The Woman's Bible - free ebook by Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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The Woman's Bible

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

150 chapters

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150 chapters

PART I.

PART I.

Comments on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. "In every soul there is bound up some truth and some error, and each gives to the world of thought what no other one possesses."—Cousin. 1898. By Elizabeth Cady Stanton "We took sweet counsel together."—Ps. Iv., 14. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Clara Bewick Colby, Rev. Olympia Brown, Rev. Augusta Chapin, Frances Ellen Burr, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Clara B. Neyman, Mary Sey

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FOREIGN MEMBERS.

FOREIGN MEMBERS.

Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg, Finland, Ursula M. Bright, England, Irma Von Troll-Borostyant, Austria, Priscilla Bright Mclaren, Scotland, Isabelle Bogelot, France...

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COMMENTS

COMMENTS

By Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe Hanaford, Clara Bewick Colby, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Mrs. Louisa Southworth, Frances Ellen Burr. So many letters are daily received asking questions about the Woman's Bible,—as to the extent of the revision, and the standpoint from which it will be conducted—that it seems best, though every detail is not as yet matured, to state the plan, as concisely as possible, upon which those who have been in consultation du

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

August 1st, 1895....

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INTRODUCTION.

INTRODUCTION.

From the inauguration of the movement for woman's emancipation the Bible has been used to hold her in the "divinely ordained sphere," prescribed in the Old and New Testaments. The canon and civil law; church and state; priests and legislators; all political parties and religious denominations have alike taught that woman was made after man, of man, and for man, an inferior being, subject to man. Creeds, codes, Scriptures and statutes, are all based on this idea. The fashions, forms, ceremonies a

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The most important thing for a woman to note, in reading Genesis, is that that portion which is now divided into "the first three chapters" (there was no such division until about five centuries ago), contains two entirely separate, and very contradictory, stories of creation, written by two different, but equally anonymous, authors. No Christian theologian of to-day, with any pretensions to scholarship, claims that Genesis was written by Moses. As was long ago pointed out, the Bible itself decl

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ELOHISTIC. —- IAHOISTIC.

ELOHISTIC. —- IAHOISTIC.

Order of Creation: —- Order of Creation: First—Water. —- First—Land. Second—Land. —- Second—Water. Third—Vegetation. —- Third—Male Man, only. Fourth—Animals. —- Fourth—Vegetation. Fifth—Mankind; male and female. —- Fifth—Animals. —- Sixth—Woman. In this story male and female man are created simultaneously, both alike, in the image of the gods, after animals have been called into existence. —- In this story male man is sculptured out of clay, before any animals are created, and before female man

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E. B. D.

E. B. D.

Many orientalists and students of theology have maintained that the consultation of the Gods here described is proof that the Hebrews were in early days polytheists—Scott's supposition that this is the origin of the Trinity has no foundation in fact, as the beginning of that conception is to be found in the earliest of all known religious nature worship. The acknowledgment of the dual principal, masculine and feminine, is much more probably the explanation of the expressions here used. In the de

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L. D. B.

L. D. B.

Genesis ii, 21-25. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and be took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof. 22 And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one fl

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

In v. 23 Adam proclaims the eternal oneness of the happy pair, "This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh;" no hint of her subordination. How could men, admitting these words to be divine revelation, ever have preached the subjection of woman! Next comes the naming of the mother of the race. "She shall be called Woman," in the ancient form of the word Womb-man. She was man and more than man because of her maternity. The assertion of the supremacy of the woman in the marriage relation is

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L. D. B.

L. D. B.

Genesis iii: 1-24. 1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Note the significant fact that we always hear of the "fall of man," not the fall of woman, showing that the consensus of human thought has been more unerring than masculine interpretation. Reading this narrative carefully, it is amazing that any set of men ever claimed that the dogma of the inferiority of woman is here set forth. The conduct of Eve from the beginning to the end is so superior to that of Adam. The command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge was given to the man alone

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L. D. B.

L. D. B.

Genesis iv: 1-12, 19, 21. 1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. 5 B

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Nothing would be more interesting in connection with the "Woman's Bible" than a comparative study of the accounts of the creation held by people of different races and faiths. Our Norse ancestors, whose myths were of a very exalted nature, recorded in their Bible, the Edda, that one day the sons of Bor (a frost giant), Odin, Hoener, and Loder, found two trees on the sea beach, and from them created the first human pair, man and woman. Odin gave them life and spirit, Hoener endowed them with reas

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C. B. C.

C. B. C.

Genesis v: 1, 2. 1. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him. 2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. Here we have the first account of the dual creation verified. Man and woman a simultaneous creation, alike in the image of God. The dual relation, both in the Godhead and humanity, is here again declared, though contradicted in the intervening chapte

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Genesis vi: 1-8, 14-22. 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose. 3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. 4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto t

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

A careful study of the Bible would alter the views of many as to what it teaches about the position of women. The trouble is too often instead of searching the Bible to see what is right, we form our belief, and then search for Bible texts to sustain us, and are satisfied with isolated texts without regard to context, and ask no questions as to the circumstances that may have existed then but do not now. We forget that portions of the Bible are only histories of events given as a chain of eviden

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C. B. C.

