Where in the Bible Does It Talk About Marriage?
Marriage, as a fundamental institution in human society, has been deeply rooted in religious traditions worldwide. In Christianity, the Bible serves as the sacred text that provides guidance and moral principles for its followers. This article delves into the various passages in the Bible that discuss marriage, highlighting its significance and the principles that govern this sacred union.
One of the earliest mentions of marriage in the Bible can be found in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 2:18-25, the creation of Eve is described, and God establishes the institution of marriage between Adam and Eve. This passage is often cited as the foundational text for the concept of marriage in the Bible. It reads, “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’ And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This passage emphasizes the unity and equality between husband and wife, as well as the divine origin of marriage.
Another significant passage regarding marriage is found in the New Testament, specifically in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus Christ addresses the topic of marriage, reinforcing the sanctity of the union. The passage reads, “He said to them, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.'”
The book of Ephesians also provides valuable insights into the nature of marriage. In Ephesians 5:22-33, Paul the Apostle emphasizes the importance of submission and love within a marriage. The passage reads, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives also be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
These passages in the Bible serve as a foundation for understanding the nature of marriage, its divine origin, and the principles that should govern this sacred union. While interpretations may vary among different Christian denominations, the overarching themes of unity, love, and respect remain central to the biblical perspective on marriage.
