Ver. 13-17. If any man take a wife, &c.— The most probable arguments we can meet with, in support of the literal sense of this passage, amount to this; first, That the Jewish young women were married at the age of twelve or thirteen. Secondly, That we are not to judge of the constitution of the human body in other climates, by that of bodies in our own. Thirdly, That, in fact, customs wholly similar to those which Moses insinuates to have been common in his time, and which must have been so among the Jews after his death, are still observable in divers places of the East. Of this, Selden in his Treatise de Uxor. Heb. lib. iii. cap. 1 has collected together many proofs: other writers have multiplied those proofs, particularly Gensius, p. i. c. 9 and p. ii. c. 2. and we have the positive testimony of Leo Africanus, in his Description of Africa, respecting the nuptial ceremonies of the Mahometans; to which we might subjoin others more modern, and no less indubitable. See the Latin version, printed at Antwerp, 1556. lib. iii. p. 126. See also Chardin, tom. ii. p. 362 and other travellers mentioned by Gensius as above. Lastly, the most skilful physicians see no difficulty in reconciling with nature what Moses here says, supposes, and enjoins, in case his law respects only wives of twelve or thirteen years old. See Scheuchzer, tom. iv. p. 68. On the other hand, however, there are strong arguments for determining us to quit the literal, and adopt the figurative meaning. It is not conceivable, that a man of good sense, however passionate he might be, would have attempted a proceeding against his wife, concerning proofs like those in question. Had she produced the pretended signs of her virtue, his end was defeated; if she could not have produced them, what was he to gain by it? Certainly he could not attain his ends, by having her punished with death as an adulteress; for still it remained previously to be proved, that this false step was taken after her being betrothed; and how could that be done? Thus, all he could obtain, would be a divorce, on condition to restore to the accused her dowry; and by this means the punishment, specified in the letter of the law, would never have taken effect. In the fifty-sixth of Michaelis's Questions, intitled, Les Preuves de la Virginite conservees apres les Noces, there are some remarks on this subject, into which we cannot enter further with any propriety.
Note; (1.) Chastity is a precious jewel, which must be kept with jealous care; and parents are exhorted to especial watchfulness, that neither by their own examples, nor by permitting their children to keep bad company, they may lead them into criminal conduct in this point. (2.) Chastity is a tender plant, and can least of any thing bear the blasts of malevolence; we should, therefore, be very jealous how we entertain, and still more cautious how we spread a suspicion to our neighbour's prejudice, the evil consequences of which are irreparable. (3.) The loss of chastity is justly reckoned, in women, infamous; nor is it less sinful in men: but though it may now be so secretly concealed that no suspicion wounds, the folly and shame of fornication will shortly be manifest to all, when whoremongers and adulterers God will judge, and worse than this ignominious death be the sentence.