C. B. C.

In the story "of the sons of God, and the daughters of men"—we find a myth like those of Greek, Roman and Scandinavian fable, demi-gods love mortal maidens and their offspring are giants. Then follows the traditional account of some great cataclysm of the last glacial epoch. According to the latest geological students, Wright, McGee and others; the records of Niagara, the falls of St. Anthony and other glacial chasms, indicate that the great ice caps receded for the last time about seven thousan

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L. D. B.

L. D. B.

Genesis xxi. 1 And the lord visited Sarah as he had said. 2. For Sarah bare Abraham a son in his old age. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had home unto Abraham, mocking. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her s

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Genesis xxiii. 1 And Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years old. 2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him. 6 Hear us,

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The cruelty and injustice of Abraham and Sarah, as commented on by Mrs. Stanton, doubtless stand out much more prominently in this condensed account than their proper proportions to the motives which actuated the figures in the drama. If we take any part of the story we must take it all, and remember that it had been promised to Abraham that of Ishmael a great nation should be born. Whether this was an actual revelation from God, or a prophetic vision that Abraham had, or is interpolated by the

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C. B. C.

C. B. C.

Abraham has been held up as one of the model men of sacred history. One credit he doubtless deserves, he was a monotheist, in the midst of the degraded and cruel forms of religion then prevalent in all the oriental world; this man and his wife saw enough of the light to worship a God of Spirit. Yet we find his conduct to the last degree reprehensible. While in Egypt in order to gain wealth he voluntarily surrenders his wife to Pharaoh. Sarah having been trained in subjection to her husband had n

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L. D. B.

L. D. B.

Genesis xxiv. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shall not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell. 38 But thou shalt go unto my fathers house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son. 39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: 4

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

This romantic pastoral is most instructive as to the high position which women really held among the people whose religious history is the foundation of our own, and still further substantiates our claim that the Bible does not teach woman's subordination. The fact that Rebekah was drawing water for family use does not indicate lack of dignity in her position, any more than the household tasks performed by Sarah. The wives and daughters of patriarchal families had their maid-servants just as the

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C. B. C.

C. B. C.

Genesis xxv. 1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, unto the east country. 7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which be lived, a hundred and three score and fifteen years. 8 Then Abraham gav

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Keturah is spoken of as a concubine in I Chronicles i, 32. As such she held a recognized legal position which implied no disgrace in those days of polygamy, only the children of these secondary wives were not equal in inheritance. For this reason the sons of Keturah had to be satisfied with gifts while Isaac received the patrimony. Notice the charge of Abimelech to his people showing the high sense of honor in this Philistine. He seems also in the 10th verse to have realized the terrible guilt t

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C. B. C.

C. B. C.

Genesis xxix. 1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east. 3 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks; and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. 3 And thither were all the flocks gathered, and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place. 4 And Jacob said unto them, My b

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Mrs. Stanton's statements concerning the undeveloped religious sentiment of the early Hebrews cannot be criticized from the orthodox standpoint as in this account, where the God of Abraham is represented as taking an active personal interest in the affairs of the chosen people, they did not trust wholly to Him, but kept images of the gods of the neighboring tribes in their houses, Laban feeling sorry enough over their loss to go seven days' journey to recover them while his daughter felt she cou

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C. B. C.

C. B. C.

Genesis xxix, xxxi. 18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man; abide with me. 20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 A

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Genesis xxxv. 8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-el under an oak; and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. 9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. 10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: Thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 16 And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Genesis xxxix. 1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the Ishmaelites, which bad brought him down thither. 2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house and all that he had he put into his hand. 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his ma

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The literal translation of the first verse of chapter xxxix of Genesis is as follows: "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, Pharaoh's eunuch, chief of the cooks, an Egyptian bought him of the Ishmaelites who brought him down." These facts which are given in Julia Smith's translation of the Bible throw a new light on the story of Joseph and the woman who was Potiphar's wife only in name....

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CHAPTER 1.

CHAPTER 1.

Exodus i. 1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt: every man and his household came with Jacob. 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah. 16 And he said, When ye d

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus ii. 1 And there went a man of the house of Levi and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman bare a son: and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 3 And when she could not longer hide him she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to w

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus iv. 18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus xii. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in tile land of Egypt, both man and beast: and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 18 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see that blood, I will pass over you, and the plague not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passov

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus xviii. 1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt; 2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back. 3 And her two sons; of which the name of one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land: 4 And the name of the other was Eliezer: for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivere

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus xv. 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. After many previous disappointments from Pharaoh, the children of Israel were permitted to start from Egypt and cross the Red Sea, while Pharaoh and his host in pursuit, were overwhelmed in the waters. The

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus xxxii. 1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Exodus xxxiv. 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee; 13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, who is a jealous God. 15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

