the wife of his bosom/(husband)

A term for wife or husband (bosom meaning the space between the chest and arms during an embrace).

(“The tender and delicate man among you, his eye will be evil toward his brother and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remainder of his children that he leaves”—Deuteronomy 28:54 (Moses to the children of Israel), and likewise: “And when he came to us, a wanderer from his place/ he and the wife of his bosom with him/ I went to him and asked of his welfare”—Immanuel of Rome (13th century)/ Jar of Haman and Jeroboam’s Calf, and likewise: “He dug a grave until they told him: enough!/ Shechem bent down and loaded on his shoulder/ the wife of his bosom, he laid her in our days”—Shaul Tchernichovsky/ The Slain of Tirmenia, and likewise: “Do not allow her/ Shula is the wife of the bosom”—Naomi Shemer/ Return, O Shulammite, and likewise: “Summer wife, winter wife/ wife of the bosom and wife of strife/ but deep in the heart underneath/ there it is always spring”—Didi Menusi/ Daughter of Sixty)

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