Bible Verses About Marriage

"Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh."

The first marriage, before the Fall. Christ quotes this verse to the Pharisees when they ask him about divorce — pointing past Moses, past the Law, to the original intention.

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it."

Paul gives husbands a higher standard than equality: love your wife the way Christ loved the Church — sacrificially, to the point of death. Catholic wedding liturgy reads this passage often.

"What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

Christ's response to the Pharisees on divorce. The Catholic Church's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage rests on these two clauses — what God has done is not undone by what man does.

"Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her. The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils."

The opening of the famous Proverbs 31 portrait. The DRC translates the Hebrew 'eshet chayil' as 'valiant woman' — capturing the strength implied in the original.

"But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins."

Peter to the early Christians, but Catholic spiritual writers have applied it directly to married life. 'Charity covereth' — not denial of sin, but a willingness to absorb it without breaking the bond.

"Thou madest Adam of the slime of the earth, and gavest him Eve for a helper. And now, Lord, thou knowest that not for fleshly lust do I take my sister to wife, but only for the love of posterity, in which thy name may be blessed for ever and ever."

From the Catholic deuterocanonical book of Tobit — Tobias's wedding-night prayer with Sarah. It is read at Catholic weddings; it is one of the most ancient marriage prayers in Scripture.

"Marriage honourable in all, and the bed undefiled. For fornicators and adulterers God will judge."

A short verse with two halves. Marriage is not a lesser state for Christians — it is honourable. And precisely because it is honourable, faithfulness is held to a high standard.

"Nevertheless let every one of you in particular love his wife as himself; and let the wife reverence her husband."

Paul's two-part summary at the end of his long marriage passage. Two different verbs in the Greek — agape and phobeō — both translated by the DRC into the older English idiom.