At every stage of his existence Moses was indebted to some woman for safety and success. Miriam, by her sagacity, saved his life. Pharaoh's daughter reared and educated him and made the way possible for the high offices he was called to fill; and Zipporah, his wife, a woman of strong character and decided opinions, often gave him good advice. Evidently from the text she criticised his conduct and management as a leader, and doubted his supernatural mission, for she refused to go out of Egypt wit

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Leviticus iv, vi. 22 When a ruler hath sinned and somewhat through ignorance, against any of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty. 23 Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: 27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be don

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Leviticus xix. 3 If ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 20 If And whosoever cohabits with a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged: they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering. 22 And the priest shall make an ato

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Amid the long list of directions for sacrifices and injunctions against forbidden actions, chapter xii gives the law of purification, not only degrading motherhood by the observance of certain ceremonies and exclusion from the sanctuary, but by discriminating against sex, honoring the birth of a son above that of a daughter. According to the Levitical law, the ewe lambs were not used for sacrifice as offerings to the Lord, because they were unclean. This was an idea put forth by the priests and

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Numbers i. And the Lord spake unto Moses in tire wilderness of Sinai, saying, 2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls: 3 These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. In this

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Numbers v. 1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel. that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: 3 Both male and female that they defile not their camps. 4 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12 If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him. 14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and she be defiled: or if she be not defiled: 15 Then shall the man bring his wife unto th

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Numbers xii. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. 2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both came forth. 6 And He Said, Hear now my words: If th

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Numbers vi. 1 And the Lord said unto Moses, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, unto the Lord. 5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. The Nazarites, both men and women, allowed their hair to grow long, as the hair

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The origin of the command that women should cover their heads is found in an old Jewish or Hebrew legend which appears in literature for the first time in Genesis vi. There we are told the Sons of God, that is, the angels, took to wives the daughters of men, and begat the giants and heroes, who were instrumental in bringing about the flood. The Rabbins held that the way in which the angels got possession of women was by laying hold of their hair; they accordingly warned women to cover their head

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L. S.

L. S.

Numbers xxvii. 1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh, the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahiah, Noah, and Hogiah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in t

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The account given in this chapter of the directions as to the division or inheritance of property in the case of Zelophehad, and his daughters shows them to be just, because the daughters are to be treated as well as the sons would be; but the law thereafter given, apparently suggested by this querying of Zelophehad's daughters in reference to their father's possessions is obviously unjust, in that it gives no freedom to the owner of property as to the disposition of the same after his death, i.

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P. A. H.

P. A. H.

Numbers xviii. 11 And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. 19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever befor

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Numbers xxii. 21 And Balsam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Numbers xx. 1 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. 2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth. 3 If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, 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 hat

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Woman is here taught that she is irresponsible. The father or the husband is all. They are wisdom, power, responsibility. But woman is a nonentity, if still in her father's house, or if she has a husband. I object to this teaching. It is unjust to man that he should have the added responsibility of his daughter's or wife's word, and it is cruel to woman because the irresponsibility is enslaving in its influence. It is contrary to true Gospel teaching, for only, in freedom to do right can a soul

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P. A. H.

P. A. H.

Numbers xxxi. 9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles with fire. 12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jeri

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

But how thankful we must be that we are no longer obligated to believe, as a matter of fact, of vital consequence to our eternal hope, each separate statement contained in the Pentateuch, such for instance, as the story related in Numbers xxxi!—where we are told that a force of twelve thousand Israelites slew all the males of the Midianites, took captive all the females and children, seized all their cattle and flocks, (seventy-two thousand oxen, sixty one thousand asses, six hundred and seventy

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P. A. H.

P. A. H.

Zipporah the wife of Moses was a Midianite, Jethro her father was a priest of some sagacity and consideration. When he met Moses in the desert he gave him valuable advice about the government of his people, which the great lawgiver obeyed. The sons of Zipporah and Moses, Gershon and Eliezer, were therefore of Midianite blood, yet Moses sent an army of twelve thousand armed for war; a thousand of each tribe, with orders to slay every man. If the venerable Jethro was still alive he must have been

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L. D. B.

L. D. B.

Numbers xxxii. 1 And the chief fathers of the families or the children of Gilead drew near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel: 2 And they said, The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, th

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E. C. S..

E. C. S..

Moses gave what appears to be, in the light of this Christian era, a just judgment when he decided that the daughters of Zelophehad should inherit their father's property, but he gave as the law of inheritance the direction that "if a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter;" thus, as I think, unjustly discriminating between women who have brothers and women who have none, and he goes on further to deal unjustly with women when he directs that the

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Deuteronomy i. 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them; 6 The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: 7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, a

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Deuteronomy vii. 1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it and hath cast out many nations before thee. 2 Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: 3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 4 For they will turn away thy son from following me. 5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye sh

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Deuteronomy xiii. 6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; 7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; 8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neith

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Deuteronomy xvii. 1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Lord thy God any bullock or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evil favouredness: for that is an abomination unto the Lord thy God. 2 If there be found among you, man or woman that hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his covenant: 3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded; 4 And it be told thee, and tho

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Deuteronomy xviii. 9 When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer, 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. One would thin

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EVENING PRAYER.

