GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Adulterer:     1.         A man guilty of adultery; a man who has sexual commerce with any married woman, except his wife.

                         2.         In scripture, an idolater. Ezek 23.

                         3.         An apostate from the true faith, or one who violates his covenant engagements; a very wicked person. Jer 9 and 23.

                         4.         One devoted to earthly things. James 4.

Adulteress:                A married woman guilty of incontinence.

Adultery:       1.         Violation of the marriage bed; a crime, or a civil injury, which introduces, or may introduce, into a family, a spurious offspring.

By the laws of Connecticut, the sexual intercourse of any man, with a married woman, is the crime of adultery in both: such intercourse of a married man, with an unmarried woman, is fornication in both, and adultery of the man, within the meaning of the law respecting divorce; but not a felonious adultery in either, or the crime of adultery at common law, or by statute. This latter offense is, in England, proceeded with only in the ecclesiastical courts.

In common usage, adultery means the unfaithfulness of any married person to the marriage bed. In England, Parliament grant absolute divorces for infidelity to the marriage bed in either party; and the spiritual courts divorce a mensa et thoro.

                         2.         In a scriptural sense, all manner of lewdness or unchastity, as in the seventh commandment.

                         3.         In scripture, idolatry, or apostasy from the true God. Jer 3.

Betroth:         1.         To contract to any one, in order to a future marriage; to promise or pledge one to be the future spouse of another; to affiance; used of either sex. ""The father betroths his daughter.'

                         2.         To contract with one for a future spouse; to espouse; as, a man betroths a lady.

                        3.         The definition of betroth from Easton’s Bible Dictionary: to promise “by one’s truth.” Men and women were betrothed when they were engaged to be married. This usually took place a year or more before marriage. From the time of betrothal the woman was regarded as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed (Deuteronomy 28:30; Judges 14:2, 8; Matthew 1:18-21). The term is figuratively employed of the spiritual connection between God and his people (Hos. 2:19, 20).

Bride:             1.         A woman new married.

But the name is applied to a woman at the marriage festival, before she is married, as well as after the ceremony.

                         2.         A woman espoused, or contracted to be married. The case of Lewellyn, prince of Wales. Henry's Hist. of Britain, B.iv.ch.i.,sect.2. [This is the true original sense of the word.]

Bridegroom:              A man newly married; or a man about to be married. The passage of Shakespeare cited by Johnson proves that the last definition is just.

Concubine:    1.         A woman who cohabits with a man, without the authority of a legal marriage; a woman kept for lewd purposes; a kept mistress.

                         2.         A wife of inferior condition; a lawful wife, but not united to the man by the usual ceremonies, and of inferior condition. Such were Hagar and Keturah , the concubines of Abraham; and such concubines were allowed by the Roman laws.

                        3.         The definition of concubine from Easton’s Bible Dictionary: Concubine in the Bible denotes a female conjugally united to a man, but in a relation inferior to that of a wife. Among the early Jews, from various causes, the difference between a wife and a concubine was less marked than it would be amongst us. The concubine was a wife of secondary rank. There are various laws recorded providing for their protection (Exodus 21:7; Deuteronomy 21:10-14), and setting limits to the relation they sustained to the household to which they belonged (Genesis 21:14; 25:6). They had no authority in the family, nor could they share in the household government. The immediate cause of concubinage might be gathered from the conjugal histories of Abraham and Jacob (Genesis 16;30). But in process of time the custom of concubinage degenerated, and laws were made to restrain and regulate it (Exodus 21:7-9).

                        4.         The definition of a concubine from the Oxford English Dictionary (OED): In reference to polygamous peoples, as the ancient Hebrews and the Mohammedans: A secondary wife whose position is recognized by law, but is inferior to that of a wife. The OED goes on to give a 1563 contextual definition that states: After the phrase of the Scripture a concubine is an honest name; for every concubine is a lawful wife, but every wife is not a concubine. An 1807 entry in the OED states: The most essential difference between a wife and a concubine consisted in the wife having a dowry and the concubine having no dowry.

                        5.         Pilegesh is the Hebrew term for a concubine with similar social and legal standing to a recognized wife, often for the purpose of producing offspring.

A pilegesh was recognized among the ancient Hebrews and enjoyed the same rights in the house as the legitimate wife. Since it was regarded as the highest blessing to have many children, while the greatest curse was childlessness, legitimate wives often gave their maids to their husbands to atone, at least in part, for their own barrenness. The concubine commanded the same respect and inviolability as the wife, and it was regarded as the deepest dishonor for the man to whom she belonged if hands were laid upon her.

According to the Babylonian Talmud (Sanh. 21a), the difference between a pilegesh and a full wife was that the latter received a ketubah [dowry] and her marriage was preceded by a formal betrothal (kiddushin), which was not the case with the pilegesh. However, any offspring created as a result of a union between a pilegesh and a man were on equal legal footing with children of the man and his wife. [Concubinage. (2013, June 12). New World Encyclopedia, Retrieved 15:09, January 31, 2014 from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Concubinage&oldid=969990]

Concupiscence:         Lust; unlawful or irregular desire of sexual pleasure. In a more general sense, the coveting of carnal things, or an irregular appetite for worldly good; inclination for unlawful enjoyments. We know even secret concupiscence to be sin. Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. Rom 7.

Divorce:                     A legal dissolution of the bonds of matrimony, or the separation of husband and wife by a judicial sentence. This is properly called a divorce, and called technically, divorce a vinculo matrimonii. [Webster’s 1828 Dictionary]

Effeminate:   1.         Having the qualities of the female sex; soft or delicate to an unmanly degree; tender; womanish; voluptuous. The king, by his voluptuous life and mean marriage, became effeminate, and less sensible of honor.

