Family Laws
Law of Husband and Wife
Entice an Maid:
Exodus 22:16
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her,
he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
Adultery:
Exodus 20:14
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Leviticus 20:10
10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even
he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and
the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Test for an Unfaithful Wife: (In the Land)
Numbers 5:12-19
12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside,
and commit a trespass against him,
13 And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and
be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be
taken with the manner;
14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled:
or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
15 Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the
tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon;
for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before YHWH:
17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the
floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:
18 And the priest shall set the woman before YHWH, and uncover the woman's head, and
put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall
have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have
lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy
husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
Vows for wife and her Husband:
Numbers 30:3-16
3 If a woman also vow a vow unto YHWH, and bind herself by a bond, being in
her father's house in her youth;
4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul,
and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every
bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or
of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and YHWH shall forgive
her, because her father disallowed her.
6 And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her
lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it:
then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make
her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she
bound her soul, of none effect: and YHWH shall forgive her.
9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound
their souls, shall stand against her.
10 And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
11 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all
her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then
whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of
her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and theLord shall forgive her.
13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may
establish it, or her husband may make it void.
14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he
establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because
he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then
he shall bear her iniquity.
16 These are the statutes, which YHWH commanded Moses, between a man and
his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
A Stranger or Captive Wife:
Deuteronomy 21:10-14
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and YHWH thy Strong One hath delivered
them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou
wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and
bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and
be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither
she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise
of her, because thou hast humbled her.
Law of Multiple Wives and their Children:
Exodus 21:10
10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage,
shall he not diminish.
Deuteronomy 21:15-17
15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born
him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers
that was hated:
16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he
may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which
is indeed the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a
double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right
of the firstborn is his.
Marriage Violations or Rape:
Deuteronomy 22:22-29
22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall
both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt
thou put away evil from Israel.
23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the
city, and lie with her;
24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them
with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because
he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her:
then the man only that lay with her shall die.
26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of
death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her,
and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels
of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put
her away all his days.
Bill of Divorcement:
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no
favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her
a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in
her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which
took her to be his wife;
4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after
that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the
land to sin, which YHWH thy Strong One giveth thee for an inheritance.
The Prince and his Wives:
Deuteronomy 17:17
17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away:
neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
The Priests and their Wives:
Ezekiel 44:22
22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take
maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.
Forbidden Wives:
Forbidden Wives for the Sons of Zadok:
Forbidden Wives for High Priest:
Law for Children
Honor your Parents:
Exodus 20:12
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long
upon the land which YHWH thy Strong One giveth thee.
Teach your Children the Law:
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
4 Hear, O Israel: YHWH our Strong One is one YHWH:
5 And thou shalt love YHWH thy Strong One with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Chastise your Child:
Keeping Brother's Inheritance:
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of
the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go
in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his
brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to
the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his
brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.
8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and
say, I like not to take her;
9 Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his
shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done
unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.
10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.
Law of Husband and Wife
Entice an Maid:
Exodus 22:16
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her,
he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
Adultery:
Exodus 20:14
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Leviticus 20:10
10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even
he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and
the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Test for an Unfaithful Wife: (In the Land)
Numbers 5:12-19
12 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside,
and commit a trespass against him,
13 And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and
be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be
taken with the manner;
14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled:
or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:
15 Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the
tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon;
for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.
16 And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before YHWH:
17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the
floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:
18 And the priest shall set the woman before YHWH, and uncover the woman's head, and
put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall
have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have
lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy
husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
Vows for wife and her Husband:
Numbers 30:3-16
3 If a woman also vow a vow unto YHWH, and bind herself by a bond, being in
her father's house in her youth;
4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul,
and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every
bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or
of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and YHWH shall forgive
her, because her father disallowed her.
6 And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her
lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it:
then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make
her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she
bound her soul, of none effect: and YHWH shall forgive her.
9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound
their souls, shall stand against her.
10 And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
11 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all
her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
12 But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then
whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of
her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and theLord shall forgive her.
13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may
establish it, or her husband may make it void.
14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he
establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because
he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then
he shall bear her iniquity.