EVENING PRAYER.

"O God, Thou hast let me pass the day in peace: let me pass the night in peace, O Lord, who hast no Lord! There is no strength but in Thee: Thou alone hast no obligation. Under Thy hand I pass the day! under Thy hand I pass the night! Thou art my Mother, Thou my Father!" Placing the mother first shows they were taught by Nature that she was the prime factor in their existence. In the whole Bible and the Christian religion man is made the alpha and omega everywhere in the state, the church and th

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

In the early chapters of this book Moses' praises of Hebrew valor in marching into a land already occupied and utterly destroying men, women and children, seems much like the rejoicing of those who believe in exterminating the aboriginees in America. Evidently Moses believed in the survival of the fittest and that his own people were the fittest. He teaches the necessity of exclusiveness, that the hereditary traits of the people may not be lost by intermarriage. Though the Israelites, like the P

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THE PENTATEUCH.

THE PENTATEUCH.

The primal requisite for the more accurate understanding of the Bible is its translation from the past to the present tense. It has been studied as history, as the record of a remote past whose truth it has been well-nigh impossible to verify. It should be studied as a record of the present, the present experience of the individual and the race which is to ultimate in the perfect actualization of generic possibilities. Like the tables of stone the Bible is written on both sides; or it has a lett

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U. N. G.

U. N. G.

As the Revising Committee refer to a woman's translation of the Bible as their ultimate authority, for the Greek, Latin and Hebrew text, a brief notice of this distinguished scholar is important: Julia Smith's translation of the Bible stands out unique among all translations. It is the only one ever made by a woman, and the only one, it appears, ever made by man or woman without help. Wyclif, "the morning star of the Reformation," made a translation from the Vulgate, assisted by Nicholas of Here

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DAUGHTERS OF THE ABOVE

DAUGHTERS OF THE ABOVE

Hancy Zephina, born March 16, 1787. Died June 30, 1871. Cyrinthia Sacretia, born May 18, 1788. Died August 19, 1864. Laurilla Aleroyla, born November 26, 1789. Died March 19, 1857. Julia Evelina, born May 27, 1792. Died March 6, 1886. Abby Hadassah, born June 1, 1797. Died July 23, 1878. Julia was educated at Mrs. Emma Willard's far-famed seminary at Troy, New York. Abby, the youngest of the family, was the one who added to their fame, when, in November, 1873, at a town meeting in Glastonbury, s

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EIGHTY YEARS AND MORE

EIGHTY YEARS AND MORE

(1815-1897.) This new work by our distinguished countrywoman is a 12mo of 475 pp., complete in one volume, cloth bound, with eleven portraits. Price $2.00. I Dedicate This Volume To Susan B. Anthony, My Steadfast Friend For Half A Century....

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PREFACE

PREFACE

The interest my family and friends have always manifested in the narration of my early and varied experiences, and their earnest desire to have them in permanent form for the amusement of another generation, moved me to publish this volume. I am fully aware that its contents have no especial artistic merit, being composed partly of extracts from my diary, a few hasty sketches of my travels and people I have met, and of my opinions on many social questions. The story of my private life as the wif

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PRESS COMMENTS.

PRESS COMMENTS.

It is a very readable book.—Albany Times-Union. The Reminiscences are delightful.—The Louisville Dispatch. The tale is as interesting as any romance or drama.—N. Y. Mail and Express. A bright, entertaining tale, and one which contains much valuable information.—N. Y. Herald. We know of no other autobiography which will command more profound interest.—The Rocky Mountain News. It is the life story of a genuine American woman and will excite wide interest.—The Minneapolis Tribune. A breezy narrativ

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SPEECHES, LETTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS

SPEECHES, LETTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS

12mo, 500 pp., cloth, five portraits. Price $2.00. This work will be similar in style and binding to Eighty Years and More, will contain valuable editorial notes by Theodore Stanton, A. M., and will be published in January, 1899. New York European Publishing Company And Paris...

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REVISING COMMITTEE.

REVISING COMMITTEE.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford. Clara Bewick Colby. Rev. Augusta Chapin. Mary Seymour Howell. Josephine K. Henry. Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll. Sarah A. Underwood. Catharine F. Stebbins. Ellen Battelle Dietrick. Ursula N. Gestefeld. Lillie Devereux Blake. Matilda Joslyn Gage. Rev. Olympia Brown. Frances Ellen Burr. Clara B. Neyman. Helen H. Gardener. Charlotte Beebe Wilbour. Lucinda B. Chandler. Louisa Southworth. Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg, Finland. Ursula M. Bright, England. Irm

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PART I.

PART I.

