denied the adulterous woman. Moreover, the belly of the guilty wife would swell because of the curse, but not due to the blessing of pregnancy.

This was by no means a trial by ordeal such as those practiced in the Dark Ages and that sometimes required a virtual miracle to survive. There was nothing in the water itself to cause the affliction. However, it was holy water and had in it holy ground or dust and the writing of the cursings washed off in it. Therefore, it contained powerful symbolisms, and it was drunk before Jehovah and with a solemn oath to him. There was no uncertainty as to the outcome of matters. If the woman was guilty, Jehovah caused the drink to have miraculous potency to produce the deserved results. Adultery carried the death penalty, but in this instance there were not the required two witnesses. (Num. 35:30; Deut. 19:15) Also, usually in this case the identity of the guilty man, who would likewise be worthy of death, had not been revealed.

FALSE PROPHET

See PROPHET.

FAMILY

[Heb., mish·pa·hhahʹ, family; by extension, a tribe or people, nation; Gr., pa·tri·aʹ].

Jehovah God is the originator of the family arrangement. He is the Father of his heavenly family and the one to whom ‘all the lines of descent on earth owe their name.’ (Eph. 3:14, 15) This is so because Jehovah established the first human family, and it was by this means that he purposed the earth to be filled. Additionally, he permitted Adam, though a sinner, to have a family and have children “in his likeness, in his image.” (Gen. 5:3) In his Word he has since made clear that he accords great importance to the divinely granted power of procreation, the means by which a man can carry on his name and family line in the earth.—Gen. 38:8-10; Deut. 25:5, 6, 11, 12.

THE STRUCTURE AND CONSERVATION OF THE FAMILY

In ancient Hebrew society the family was the basic unit. The family was a small government, the father as head being responsible to God, and the mother as the subordinate manager over the children in the household. (Acts 2:29; Heb. 7:4) The family, with the husband as head and the wife as helper, was, in a small way, a reflection of the grand family of God. God is represented in the Bible as a husband, with the “Jerusalem above” as the mother of his children.—Gal. 4:26; compare Isaiah 54:5.

The family in patriarchal times may be compared in some respects to the modern corporation. There were some things owned by family members as personal. But, for the most part, the property was held in common, with the father managing its disposal. A wrong committed by a member of the family was considered as a wrong against the family itself, especially its head. It brought reproach on him and he was responsible, as the judge of the household, to take the necessary action on the matter.—Gen. 31:32, 34; Lev. 21:9; Deut. 22:21; Josh. 7:16-25.

Monogamy was the original standard Jehovah set for the family. Although polygamy was later practiced, polygamy was always against the original principle that God laid down. He tolerated it until his due time to restore his original standard, which he has done in the Christian congregation. (1 Tim. 3:2; Rom. 7:2, 3) Under the Law covenant he recognized the existence of polygamy and regulated it so that the family unit was still kept intact and operative. It was Jehovah himself who said: “That is why a man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” And it was his Son who quoted these words and went on to say: “So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has yoked together let no man put apart.” (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6) The record indicates that Adam had only one wife, who became “the mother of everyone living.” (Gen. 3:20) Noah’s three sons, who began the repopulation of the earth after the global flood, were all sons of one father and one mother, and each son passed through the Flood with but one wife.—Gen. 8:18; 9:1; 1 Pet. 3:20.

UNDER THE LAW COVENANT

In giving the Ten Commandments to Israel, God gave attention to the integrity of the family unit. “Honor your father and your mother” is the fifth commandment, the first commandment with a promise. (Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2) A child rebellious against his parents was as one rebellious against the governmental arrangement established by God as well as against God himself. If he struck or cursed his father or mother or proved to be incorrigibly unmanageable, he was to be put to death. (Ex. 21:15, 17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 21:18-21) Children were to have proper fear of their parents, and one who treated his father or mother with contempt was cursed.—Lev. 19:3; Deut. 27:16.

The seventh commandment, “You must not commit adultery,” outlawed any sexual union outside the marriage bond. (Ex. 20:14) It made it mandatory that all children be family born. An illegitimate son was not recognized, nor were his descendants allowed to become members of the congregation of Israel even to the tenth generation.—Deut. 23:2.

