Betroth

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Μνηστεύω (Strong'S #3423 — Verb — mnesteuo — mnace-tyoo'-o )

in the Active Voice, signifies "to woo a woman and ask for her in marriage;" in the NT, only in the Passive Voice, "to be promised in marriage, to be betrothed,"  Matthew 1:18;  Luke 1:27;  2:5 , RV, "betrothed," (AV, "espoused"). See Espoused.

King James Dictionary

BETROTH', be and troth, truth, faith. See Truth, and Troth.

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. To nominate to a bishopric,in order to consecration.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (v. t.) To nominate to a bishopric, in order to consecration.

(2): (v. t.) To promise to take (as a future spouse); to plight one's troth to.

(3): (v. t.) To contract to any one for a marriage; to engage or promise in order to marriage; to affiance; - used esp. of a woman.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Deuteronomy 28:30 Judges 14:2,8 Matthew 1:18-21 Hosea 2:19,20

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Betroth. See Marriage.

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

See Betrothed

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(properly אָרִשׁ , Arash ' , Μνηστεύομαι ). A man and woman were betrothed or espoused, each to the other, when they were engaged to be married. (See Espouse). Among the Hebrews this relation was usually determined by the parents or brothers, without consulting the parties until they came to be betrothed. The engagement took place very early, as is still the case in Oriental countries, though it was not consummated by actual marriage until the spouse was at least twelve years of age. The betrothing was performed a twelvemonth or more before the marriage, either in writing, or by a piece of silver given to the espoused before witnesses, as a pledge of their mutual engagements. Sometimes a regular contract was made, in which the bridegroom always bound himself to give a certain sum as a portion to his bride. From the time of espousal, however, the woman was considered as the lawful wife of the man to whom she was betrothed: the engagement could not be ended by the man without a bill of divorce; nor could she be unfaithful without being considered an adulteress. Thus Mary, after she was betrothed to Joseph, might, according to the rigor of the law, have been punished if the angel of the Lord had not acquainted Joseph with the mystery of the incarnation ( Deuteronomy 28:30;  Judges 14:2;  Judges 14:8;  Matthew 1:18-21). (See Marriage).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bē̇ - troth ´, bē̇ - trōth ´ (ארשׂ , 'āras ): On betrothal as a social custom see Marriage . Hosea, in his great parable of the prodigal wife, surpassed only by a greater Teacher's parable of the Prodigal Son, uses betrothal as the symbol of Yahweh's pledge of His love and favor to penitent Israel ( Hosea 2:19 ,  Hosea 2:20 ). In  Exodus 21:8 ,  Exodus 21:9 the Revised Version (British and American) renders "espouse" for the "betroth" of the King James Version, the context implying the actual marriage relation.