A 12mo, 160 pp. paper. Third American and Second English Edition. Twentieth Thousand. Price 50 Cents. It contains Comments on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Clara Bewick Colby, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Louisa Southworth, Frances Ellen Burr. A 12mo, 217 pp. paper. First American Edition, Ten Thousand. Price 50 Cents. It contains Comments on The Old and New Testaments from Joshua t

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PRESS COMMENTS

PRESS COMMENTS

The comments are right up to date.—Cincinnati Tribune. The most humorous book of the year.—The Hartford Seminary Record. Of all possible books this is perhaps the most extraordinary possible. —The Week, Toronto, Canada. A very clever analysis of passages relating to the sex.—Public Opinion, N. Y. City. The new Woman's Bible is one of the remarkable productions of the century.—Denver News. A unique edition of the Scripture. An extraordinary presentment of Holy Writ!—Denver Times. The work is uniq

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COMMENTS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

COMMENTS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

"OH! Rather give me commentators plain, Who with no deep researches vex the brain; Who from the dark and doubtful love to run. And hold their glimmering tapers to the sun." —The Parish Register. 1898. The Bible in its teachings degrades Woman from Genesis to Revelations....

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REVISING COMMITTEE.

REVISING COMMITTEE.

"We took sweet counsel together."-Ps. Iv., 14. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Clara Bewick Colby, Rev. Augusta Chapin, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Mary Seymour Howell, Josephine K. Henry, Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll, Sarah A. Underwood, Ellen Battelle Dietrick,[FN#4] Lillie Devereux Blake, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Rev. Olympia Brown, Frances Ellen Burr, Clara B. Neyman, Helen H. Gardener, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, Lucinda B. Chandler, Catharine F. Stebbins, Louisa Southworth. [FN#4] Deceased..

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FOREIGN MEMBERS.

FOREIGN MEMBERS.

Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg, Finland, Ursula M. Bright, England, Irma Von Troll-Borostyani, Austria, Priscilla Bright Mclaren, Scotland, Isabelle Bogelot, France. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, Louisa Southworth, Lucinda B. Chandler, Anonymous, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Frances Ellen Burr, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Clara B. Neyman....

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APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Josephine K. Henry, Frances E. Willard, Eva A. Ingersoll, Mary A. Livermore, Irma von Troll-Borostyani, Mrs. Jacob Bright, Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell, Anonymous, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Ednah D. Cheney, Sarah A. Underwood, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Alice Stone Blackwell, Ursula N. Gestefeld, E. M., Matilda Joslyn Gage, Sarah M. Perkins, and Catharine F. Stebbins. Resolution Of National-American Woman Suffrage Association repudiating "The Woman's Bible," and Speech of

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Judges i. 19 And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain: but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. Judges ii. 6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel. 8 And

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The writer of the Book of judges is unknown. Professor Moore, of Andover Theological Seminary, supposes that the author used as a basis for his work an older collection of tales wherein the heroes of Israel and the varying fortunes of the people were related, and which, like all good tales, pointed a moral. In all Jewish literature is to be found the same moral—namely, that the prime cause of all of the evils which befell the Jewish people was unfaithfulness to Jehovah. "Adherence to the written

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C. B. N.

C. B. N.

Judges iv. 4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth- el in Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 And she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh- naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the childr

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Judges v. Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. 3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I will sing unto the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. 4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. 5 The mountains melted from before the

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C. B. N.

C. B. N.

Judges viii. 30 And Gideon had three score and ten sons: for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. Judges ix. 52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to break his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man, his armour-bearer, and said unto him,

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The ideal womanhood portrayed by ancient writers has had by far too much sway. The prevailing type which permeates all literature is that of inferiority and subjection. In early times Oriental poets often likened woman to some clear, flawless jewel, and made them serve simply as ornaments, while, on the other hand, they were made subordinate by the legislation of barbarous minds; and men, because of their selfish passion, have inflicted woe after woe upon them. Ancient literature is wholly again

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L. S.

L. S.

Judges xiii. And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren. 3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren; but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: 5 For, lo, thou shalt bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God; and he sh

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L. B. C.

L. B. C.

Judges xiv. 1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife. 3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto h

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The writer of the Book of Judges would fail in his endeavor to present a complete picture of his time, did he omit the important characteristic of a woman and her influence upon man therein portrayed. In Delilah, the treacherous, the sinister, the sensuous side of woman is depicted. Like Vivian, in the Idyls of King Arthur, Delilah uses— nay, abuses—the power which she had gained over Samson by virtue of her beauty and her personal attractions. She uses these personal gifts for a sinister purpos

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C. B. N.

C. B. N.

"Colonial days" is the felicitous term given by Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott to the period of nearly three centuries following the campaign against the inhabitants of Canaan, when the Israelites took possession of their land. The Book of, Judges is a record of those "colonial days;" and they are described also in the first part of the book which bears the name of the prophet Samuel. During those Hebrew "colonial days," as Dr. Abbott states, "there was no true Capital—indeed, no true Nation. There were

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P. A. H.

