Husbands and wives had different responsibilities within the household. A husband was expected to help provide for his family. A wife played a central role in managing the home. Their work together helped keep the household functioning.
Marriage created responsibilities for both husband and wife. These responsibilities reflected the social world in which they lived.
Men were strongly associated with providing resources for the household. Women carried much of the work needed to manage daily life within it.
Real families, however, did not always fit neatly into simple categories.
Ancient Jewish society was organized differently from modern Western society. Husbands generally held greater formal authority within marriage.
That did not make wives unimportant. The work performed by women was essential to household survival.
Women could also have property and participate in economic activity.
A husband's work might take him to a field or workshop. Some men worked in trade or other occupations.
A wife's work often centered more heavily on the household. Preparing food and caring for clothing required substantial labor.
Both spouses contributed to the family's well-being.
Household archaeology reveals the spaces and objects associated with domestic work. It rarely tells us exactly which family member performed a particular task.
Written evidence helps us understand the social expectations placed on husbands and wives.
Jewish writings discuss obligations between spouses. They also reflect a society in which husbands generally exercised greater legal authority.
At the same time, surviving documents show women participating in property and financial matters.
The Old Testament presents husbands and wives within a household built around shared family responsibilities.
Proverbs 31 gives a memorable picture of a capable wife whose work benefits her household. She also buys property and engages in trade.
The Gospels show women actively participating in family and economic life. They should not be imagined as absent from the public world.
Jesus also treated marriage as a serious bond carrying responsibilities for husband and wife.
Husbands generally possessed greater formal authority within ancient Jewish marriage. They also carried responsibilities toward their wives.
Women performed essential household work and could participate in economic affairs.
General social expectations do not tell us how every individual couple divided its work.
Occupation and family circumstances could change the roles people performed in daily life.
It is easy either to make first-century marriage look just like modern marriage or to portray women as having no meaningful role at all.
Neither picture is adequate. Understanding the responsibilities of both spouses gives us a more realistic view of the families we encounter in Scripture.