wifeאִשָּׁה
ishshah · Hebrew Noun
The legal and social contract between a man and woman in Israelite society, established through covenantal commitment and intended to be a permanent, exclusive bond.
misconductעֲלִילָה
alilah · Hebrew Noun
A serious legal accusation regarding a woman's moral behavior or purity, which carried significant consequences for the reputation and standing of her and her family within the covenant community.
virginityבְּתוּלִים
betulim · Hebrew Noun
A state of sexual purity and integrity before marriage, highly valued in the Old Testament as a prerequisite for honor and the foundational state of a covenant marriage.
eldersזָקֵן
zaqen · Hebrew Noun
The recognized leaders of an Israelite town who served as the local judicial authority, responsible for hearing legal disputes, ensuring justice, and maintaining the moral standards of the community.
gateשַׁעַר
sha'ar · Hebrew Noun
The public area of an ancient city, typically at the main entrance, where business was conducted, legal judgments were rendered, and justice was publicly administered.
eldersזָקֵן
zaqen · Hebrew Noun
A collective term for the leaders and mature men of a community responsible for judicial, administrative, and religious oversight in ancient Israel. They served as judges and guardians of the law, reflecting a society where wisdom and experience were honored as essential for justice.
hatesשָׂנֵא
sane · Hebrew Verb
To experience an intense feeling of strong aversion, dislike, or enmity. Biblically, it often denotes a deep relational fracture or an active rejection of another person, standing in opposition to the command to love.
misconductעֲלִילָה
alilah · Hebrew Noun
In this legal context, it refers to a formal accusation or a charge of wrongdoing. More broadly, it implies an act of betrayal or moral failure that violates a covenant or standard of conduct.
virginityבְּתוּלִים
betulim · Hebrew Noun
A state of sexual purity or abstinence before marriage. It is highly valued in the biblical narrative as a prerequisite for marriage, symbolizing consecration and fidelity to the future spouse.
cloakשִׂמְלָה
simlah · Hebrew Noun
A garment worn as an outer layer. In this specific legal setting, it functions as a witness or token of physical evidence presented to substantiate a claim of purity, symbolizing the domestic and marital reality of the woman.
shekelsשֶׁקֶל
sheqel · Hebrew Noun
A monetary unit used in ancient Israel. It served as a standard of value for trade, penalties, and redemptive payments, reflecting the economic framework of Israelite civil law.
bad nameשֵׁם
shem · Hebrew Noun
To speak or act in a way that damages someone’s reputation. In Hebrew law, this was a serious offense, as a person's name represented their character and integrity before the community.
wifeאִשָּׁה
ishshah · Hebrew Noun
A legal and covenantal union between a man and a woman established before witnesses and God. It is meant to be a permanent, exclusive, and faithful partnership reflecting the covenantal relationship between God and His people.
divorceשָׁלַח
shalach · Hebrew Verb
The formal, legal dissolution of a marriage. While permitted under specific conditions in Mosaic Law as a concession to human hardness of heart, it is ultimately opposed to God’s ideal for marriage as a lifelong, unbreakable bond.
whoringזָנָה
zanah · Hebrew Verb
The practice of sexual immorality outside of the covenant of marriage, often used metaphorically in Scripture to describe idolatry or unfaithfulness to God. It involves a violation of the sexual purity required by God's law.
outrageous thingנְבָלָה
nebalah · Hebrew Noun
An act of gross wickedness, folly, or disgrace that violates the moral, ethical, and religious standards of the covenant community. It is something 'out of place' and repulsive to God's holiness.
purgeבָּעַר
ba'ar · Hebrew Verb
The action of removing or eradicating sin, moral impurity, or ungodly influences from the community of Israel to maintain covenantal purity. It signifies the responsibility of the collective to ensure holiness.
betrothedאָרַשׂ
aras · Hebrew Adjective/Participle
In the Old Testament context, a formal state of engagement that was considered legally binding and equivalent to marriage, despite the marriage not yet being fully consummated or the couple living together. Breaking this commitment was considered adultery.
seizesחָזַק
hazaq · Hebrew Verb
To force oneself upon another, often implying an act of violence or overpowering to achieve sexual intercourse without the consent of the other person.
betrothedארוּשָׂה
arusah · Hebrew Adjective/Participle
A young woman who is promised in marriage to another man; in ancient Israelite law, she possessed a legal status equivalent to a wife, making sexual relations with another man equivalent to adultery.
virginבְּתוּלָה
betulah · Hebrew Noun
A young, unmarried woman, often implying purity or lack of previous sexual experience.
lies withשָׁכַב
shakhav · Hebrew Verb
A legal act of sexual intimacy; in biblical law, it carries a sense of forced or illicit sexual union that imposes binding consequences on the perpetrator.
violatedעָנָה
anah · Hebrew Verb
To humble, afflict, or defile; in a sexual context, it refers to the degradation of a woman's honor and the violation of her personal sanctity.
divorceשָׁלַח
shalach · Hebrew Verb
To legally terminate a marriage; biblically, it represents the dissolution of the covenantal bond between a husband and wife.
shekelsשֶׁקֶל
sheqel · Hebrew Noun
A Hebrew monetary unit; silver shekels were the standard currency used for legal payments, fines, and trade in ancient Israel.
