Bible verses about marriage

Marriage from the beginning

1. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

   Genesis 2:18

   The first thing in creation God calls not good is the man being alone.

2. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

   Genesis 2:22-24

   God brings the woman to the man, and the pattern is set: leave, cleave, and become one flesh.

3. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

   Genesis 1:27-28

   Male and female are created together in God's image and blessed together.

4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

   Matthew 19:4-6

   Asked about divorce, Jesus goes back to Genesis and says what God has joined, no one should separate.

5. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

   Hebrews 13:4

   Marriage is called honourable in all, with the marriage bed kept pure.

6. Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

   Proverbs 18:22

   Finding a wife is called a good thing and a sign of the LORD's favour.

7. House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

   Proverbs 19:14

   A house can be inherited, but a prudent wife is a gift from the LORD.

Husbands and wives

Christians apply the household instructions in these letters in different ways; the texts are given here as written.

1. Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

   Ephesians 5:21-25

   Paul opens with mutual submission, then gives wives and husbands each a charge, with Christ's love for the church as the measure.

2. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

   Ephesians 5:28

   Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies.

3. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

   Ephesians 5:31-33

   Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 and calls marriage a great mystery that points to Christ and the church.

4. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

   Colossians 3:18-19

   A short version of Ephesians 5 that adds a warning to husbands not to be bitter.

5. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

   1 Peter 3:7

   Husbands are to honour their wives as fellow heirs of the grace of life, or their prayers will be hindered.

6. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

   1 Corinthians 7:3-4

   Husband and wife each owe the other, and neither belongs only to himself or herself.

7. When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.

   Deuteronomy 24:5

   A newly married man in Israel was kept home from war for a year to cheer up his wife.

Love and delight in marriage

1. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

   Proverbs 5:18

   A father tells his son to rejoice with the wife of his youth.

2. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

   Ecclesiastes 9:9

   In a book about how short life is, enjoying life with the wife you love is called your portion.

3. My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

   Song of Solomon 2:16

   The bride's simple statement of belonging: my beloved is mine, and I am his.

4. Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

   Song of Solomon 4:7

   The groom tells his bride she is all fair, with no spot in her.

5. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

   Song of Solomon 8:7

   Love between the bride and groom is stronger than floods and cannot be bought.

6. And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

   Genesis 29:20

   Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like a few days because he loved her.

7. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

   Genesis 24:67

   Isaac took Rebekah as his wife, loved her, and was comforted after his mother's death.

8. Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

   Proverbs 31:10-12

   The husband of a virtuous woman can safely trust her, and she does him good all her life.

9. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

   Proverbs 31:28-29

   The same husband praises his wife aloud: many have done well, but she excels them all.

Keeping faith with each other

1. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

   Exodus 20:14

   The seventh commandment protects marriage directly: Thou shalt not commit adultery.

2. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

   Malachi 2:14-15

   God calls himself witness to the marriage and names the wife as companion and the wife of thy covenant.

3. To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

   Proverbs 2:16-17

   Unfaithfulness is described as forsaking the guide of one's youth and forgetting a covenant made before God.

4. Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

   Proverbs 5:15

   A picture of faithfulness: drink from your own cistern, not someone else's.

5. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

   Proverbs 12:4

   A virtuous wife is her husband's crown.

Marriage as a picture of God's love

1. For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

   Isaiah 62:5

   God rejoices over his people as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride.

2. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

   Hosea 2:19-20

   God speaks of betrothing his people to himself for ever, in faithfulness and lovingkindness.

3. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

   John 2:1-2

   Jesus and his disciples attended a wedding at Cana, where he did his first miracle.

4. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

   Revelation 19:7-9

   The Bible's story ends with a wedding: the marriage supper of the Lamb.