                         2.         Womanish; weak; resembling the practice or qualities of the sex; as an effeminate peace; an effeminate life.

                        3.         Note from the author: This phrase also applies to a boy kept for sodomite relations with a man, a man who submits himself to unnatural lewdness, and a male to male prostitute.

Espouse:        1.         To betroth.

When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph. Mat 1.

                         2.         To betroth; to promise or engage in marriage, by contract in writing, or by some pledge; as, the king espoused his daughter to a foreign prince. Usually and properly followed by to, rather than with.

                         3.         To marry; to wed.

                         4.         To unite intimately or indissolubly.

                        5.         The definition of espouse from Easton’s Bible Dictionary: (2 Samuel 3:14), to betroth. The espousal was a ceremony of betrothing, a formal agreement between the parties then coming under obligation for the purpose of marriage. Espousals are in the East frequently contracted years before the marriage is celebrated. It is referred to as figuratively illustrating the relations between God and his people (Jeremiah 2:2; Matthew 1:18; 2 Corinthians 11:2). (See BETROTH.)

Fornication:  1.         The incontinence or lewdness of unmarried persons, male or female; also, the criminal conversation of a married man with an unmarried woman.

                         2.         Adultery. Mat 5.

                         3.         Incest. 1 Cor 5.

                         4.         Idolatry; a forsaking of the true God, and worshipping of idols. 2 Chr 21. Rev 19.

Fornicator:    1.         An unmarried person, male or female, who has criminal conversation with the other sex; also, a married man who has sexual commerce with an unmarried woman. (Note from the author: Matthew 19:9 says that a wife can be a fornicator. Furthermore, if a wife can, so can a husband)

Harlot:           1.         A woman who prostitutes her body for hire; a prostitute; a common woman.

                         2.         In Scripture, one who forsakes the true God and worships idols. Isa 1.

Husband:       1.         A man contracted or joined to a woman by marriage. A man to whom a woman is betrothed, as well as one actually united by marriage, is called a husband. Lev 19. Deu 22.

Lasciviousness:

                        1.         Looseness; irregular indulgence of animal desires; wantonness; lustfulness. Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lasciviousness. Eph 4.

                        2.         Tendency to excite lust, and promote irregular indulgences.

Marry:           1.         To unite in wedlock or matrimony; to join a man and woman for life, and constitute them man and wife according to the laws or customs of a nation. By the laws, ordained clergymen have a right to marry persons within certain limits prescribed. Tell him he shall marry the couple himself.

                         2.         To dispose of in wedlock.

Mecaenas told Augustus he must either marry his daughter Julia to Agrippa, or take away his life. [In this sense, it is properly applicable to females only.]

                         3.         To take for husband or wife. We say, a man marries a woman; or a woman marries a man. The first was the original sense, but both are now well authorized.

                         4.         In Scripture, to unite in covenant, or in the closest connection. Turn, O backsliding children, saith Jehovah, for I am married to you. Jer 3.

Marry, v.i. To enter into the conjugal state; to unite as husband and wife; to take a husband or a wife. If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. Mat 19. I will therefore that the younger women marry. 1 Tim 5.

Polyandry:                The practice of females' having more husbands than one at the same time; plurality of husbands.

Polygamy:                 A plurality of wives or husbands at the same time; or the having of such plurality. When a man has more wives than one, or a woman more husbands than one, at the same time, the offender is punishable for polygamy. Such is the fact in Christian countries. But polygamy is allowed in some countries, as in Turkey.

Polygyny:                   The practice of having more wives than one at the same time.

Sodomite:                  A man who has sexual relations with men.

Sodomitess:               A woman who has sexual relations with women. She is called a whore in Deuteronomy 23:17.

Spouse:                      One engaged or joined in wedlock; a married person, husband or wife. We say of a man, that he is the spouse of such a woman; or of a woman, she is the spouse of such a man.

Uncleanness: 1.         Foulness; dirtiness; filthiness. Be not troublesome to thyself or to others by uncleanness.

                         2.         Want of ritual or ceremonial purity. Lev 15.

                         3.         Moral impurity; defilement by sin; sinfulness. I will save you from all your uncleanness. Ezek 36.

                         4.         Lewdness; incontinence. Col 3. 2 Pet 2.

                        5.         Note from the author: In Deuteronomy 24:1 the word uncleanness refers to something that is not revealed until nakedness occurs. It has to do with a physical deformity.

Unmarried:               Used in scripture of having never been married and also of having been married but now divorced.

 Unmarry:      1.         To divorce. [Webster’s 1828 Dictionary]

                        2.         To dissolve the marriage of; to free from the marriage-tie; to divorce. To put away, to divorce (a wife). Contextual definition: He doth unmarry them, and setteth her at liberty that she may marry with another. [1588 from Mendoza's History of China 401][ All from the Oxford English Dictionary]

            Whore:                      A harlot; a courtesan; a concubine; a prostitute.

Whoredom:   1.         Lewdness; fornication; practice of unlawful commerce with the other sex. It is applied to either sex, and to any kind of illicit commerce.

                         2.         In Scripture, idolatry; the desertion of the worship of the true God, for the worship of idols.

Whoremonger:         The same as whoremaster. One who practices lewdness. (Note from the author: this is applied to a man who uses and consorts with whores.

Wife:                          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 Tim 3. Let every one of you in particular, so love his wife even as himself, and let the wife See that she reverence her husband. Eph 5.