H0781 H0781
To betroth, engage in marriage; in the Piel the man actively contracts the betrothal, in the Pual the woman is described as betrothed.
A verb reserved exclusively for the formal act of betrothal -- the legally binding commitment that preceded marriage in ancient Israel. In the Piel stem, the man is the active party who secures the bride, often with a stated price (2 Sam 3:14: 'whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins'). Hosea transforms this transactional language into breathtaking covenant theology: God betroths Israel 'in righteousness, in justice, in lovingkindness, and in mercy' (Hos 2:19-20), where the bridal price is divine character itself. The Pual passive describes the woman's resulting status as betrothed, a condition carrying serious legal weight in Deuteronomic law (Deut 22:23-28). Spanish 'desposar' and French 'fiancer' both reflect this formal engagement sense.
Senses
1. betroth (Piel: active betrothing) — The Piel (active) sense: to betroth, to contract a marriage engagement. The subject is always the man who secures the bride, sometimes specifying the price paid (2 Sam 3:14) or the covenant gifts given (Hos 2:19-20). Deuteronomy 20:7 exempts from battle a man who has betrothed a wife but not yet married her, highlighting the legal distinction between betrothal and consummation. The multilingual glosses consistently use active engagement terms -- Spanish 'desposar,' French 'fiancer' -- confirming this as a deliberate, formal act rather than a general word for marriage. 6×
AR["تَخْطُبُ", "خَطَبَ", "خَطَبْتُهَا", "وَأَخطُبُكِ"]·ben["এবং-বাগদান-করব-তোমাকে", "তুমি-বাগদান-করবে", "বাগদান-করেছিলাম", "বাগদান-করেছে"]·DE["du-betroth", "hat-betrothed", "ich-betrothed", "und-verlobte"]·EN["I-betrothed", "and-I-will-betroth-you", "has-betrothed", "you-betroth"]·FR["a-fiancée", "et-je-te-fiancerai", "je-betrothed", "tu-betroth"]·heb["אירש", "ארשתי", "ו-ארשתיך", "תארש"]·HI["और-मंगनी-करूँगा-तुझसे", "मँगनी-की-मैंने", "मंगनी-करेगा", "मंगनी-की-है"]·ID["Dan-Aku-akan-meminangmu", "bagiku", "dan-Aku-akan-meminangmu", "engkau-pertunangkan", "meminang"]·IT["e-ti-fidanzerò", "ha-betrothed", "io-betrothed", "tu-betroth"]·jav["kula-pepacangan", "lan-Kawula-pacangan-panjenengan", "panjenengan-tunangan", "sampun-ngepenaken"]·KO["그리고-약혼시키리라-너-를", "약혼하고", "약혼한-바", "약혼했다"]·PT["E-desposar-te-ei", "desposarás", "desposei", "desposou", "e-desposar-te-ei"]·RU["и-обручу-тебя", "обручил", "обручишь"]·ES["Y-te-desposaré", "desposarás", "desposé", "desposó", "y-te-desposaré"]·SW["Na-nitakuposa", "amemposa", "na-nitakuposa", "nilimwoa", "utamchumbia"]·TR["nişanlanacaksın", "nişanlandı", "nişanlandım", "ve-nişanlayacağım-seni"]·urd["اور-منگنی-کروں-گا-تجھ-سے", "منگنی-کرےگا", "منگنی-کی", "میں-نے-منگنی-کی"]
2. be betrothed (Pual: passive state) — The Pual (passive) sense: to be betrothed, describing the woman's status as one who has been formally engaged. Concentrated in Deuteronomy 22:23-28, where the law distinguishes carefully between a betrothed woman and one who is not -- the betrothed woman is legally bound, and violating her carries the same penalty as adultery. Also appears in Exodus 22:16 regarding a virgin who is not betrothed. The passive form underscores that betrothal was a binding legal state, not merely a social expectation. 5×
AR["الْمَخْطُوبَةَ", "الْمَخْطُوبَةُ", "تُخطَب", "تُخْطَبْ", "مَخْطُوبَةٌ"]·ben["বাগদত্তা"]·DE["betrothed", "der-betrothed", "ist-betrothed"]·EN["betrothed", "is-betrothed", "the-betrothed"]·FR["est-fiancée", "fiancée", "le-fiancée"]·heb["אורשה", "ה-מאורשה", "מאורשה"]·HI["मँगनी-हुई", "मंगनी-हुई"]·ID["bertunangan", "ia bertunangan", "yang-bertunangan"]·IT["betrothed", "e-betrothed", "il-betrothed", "è-betrothed"]·jav["dipunpacàngi,", "dipuntunangaken", "ingkang-dipuntunangaken"]·KO["약혼된"]·PT["a-prometida", "desposada", "está-prometida", "prometida"]·RU["-обручённая", "-обручённую", "обручена", "обручённая"]·ES["desposada", "está-desposada", "la-desposada"]·SW["aliyechumbiwa", "amechumbiwa"]·TR["nişanlı"]·urd["منگنی", "منگنی-ہوئی"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [אָרַשׂ] vb. betroth (Mish. ארס, Ph. ארש in n.pr., LagSem i. 50 connects with Arabic أَرْشٌ a fine, lit. pay the price, & so gain the right of possession; cf. Aramaic אָרִיס one who farms land; Assyrian mirsu, tribute, Zehnpf BAS i. 518)—only Pi. Pu.; Pi. Pf. 3 ms. אֵרַשׂ Dt 20:7; אֵרַשְׂתִּי 2 S 3:14; sf. אֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ Ho 2:21(×2), 22; Impf. 2 ms. תְּאָרֵשׂ Dt 28:30;—betroth (subj. man) obj.…