Espousal, espouse (Hastings' Dictionary)

To espouse (fr. Lat. tponsiu, ptcp. of spondere, to betroth, through Old Fr. espnuser) meant either to betroth or to marry. Thus Camden, Hem. (1637) 414, 'Two Lovers who being espoused, djed both before they were married ' ; but Shaks. litc/i. III. IV. v. 8 — * withal, Bay, that the Queono hath heartily consented, He should espouse Elizabeth her dauKht<.'r.' So also ' espousal ' is nsed in botli senses, and Murray {Ox/. Eng. Diet, .i.v.) thinks marriage is the primary sense. In A V ' e.

ipouse ' occurs 2 S 3" 'Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to mc' (RV, 'whom I betrothed to me,' Heb. '^ 'n^K, whicli always means ' betroth ') j Mt 1", Lk 1" 2", all of the "Virgin Mary (RV 'betrothed'; Gr. firrirrtvu, always ' to atk or engage in marriage ') ; 2 Co 11' 'I have espoused 3'ou to one husband' {rjpixo<Tdtn)y, lit. 'joined you unto,' and here the ref. seems to be to marri.

age, not betrothal, ' I have given you in marriage,' thougli the betrothal, which was also carried out by the bridegroom's friend, may be meant). Espousal is found Ca 3" 'in tlie day of his espousals ' (wjnq 017, ' on the dav of his marriage,' undoubtedly) ;' and Jer 2' ' the love of thine espousals' (TnSiVj njqN, as Cheyne, ' tliy bridal state'). Thus it is probable that Av (following older VSS.

*) used these words indis- criminately, or at least with a less clear distinc- tion than now obtains between betrothal and marriage. For the solemnity of betrothal in Italy ( = England) in Shakespeare's day, see Twelfth Night, IV. iii. 26 : it enables Olivia to speak of Seba.stian as 'husband' (v. 146). It was not less solemn and binding in Israel. See Mabriaoe. j. Hastings.