Topical Bible: Marriage: The Jews: Considered Being Debarred From, a Cause of Grief

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Marriage holds a significant place within Jewish tradition and biblical teachings, serving as a foundational institution ordained by God. The Jewish understanding of marriage is deeply rooted in the creation narrative, where God establishes the union between man and woman. Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." This verse underscores the divine intention for marriage to be a union of companionship, love, and mutual support.

In Jewish culture, marriage is not merely a personal or social contract but a covenantal relationship that reflects God's covenant with His people. It is seen as a mitzvah, a commandment, and a sacred duty. The importance of marriage is further emphasized in the Talmud, where it is said that a man who is not married lives without joy, blessing, and goodness.

The prospect of being debarred from marriage, therefore, is a cause of profound grief within the Jewish community. This is evident in various biblical narratives and laws that highlight the significance of marriage and the sorrow associated with its absence. For instance, in the account of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, her initial barrenness and the resulting inability to fulfill the role of a wife and mother brought her deep anguish. 1 Samuel 1:10 describes her state: "In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears."

The grief associated with being unable to marry or bear children is also reflected in the cultural and social expectations of the time. In ancient Jewish society, marriage was often seen as a means of securing one's legacy and ensuring the continuation of the family line. The inability to marry or have children could lead to social stigma and personal despair.

The Levirate marriage law, as outlined in Deuteronomy 25:5-10, further illustrates the importance placed on marriage and progeny. If a man died without having children, his brother was expected to marry the widow to produce offspring in the deceased brother's name. This law underscores the cultural imperative to maintain family lineage and the grief associated with its potential disruption.

Moreover, the prophetic literature often uses the imagery of marriage to describe the relationship between God and Israel. The grief of being debarred from marriage can be paralleled with the spiritual desolation experienced when Israel strays from its covenant with God. The book of Hosea, for example, uses the metaphor of an unfaithful marriage to depict Israel's infidelity to God, highlighting the sorrow and longing for restoration.

In summary, within the Jewish tradition and biblical context, marriage is a deeply valued institution, and being debarred from it is a source of significant grief. This grief is not only personal but also communal, reflecting broader themes of covenant, legacy, and divine relationship.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 11:38
And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Treatise on the Priesthood. Book iii.
... knowledge of their own souls, or considered the gravity ... and ineffectual sacrifices
of the Jews with the ... encouraged abstinence from a second marriage: and many ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/treatise on the priesthood book 3.htm

Of the Discipline of the Church, and Its Principal Use in Censures ...
... on the power of the keys, which is considered, sec.1 ... from the commendation of virginity
as superior to marriage. ... against the hypocrisy of the Jews, in thinking ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 12 of the discipline.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners Or, a Brief Relation of ...
... that until I came to the state of marriage, I was ... When I have considered also the
truth of His resurrection, and ... that died by the hands of the Jews, come again ...
/.../bunyan/grace abounding to the chief of sinners/grace abounding to the chief.htm

Of Preparation.
... And the man who came to the marriage-feast without his ... may appear by the misery of
the Jews ever since ... The worthiness of this sacrament is considered three ways ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/i of preparation.htm

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
... until I came to the state of marriage, I was ... me the less; especially when I considered,
that though it ... doth think his own religion rightest, both Jews and Moors ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/grace abounding to the chief.htm

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians ...
... the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage: neither can ... whom he hath called,
not of the Jews only, but ... of God; but such hath not considered, that God's ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/john bunyan on the terms.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... the king himself boasted of being their pupil ... several times, celibacy is still
considered by Zoroastrians an inferior state to that of marriage. ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

Footnotes
... for them, I shall lose the cause." (Curate Calder ... one in which after sermon, the
marriage ceremony was ... When he preached in Glasgow, which being the minister of ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/footnotes.htm