against Eve
Genesis 3:16

Relation of, to husband
Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:3-12

Domestic duties of
Genesis 18:6; Proverbs 31:13-27

Beloved:

By Isaac
Genesis 24:67

By Jacob
Genesis 29:30

Hated
Genesis 29:31-33

Loyal
Genesis 31:14-16

Unfaithful:

General references
Numbers 5:14-31

Potiphar's wife
Genesis 39:7

Bath-Sheba
2 Samuel 11:2-5

Contentious Zipporah
Exodus 4:25

Idolatrous:

Solomon's wives
1 Kings 11:4-8; Nehemiah 13:26

Jezebel
Nehemiah 11:21; 2 Kings 9:30-37

Incorruptible, Vashti
Esther 1:10-22

Tactful, Abigail
1 Samuel 25:3; 1 Samuel 25:14-42

Bought
1 Samuel 1:29; Exodus 21:7-11; Ruth 4:10

Gotten by violence
Jude 1:21

Procured
Jude 1:24; Genesis 34:4-10; Genesis 38:6

Vows of
Numbers 30:6-16

Unclassified scriptures relating to
Genesis 2:18; Genesis 2:23-24; Genesis 3:16; Esther 1:20-22; Psalms 128:3-4; Proverbs 12:4; Proverbs 14:1; Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 19:13-14; Proverbs 25:24; Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 21:19; Proverbs 30:21-23; Proverbs 31:10-31; 1 Corinthians 7:2-6; 1 Corinthians 7:10-14; 1 Corinthians 7:16; 1 Corinthians 7:27-29; 1 Corinthians 7:32-34; 1 Corinthians 7:38-40; 1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Corinthians 11:7-9; 1 Corinthians 11:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35; Ephesians 5:22-25; Ephesians 5:28; Ephesians 5:31; Ephesians 5:33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 3:11; 1 Timothy 5:9-10; 1 Timothy 5:14; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7
Divorce; Marriage; Virgin; Husband; Parents; Widow; Women

[MARRIAGE]

WIFE, noun plural Wives. [G., a woman.]

1. The lawful consort of man; a woman who is united to man in the lawful bonds of wedlock; the correlative of husband.

The husband of one wife 1 Timothy 3:2.

Let every one of you in particular, so love his wife even as himself, and let the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:23.

2. A woman of low employment; as strawberry wives. [Not in use.]