While the seventh commandment, in forbidding adultery, served to safeguard the family unit, the tenth commandment, by forbidding wrong desires, further protected the integrity of one’s own family as well as the other man’s house and family. The things most common to family life were protected by this commandment, namely, house, wife, servants, animals and other property.—Ex. 20:17.

Under the Law a careful record of genealogies was kept. Family integrity was even more greatly emphasized by the matter of ancestral land inheritance. Genealogies were especially important in the family line of Judah and, later on, in the lineage of Judah’s descendant David. Because of the promise that the Messiah the King would come through these families, the record of family relationship was zealously guarded. And even though polygamy was not abolished by the Law, the family integrity was protected and its genealogy kept intact by strict laws governing polygamy, and in no way was looseness or promiscuity legally tolerated. Sons born of polygamy or concubinage were legitimate and part of the family circle, full-fledged sons of the father.—See CONCUBINE; MARRIAGE.

The Law specifically prohibited marriage alliances with the seven Canaanite nations that were to be ousted from the land. (Deut. 7:1-4) Because of failing to observe this command the nation of Israel was ensnared in the worship of false gods and finally brought into captivity by their enemies. Solomon is an outstanding example of one who sinned in this respect. (Neh. 13:26) Ezra and Nehemiah undertook energetic reforms among those of the repatriated Israelites who were contaminating their families and Israel itself by marriage to foreign wives.—Ezra 9:1, 2; 10:11; Neh. 13:23-27.

CHRIST JESUS AND THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY UNIT

When God sent his only-begotten Son to earth he caused him to be born into a human family. He provided that he have a God-fearing foster father and a loving mother. Jesus as a child was subject to his parents and respected and obeyed them. (Luke 2:40, 51) Even when he was dying on the torture stake he showed respect and loving care for his mother, who was apparently then a widow, when he said to her: “Woman, see! your son!” and to the disciple whom he loved: “See! Your mother!” thereby evidently directing this disciple to care for her in his own home.—John 19:26, 27.

In the Christian congregation the family is recognized as the basic unit of Christian society. Much space is devoted in the Christian Greek Scriptures to instructions regarding family relationship. Again the man is dignified with the headship of the family, the wife being in subjection to her husband, managing the household under his general oversight. (1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; 5:14) Likening Jesus to the husband and family head over his congregational ‘wife,’ Paul admonishes husbands to exercise headship in love and wives to respect and subject themselves to their husbands. (Eph. 5:21-33) Children are commanded to obey their parents, and fathers particularly are charged with the responsibility of bringing them up in the discipline and authoritative advice of Jehovah.—Eph. 6:1-4.

The man used as an overseer in the Christian congregation, if married, must exhibit high standards as a family head, presiding properly and having his children in subjection, these not being unruly or charged with debauchery, for, asks Paul: “If indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?” the congregation being similar to a family. (1 Tim. 3:2-5; Titus 1:6) Wives are exhorted to love their husbands and children, to be workers at home, and to subject themselves to their own husbands.—Titus 2:4, 5.

The apostle Paul strongly admonished against breaking up the family relationship, appealing to the believer on the basis of the welfare of the unbelieving mate as well as of the children. He stressed the great value of the family relationship when he pointed out that God views the young children as holy, even though the unbelieving mate has not been cleansed from his sins by faith in Christ. The unbeliever may be practicing some of the same things that Paul says some Christians had practiced before accepting the good news about the Christ. (1 Cor. 7:10-16; 6:9-11) The apostle also guards the unity of the Christian family by giving instructions to husbands and wives regarding the rendering of marriage dues.—1 Cor. 7:3-5.

Association in family relationships proved to be a blessing to many in connection with Christianity, “for, wife, how do you know but that you will save your husband? Or, husband, how do you know but that you will save your wife?” (1 Cor. 7:16) This is also evidenced by the contents of the apostle Paul’s greetings to several households. Some believers were privileged to use the family home as a place for the congregation to meet. (Rom. 16:1-15) The Christian missionary Philip was a family man, having four faithful Christian daughters. He was blessed by being able to entertain the apostle Paul and his fellow workers for a time in his home in Caesarea. (Acts 21:8-10) The Christian congregation itself is termed “God’s household.” Its principal member and head is Jesus Christ and this “household” recognizes him as the Seed by means of whom all the families of the earth will bless themselves.—1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:19; Col. 1:17, 18; Gen. 22:18; 28:14.

