Here we deal with the practice and understanding of marriage in the life of Israelites beginning with Abraham.
Types of marriage.The marriage practice of the Israelites was very much influenced by the neighboring peoples. There are four types of marriage in ancient Israel: Polygamy (David and Solomon)
which seems to have been the privilege of the rich,bigamy (Leah and Rachel for Jacob) concubines
(Abraham,Sara and Hagar), which involved a legal wife and a concubine, and monogamy which received
more existence mainly in the post exilic period.
Marriage celebration. Marriage was a family affair which required actually no public or religiuos
ceremonies. It became effective by the mere act of bringing the bride into the house of the bridegroom.Though
as an institution it was never in the hands of the priest. It was still celebrated with some religious elements for it was considered to be sacred.
Theology of Marriage. From the account of the creation it is clear that the essence of complementarity and equity is the way that God intended the relationship between man and woman to be from the beginning (Gen. 1,27). But the story of the fall clearly shows that the inequality of the sexes in the life of the Israelites was a punishment that resulted from the fall and was not intended by God from the very beginning. Obviously marriage was presented as God's plan to increase the human race (Gen. 1,28).
There is a deep sense of complementarity, sense of bonding, sense of unity in the narrative of the creation of Eve. This is manifested in marriage as is evident from Gen. 1,20-24. The genesis account clearly shows that God intended marriage in terms of monogamy. The other trends entered into marriage practice through the influence of the people in the midst of whom the Israelites lived.In the later periods of the history of Israel,the
concept of fidelity to the covenant between God and Israel becomes a model for marital relationship (Is. 54, 6-70). Marriage is relationship that should not be taken lightly. In the book of Deuteronomy the indissoluble character of marriage is presented with some exceptions which Jesus would explain as a concession for human weakness (Deut. 24, 1-4)... But prophet Malachi speaks of a significant change in the matter of indissolubility: "For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel" (Mal. 2, 15-16).
Types of marriage.The marriage practice of the Israelites was very much influenced by the neighboring peoples. There are four types of marriage in ancient Israel: Polygamy (David and Solomon)
which seems to have been the privilege of the rich,bigamy (Leah and Rachel for Jacob) concubines
(Abraham,Sara and Hagar), which involved a legal wife and a concubine, and monogamy which received
more existence mainly in the post exilic period.
Marriage celebration. Marriage was a family affair which required actually no public or religiuos
ceremonies. It became effective by the mere act of bringing the bride into the house of the bridegroom.Though
as an institution it was never in the hands of the priest. It was still celebrated with some religious elements for it was considered to be sacred.
Theology of Marriage. From the account of the creation it is clear that the essence of complementarity and equity is the way that God intended the relationship between man and woman to be from the beginning (Gen. 1,27). But the story of the fall clearly shows that the inequality of the sexes in the life of the Israelites was a punishment that resulted from the fall and was not intended by God from the very beginning. Obviously marriage was presented as God's plan to increase the human race (Gen. 1,28).
There is a deep sense of complementarity, sense of bonding, sense of unity in the narrative of the creation of Eve. This is manifested in marriage as is evident from Gen. 1,20-24. The genesis account clearly shows that God intended marriage in terms of monogamy. The other trends entered into marriage practice through the influence of the people in the midst of whom the Israelites lived.In the later periods of the history of Israel,the
concept of fidelity to the covenant between God and Israel becomes a model for marital relationship (Is. 54, 6-70). Marriage is relationship that should not be taken lightly. In the book of Deuteronomy the indissoluble character of marriage is presented with some exceptions which Jesus would explain as a concession for human weakness (Deut. 24, 1-4)... But prophet Malachi speaks of a significant change in the matter of indissolubility: "For I hate divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel" (Mal. 2, 15-16).
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