P. A. H.

Ruth i. 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem—Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Ruth ii. 1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean cars of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem . . . 7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came. 8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not,

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

1 Samuel i. 1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah. 2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. 4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: 5 But unto Ha

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

1 Samuel xxv. 2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail; and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings. 4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

1 Kings i. 11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign. Go . . . unto King David, and say unto him, Didst thou not swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then doth Adonijah reign? 15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king. . . . And the king said, What wouldst thou? 17 And she said unto him, Thou swarest unto thine handmaid, s

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

In Bath-sheba's interview with David one feature impresses me unfavorably, that she stood before the king instead of being seated during the conference. In the older apostolic churches the elder women and widows were provided with seats—only the young women stood; but in the instance which we are considering the faithful wife of many years, the mother of wise Solomon, stood before her husband. Then David, with the fear of death before his eyes and the warning words of the prophet ringing in his

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M. J. G.

M. J. G.

1 Kings x. 1 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. 2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 3 And Solomon told her all her questions. 4 And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built, 5 And th

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

There have been a great number of different views held in regard to the Queen of Sheba, both in reference to the signification of the name "Sheba," and also in relation to the country from which this famous personage made a visit to Solomon. Abyssinia, Ethiopia, Persia and Arabia have each laid claim to this wise woman. Menelik, the present king of the former country, who so effectually defeated Italy in his recent war with that country, possesses the same name as, and claims descent from, the f

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M. J. G.

M. J. G.

1 Kings xvii. 8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee. 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow was there gathering sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water and a morsel of bread. 12 And she said, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse; and I am gat

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

All we know about Jezebel is told us by a rival religionist, who hated her as the Pope of Rome hated Martin Luther, or as an American A. P. A. now hates a Roman Catholic. Nevertheless, even the Jewish historian, evidently biassed against Jezebel by his theological prejudices as he is, does not give any facts whatever which warrant the assertion that Jezebel was any more satanic than the ancient Israelitish gentleman, to whom her theological views were opposed. Of course we, at this stage of scie

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E. B. D.

E. B. D.

2 Kings iv. 1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything save a pot of oil. 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, 4 And when

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Esther i. 2 In those days when King Ahasuerus sat upon the throne in the palace at Shushan, 3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces being before him: 4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days. 5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The feast, with the preliminary exhibition of the king's magnificent palace and treasures, was not a social occasion in which the king and the queen participated under the same roof. The equal dignity of woman and of queen as companion of the king was not recognized. The men feasted together purely as a physical enjoyment. If there was any intellectual feature of the occasion it is not recorded. On the seventh day, when appetite was satiated and the heart of the king was merry with wine, as a fu

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L. B. C.

L. B. C.

Esther ii. After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. 2 Then said his servants, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king: 3 And let him appoint officers in all the provinces that they may gather together the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, 4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. 5 Now in Shush

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The record fails to state whether or not the king's judgment was modified in regard to Vashti's refusal to appear on exhibition when his wrath abated. But the decree had gone forth, and could not be altered; and Vashti banished, no further record of her fate appears. The king's ministers at once set about providing a successor to Vashti. The king in those days had the advantage of the search for fair young virgins, in that he could command the entire collection within his dominions. The only con

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L. B. C.

L. B. C.

Job i. There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God. 2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4 And his sons feasted in their houses; and sent and called for their three sisters to ea

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PSALMS.

PSALMS.

Psalms xlv. 9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house; 11 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift: even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour. 13 The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing

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PROVERBS

PROVERBS

ix., 13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. xi., 16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches. xiv. Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. xvii., 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her that bare him. xix., 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord. xxi., 9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling w

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ECCLESIASTES.

ECCLESIASTES.

This book, written in Solomon's old age, is by no means comforting or inspiring. Everything in life seems to have been disappointing to him. Wealth, position, learning, all earthly possessions and acquirements he declares alike to be "vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit." To one whose life has been useful to others and sweet to himself, it is quite impossible to accept these pessimistic pictures of human destiny. Eccles. ii. I said in mine heart, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enj

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THE SONG OF SOLOMON.

THE SONG OF SOLOMON.

The name of God does not appear in this Song, neither is the latter ever mentioned in the New Testament. This book has no special religious significance, being merely a love poem, an epithalamium, sung on nuptial occasions in praise of the bride and the groom. The proper place for this book is before either Proverbs or Ecclesiastes, as it was written in Solomon's youth, and is a more pardonable outburst for his early days than for his declining years. The Jewish doctors advised their young peopl

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ISAIAH.

ISAIAH.

The closing books, of the Old Testament make but little mention of women as illustrating individual characteristics. The ideal woman is used more as a standard of comparison for good and for evil, the good woman representing the elements of success in building up the family, the tribe, the nation, as a devout worshiper of the God of Israel; the wicked woman, the elements of destruction in the downfall of great cities and nations. As woman is chosen to represent the extremes of human conditions s

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DANIEL.

DANIEL.