The inspired Scriptures have foretold a vicious attack on the family institution with a consequent breaking down of morality and of human society outside the Christian congregation. Paul classifies among demon-inspired doctrines in “later periods of time” that of “forbidding to marry,” and foretells for the “last days” a condition in which disobedience to parents, disloyalty and absence of “natural affection” would be rife, even among those “having a form of godly devotion.” He warns Christians to turn away from such ones. (1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-5) Jesus earlier had foretold that opposition to God’s truth would split families.—Matt. 10:32-37; Luke 12:51-53.

Babylon the Great, the enemy of God’s “woman” (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:27) and of Christ’s “bride” (Rev. 21:9), is a great “harlot” organization, committing fornication with the kings of the earth. Being “the mother of the harlots and of the disgusting things of the earth” evidently indicates that she causes great disregard for Jehovah God’s institutions and commands and the principle of family integrity. (Rev. 17:1-6) She has made efforts to induce others to harlotry and has succeeded in producing many ‘harlot’ daughters, with attempts against Christ’s being able to have a clean “bride.” Nevertheless, his “bride” comes through victorious, clean and righteous, worthy of being in Jehovah’s “family” as the “wife” of Jesus Christ, to the blessing and rejoicing of all the universe.—2 Cor. 11:2, 3; Rev. 19:2, 6-8; see MARRIAGE and other family relationships under their respective names.

FAMINE

An extreme food shortage; also, a scarcity of hearing the words of Jehovah, that is, a spiritual famine. (Amos 8:11) Famine is one of the plagues to come upon symbolic Babylon the Great.—Rev. 18:8.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF FAMINES

Drought, destructive hailstorms (Ex. 9:23-25), pests, scorching and mildew of crops, as well as war, were among the common causes of famine in Bible times. (Amos 4:7-10; Hag. 2:17) Locusts, sometimes coming in huge hordes, were especially devastating to crops. (Ex. 10:15) Sometimes the problem was not lack of rain, but rain at the wrong season, as during the wheat or barley harvest.—Compare Leviticus 26:4; 1 Samuel 12:17, 18.

Temporary hunger is a natural sensation but prolonged hunger, as by famine is very detrimental to mental and physical health As The Encyclopædia Britannica (1959 ed., Vol. 9, pp. 63 and 64) shows, marked lethargy sets in, the emotions are dulled and there is mental apathy. The mind is dominated by a desire for food. (Compare Exodus 16:3.) Moral standards fall. (Compare Isaiah 8:21.) Actual starvation may have a dehumanizing effect, resulting in theft, murder and even cannibalism. Famine is often accompanied by sickness and epidemics due to the weakened condition of those affected.—Compare Deuteronomy 32:24.

ANCIENT FAMINES

The first truly historical famine is the one that forced Abram (Abraham) to leave Canaan and take up alien residence in Egypt. (Gen. 12:10) In Isaac’s day another famine occurred, but Jehovah told him not to go to Egypt. (Gen. 26:1, 2) The seven-year famine that came upon Egypt while Joseph served as prime minister and food administrator evidently reached far beyond the boundaries of Egypt, for “people of all the earth came to Egypt to buy [food] from Joseph.”—Gen. 41:54-57.

While the Egyptian inscriptions scrupulously avoid any reference to Israel’s sojourn in Egypt, there are ancient Egyptian texts that describe periods of famine due to insufficient rising of the Nile River. One text describes a period of seven years of low Nile risings and the resulting famine. According to the account, certain portions of land were granted to the priesthood when relief from the famine came. Although the question is raised as to whether the document is “a priestly forgery of some late period, justifying their claim to territorial privileges,” at least we see reflected a tradition of a period of seven lean years. (Pritchard’s Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p. 31) During the eleventh century of the Common Era, a seven-year famine took place in Egypt, and the account by an eyewitness of the extremities to which the people were driven, eating animals that died of themselves and even human flesh, gives some idea of what could have taken place had God not provided for the conservation of food through Joseph.—M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopaedia, Vol. III, p. 480.

Before Israel entered the Promised Land, Jehovah, through Moses, assured them that they would have an abundance of food if they continued serving Him in faithfulness. (Deut. 28:11, 12) However, famine would be one of the fearful results to come upon Israel for unfaithfulness. (Deut. 28:23, 38-42) A famine in the days of the judges prompted Naomi’s husband Elimelech