16 These are the statutes, which YHWH commanded Moses, between a man and
his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
A Stranger or Captive Wife:
Deuteronomy 21:10-14
10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and YHWH thy Strong One hath delivered
them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou
wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house, and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and
bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and
be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither
she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise
of her, because thou hast humbled her.
Law of Multiple Wives and their Children:
Exodus 21:10
10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage,
shall he not diminish.
Deuteronomy 21:15-17
15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born
him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers
that was hated:
16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he
may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which
is indeed the firstborn:
17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a
double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right
of the firstborn is his.
Marriage Violations or Rape:
Deuteronomy 22:22-29
22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall
both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt
thou put away evil from Israel.
23 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the
city, and lie with her;
24 Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them
with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because
he hath humbled his neighbour's wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.
25 But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her:
then the man only that lay with her shall die.
26 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of
death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:
27 For he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her,
and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels
of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put
her away all his days.
Bill of Divorcement:
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no
favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her
a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in
her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which
took her to be his wife;
4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after
that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the
land to sin, which YHWH thy Strong One giveth thee for an inheritance.
- False accusations against your wife. (Deut.22:13-19)
- If accusations be true and uncleanness found. (Deut.22:20-21)
The Prince and his Wives:
Deuteronomy 17:17
17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away:
neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
The Priests and their Wives:
Ezekiel 44:22
22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take
maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.
Forbidden Wives:
- Do not take your fathers wife. (Lev.18:7-8)
- Do not take your sister to wife. (Lev.18:9)
- Do not take your granddaughter to wife. (Lev.18:10)
- Do not take your aunt to wife. (Lev.18:12-13-14)
- Do not take your daughter-in-law to wife. (Lev.18:15)
- Do not take your brother's wife. (Lev.18:16)
- Do not take a woman and her daughter as wives. (Lev.18:17)
- Do not take a woman and her granddaughter as wives. (Lev.18:17)
- Do not take two sisters as wives. (Lev.18:18)
- Do not take a strange woman to wife. (Gen.6:2; Ezra.10:2; Neh.13:23-24)
Forbidden Wives for the Sons of Zadok:
- Do not take a wife that is a whore. (Lev.21:7)
- Do not take a wife that is profane. (Lev.21:7)
- Do not take a wife that was put away. (Lev.21:7; Ezek.44:22)
- Do not take a widow unless she has had a Lewite before. (Ezek.44:22)
- Do not take a stranger to wife. (Ezek.44:22)
Forbidden Wives for High Priest:
- Must take a virgin to wife. (Lev.21:13-14)
- Do not take a stranger to wife. (Lev.21:14)
- Do not take a whore to wife. (Lev.21:14)
- Do not take a wife that is profane. (Lev.21:14)
- Do not take a widow. (Lev.21:14)
- Do not take a divorced woman to wife. (Lev.21:14)
Law for Children
Honor your Parents:
Exodus 20:12
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long
upon the land which YHWH thy Strong One giveth thee.
- He that smites his father or mother must be put to death. (Ex.21:15)
- Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death. (Ex.21:17)
- Fear every man his father and mother. (Lev.19:3)
- The daughter of priest that plays the whore must be burnt with fire. (Lev.21:9)
- Consequences for a rebellious son. (Deut.21:18-21)
Teach your Children the Law:
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
4 Hear, O Israel: YHWH our Strong One is one YHWH:
5 And thou shalt love YHWH thy Strong One with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
- Train up a child in the way he should go. (Prov.22:6)
- Forsake not the law of your father. (Prov.4:1-4)
- Whoso keep the law of YHWH is a wise son. (Prov.28:7)
- Do not prostitute your daughter to cause her to be a whore. (Lev.19:29)
Chastise your Child:
- YHWH chastises man as we chastise our children. (Deut.8:5)
- A father that cares for his son corrects him. (Prov.2:11-12)
- He that spares the rod hates his son. (Prov.13:24)
- The rod drives the foolishness of out a child. (Prov.22:15)
- Apply the rod to deliver your child from the grave. (Prov.23:13-14)
- Correct your son. (Prov.29:17)
Keeping Brother's Inheritance:
Deuteronomy 25:5-10
5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of
the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go
in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.
6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his
brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to
the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his
brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.
8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and
say, I like not to take her;
9 Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his
shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done
unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.
10 And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.