The name of this Prophet in Hebrew was "Da##il,"[FN#5] which signifies "the judgment of God." His Chaldean name was Bethshazzai. He was of the tribe of Judah of the royal family. Josephus calls him one of the greatest of the Prophets. [FN#5] Redactor's note. Text was illegible. Daniel v. Belshazzar the king made a great feast and commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his princes, his

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MICAH.

MICAH.

Micah ii. 9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory forever. Micah vii. 6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law. Here the Israelites are rebuked for their cruel treatment of their own people, robbing widows and selling children into slavery. Family life as well as public affairs seems to have become unsettled. The contempt and the vio

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MALACHI.

MALACHI.

Malachi ii. 11 Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. These Israelites were always violating t

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F. E. B.

F. E. B.

"Great is Truth, and mighty above all things."—1 Esdras, iv., 41. Does the New Testament bring promises of new dignity and of larger liberties for woman? When thinking women make any criticisms on their degraded position in the Bible, Christians point to her exaltation in the New Testament, as if, under their religion, woman really does occupy a higher position than under the Jewish dispensation. While there are grand types of women presented under both religions, there is no difference in the g

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Jesus was the great leading Radical of his age. Everything that he was and said and did alienated and angered the Conservatives, those that represented and stood for the established order of what they believed to be the fixed and final revelation of God. Is it any wonder that they procured his death? They had no power to put him to death themselves, and so they stirred the suspicions of the Roman authorities. We owe the conquest of Christianity to two things. First, to Paul. Christianity never w

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Matthew i. 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Saint Matthew is supposed to be distinguished from the other Apostles by the frequency of his references to the Old Testament. He records more particulars of Jesus th

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L. C. S.

L. C. S.

In regard to the charge against Herodias, which is current among theological scandal-mongers, there is not a moderately intelligent jury of Christendom (if composed half of men and half of women) which, after examining all the available evidence, would not render a verdict in her favor of "Not Guilty." The statement that She "paid the price of her own daughter's debasement and disgrace for the head of John the Baptist," is an assertion born wholly of the ecclesiastical, distorted imagination. No

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E. B. D.

E. B. D.

Matthew xv. 21 Then Jesus departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples besought him to send her away. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of .Israel. 25 Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he said, It is not meet to take the chi

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Matthew xxv. 1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgi

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Mark iii. 31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, 32 And the multitude sat about him, and said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren seek for thee. 33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? 34 And he looked round about and said. Behold my mother and my brethren! 35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister and mother. Many of the same texts found in the Book of Matthew are repeated

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Luke i. 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 And they had no child; and they both were now well stricken in years. 8 And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priest's office before God—his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The sentiment concerning the equality of male and female, which Paul avowed to the Galatians, is perfectly in accord with what "Luke" reports of Jesus' own custom. It will be remembered that the chief adherents of Paul accepted only this report (and this only partly) as worthy of credit; and therein we find the statement that many female ministers had accompanied Jesus and the male ministers, as they wandered (in Salvation Army fashion) "throughout every city and village preaching." It is true t

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E. B. D.

E. B. D.

John ii. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Is it not astonishing that so little is in the New Testament concerning the mother of Christ? My own opinion is that she was an excellent woman, and the wife of Joseph, and that Joseph was the actual father of Christ. I think there can be no reasonable doubt that such was the opinion of the authors of the original Gospels. Upon any other hypothesis it is impossible to account for their having given the genealogy of Joseph to prove that Christ was of the blood of David. The idea that he was the S

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ANON.

ANON.

Acts v. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And kept back a part of the price, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The Rev. Dr. Edwin Hatch expresses the latest decision of historical theology concerning Paul, in frankly confessing: "His life at Rome and all the rest of his history are enveloped in mists from which no single gleam of certain light emerges. . . . The place and occasion of his death are not less uncertain than are the facts of his later life. . . The chronology of the rest of his life is as uncertain as the date of his death. We have no means of knowing when he was born, or how long he lived,

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E. B. D.

E. B. D.

Romans xvi. I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you; for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 6 Greet Mary, who bestowed mu

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Martin Luther had good cause to declare: "There is something in the office of a bishop which is dreadfully demoralizing. Even good men change their natures at consecration; Satan enters into them, as he entered into Judas, as soon as they have taken the sop." But to return to the primitive Church, a famous Apostle of that simple era was Priscilla, a Jewess, who was one of the theological instructors of Apollos (the fellow-minister, or fellow-servant, to whom Paul refers in his first letter to th

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E. B. D.

E. B. D.

1 Corinthians vii. 2 Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that bel

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

In this chapter Paul laments that all men are not bachelors like himself; and in the second verse of that chapter he gives the only reason for which he was willing that men and women should marry. He advised all the unmarried and all widows to remain as he was. Paul sums up the whole matter, however, by telling those who have wives or husbands to stay with them—as necessary evils only to be tolerated; but sincerely regrets that anybody was ever married, and finally says that, "they that have wiv

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ANON.

ANON.

