Rob Colquhoun

In the book of Tobit, there is a beautiful prayer that Tobias makes by his wedding bed for God’s grace and protection. It is especially fitting as his wife Sarah had been in seven previous marriages and a demon called Asmodeus had killed her bridegrooms before they had ever slept with her! Tobias prays, “I do not take my sister for any lustful motive; I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together.” (Tobit chapter 8:7).

In the book of Proverbs, there is an alphabetic poem on the perfect wife. It describes her attributes and virtues. Such alphabetic poems occur frequently in the psalms. The idealized woman concentrates on her usefulness to her husband: “advantage and not hurt she brings him all the days of her life.” Being ‘far beyond the price of pearls,’ the perfect wife is hardworking, earnest, generous, clothed in strength and dignity and keeps watch over the conduct of the household. (Proverbs chapter 31: 1-31).