Mistress

While reading through Genesis recently, I came across the word: Mistress.  I remembered a conversation I had with a friend years ago, I had used the word 'mistress' to describe a woman who had taken up with another woman's husband. My friend challenged me as to whether that was an accurate usage of the word.

Harlot would be the God word which describes an adulterous/fornicating woman.

Mistress is the counterpart to Mister (Master). Usages of Mistress in Scripture:

Gen 16:4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress (H1404) was despised in her eyes.

Gen 16:8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress (H1404) Sarai.

Gen 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress (H1404), and submit thyself under her hands.

1Ki 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress (H1172) of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.

2Ki 5:3 And she said unto her mistress (H1404), Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.

Psa 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress (H1404); so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Pro 30:23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress (H1404).

Isa 24:2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress (H1404); as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

Nah 3:4 Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress (H1172) of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.

H1404 - Feminine of H1376; mistress: - lady, mistress.H1376 - From H1396; a master: - lord.

• H1396 - A primitive root; to be strong; by implication to prevail, act insolently: - exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more [strength], strengthen, be stronger, be valiant.

Additional verses which use H1404:

Isa 47:5 Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

Isa 47:7 And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

H1172 - Feminine of H1167; a mistress: - that hath, mistress.

• H1167 - From H1166; a master; hence a husband, or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense: -  + archer, + babbler, + bird, captain, chief man, + confederate, + have to do, + dreamer, those to whom it is due, + furious, those that are given to it, great, + hairy, he that hath it, have, + horseman, husband, lord, man, + married, master, person, + sworn, they of.
• H1166 - A primitive root; to be master; hence (as denominative from H1167) to marry: - Beulah have dominion (over), be husband, marry (-ried, X wife).

Some additional verses with H1172:

1Sa 28:7  Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath (H1172) a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath (H1172) a familiar spirit at Endor. 

From Dictionary.com:

noun

1. a woman who has authority, control, or power, especially the female head of a household, institution, or other establishment.
2. a woman employing, or in authority over, servants or attendants.
3. a female owner of an animal, or formerly, a slave.
4. a woman who has the power of controlling or disposing of something at her own pleasure: mistress of a great fortune.
5. (sometimes initial capital letter) something regarded as feminine that has control or supremacy: Great Britain, the mistress of the seas.
6. a women who is skilled in something, as an occupation or art.
7. a woman who has a continuing, extramarital sexual relationship with one man, especially a man who, in return for an exclusive and continuing liaison, provides her with financial support.
8. British . a female schoolteacher; schoolmistress.
9. (initial capital letter) a term of address in former use and corresponding to Mrs., Miss, or Ms.
10. Archaic . sweetheart.

Interesting origins.

Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English maistresse < Middle French, Old French, equivalent to maistre master + -esse -ess

Completely contrary to how we use the word today...and how God used it when He had His servants pen the Writ.

I went searching for something about Mistress...well, my oh my, quite a lot to NOT like.  I did, however, come across this article and thought it encouraging.

31 Days: Mistress of Her Domain

Your domain includes (list from above link):

thoughts

attitudes

words

body

time

talents

relationships

money

possessions

equipment

education

opportunities