1 Corinthians xi. 3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8 For the man is not of the woman;

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The injunctions of St. Paul have had such a decided influence in fixing the legal status of women, that it is worth our while to consider their source. In dealing with this question we must never forget that the majority of the writings of the New Testament were not really written or published by those whose names they bear. Ancient writers considered it quite permissible for a man to put out letters under the name of another, and thus to bring his own ideas before the world under the protection

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L. S.

L. S.

1 Corinthians xiv. 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for woman to speak in the church. The church at Corinth was peculiarly given to diversion and to disputation; and women were apt to join in and to ask many troublesome questions; hence they were advised to consult their husbands

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Ephesians v. 22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 31 For this cause shall a man le

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

1 Timothy ii. 9 In like manner, also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety: not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array: 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived wa

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

The injunction that women should adorn themselves through good works was sensible. The Apostle did not imply that this adornment was not already possessed by women. Neither did he testify that the generations of men, of Prophets and of Apostles had been objects of the good works and all the ministrations of self-abnegation, which are required only of the mothers of men. Comparatively few women, who have fulfilled the special function which man assigns to them as their chief duty in life, lack th

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L. B. C.

L. B. C.

1 Timothy iii. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well in his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity: 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, no

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L. B. C.

L. B. C.

1 Peter iii. 1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 3 Whose adorning, let it not be that out, ward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel. Woman's influence is most clearly set forth by all the Apostles in mee

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

2 John i. 1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. 12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink; but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. Some critics conjecture that the Church at Jerusalem is meant by the "ele

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CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.

Revelation i. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 4 John to the seven churches which are in

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M. J. G.

M. J. G.

This book is styled the Apocalypse or Revelation, and is supposed to have been written by John, called the Divine, on the Island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea, whither he was banished. Professor Goldwin Smith, in a recent work entitled "Guesses at the Riddle of Existence," thinks that we have but little reliable information as to the writers of either the Old or the New Testaments. In this case the style is so different from that of John, that the same Apostle could not have written both books. W

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E. C. S.

E. C. S.

Revelation xii. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child travailed in birth. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and the dragon stood before the woman to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 An

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M. J. G.

M. J. G.

Here is a little well intended respect for woman as representing the Church. In this vision she appears clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, which denotes her superiority, says the commentator, to her reflected feebler light of the Mosaic dispensation. The crown of twelve stars on her head represents her honorable maintenance of the doctrines of the Church. just as the woman was watched by the dragon, and her children devoured, so was the Church watched and persecuted by the emissa

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APPENDIX.

APPENDIX.

"Ignorance is the mother of devotion."—Jeremy Taylor. The following letters and comments are in answer to the questions: 1. Have the teachings of the Bible advanced or retarded the emancipation of women? 2. Have they dignified or degraded the Mothers of the Race? Dear Mrs. Stanton:—I believe, as you said in your birthday address, that "women ought to demand that the Canon law, the Mosaic code, the Scriptures, prayer-books and liturgies be purged of all invidious distinctions of sex, of all false

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A MONTHLY MAGAZINE

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE

Subscription $2.50 a Year. 25 Cents a Copy. Edited by John Clark Ridpath, LL.D. To preserve for the people one unmuzzled organ of Public Opinion in which Truth is the criterion and the Betterment of Conditions the end and aim,—such is the purpose of The Arena. —The Editor. Specimen Copy Free The Arena Company Copley Square Boston For sale by all booksellers. Sent postpaid on receipt of price. "According to Homer, Nestor, the old warrior and the wise counselor of the Greeks, had ruled over three

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THE WOMAN'S TRIBUNE

THE WOMAN'S TRIBUNE

Published Fortnightly at 1325 Tenth Street, N, W., Washington, D. C. (Founded in 1883 at Beatrice, Neb.) The Woman's Tribune is one of the two National Woman Suffrage papers in the United States, and being published at the National Capital, has many points of advantage. It reports all important features of National and State work of Woman Suffrage Associations; gives a summary of whatever relates to the advancement of women and general progress; has choice poetry, book reviews, a corner for Zint

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THE PACIFIC EMPIRE

THE PACIFIC EMPIRE

A Weekly Publication Conducted By Women For Women. It is devoted to the interests of women and the development of art and literature in the Pacific Northwest. It contains serial and short stories depicting true characters and original types of the Wild West; "Household Work," "What to Wear," "Literary Comment," and "Woman's Work" filling its pages. It is the one woman's journal of the Pacific Coast. Subscription Price, $1.00 per Year in Advance. L. M. Miller, C. C. Coggswell, Editors. Address Ti

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THE BOSTON INVESTIGATOR

THE BOSTON INVESTIGATOR

Lemuel K. Washburn, Editor. Ralph Washburn Chainey, Associate Editor. The Oldest and Most Progressive Reform Journal in the United States. The Investigator is devoted to Universal Mental Liberty. For more than sixty years this paper has maintained the battle for Liberty against a world of opposition. It has borne the brunt of the battle. Thus it may well be called "the tried and true friend of human rights." It has had for its grand aim the elevation of man through the truth and moral education.

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