Marriage is a sacred, God-ordained covenant between a man and a woman, and the Scriptures repeat this theme often.
Bible verses about marriage begin in Genesis 2, end in Revelation 22, and surface frequently in between. A whole book, Song of Solomon, is dedicated to love and marriage.
The best marriage verses testify how the union between man and woman is about
- passionate love,
- enduring faithfulness,
- high standards,
- procreation,
- family,
- and mystery.
Marriage is designed to be an eternal, exclusive union that reflects the relationship between Christ and the Church. This image develops into a cosmic dimension played out in the wedding supper of the Lamb in the fulfillment of time. Jesus and the Church will be eternally united in this celebration, like husband and wife in their wedding ceremony.
Man did not invent marriage. God created it, and it existed before politics and governments. Thus, human institutions can’t alter it.
The New Testament marriage verses emphasize mutual love, respect, and submission within marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). Marriage offers the married couple a union for procreation, companionship, and the nurturing of godly character and faith.
See below for all the best Bible verses about marriage and love. Hope you like them!
P.S. Check the most surprising Bible verse about marriage at the end of the article.
Contents
Most beautiful verses about love in marriage
The most beautiful Bible verses about love between a married couple are also the most quoted marriage verses. These verses describe the passionate love that the couple feels during the first years of their journey together. Song of Solomon is a testament to this, filled with verses that ooze with excitement and passion, making it a must-read for those seeking to understand the intensity of love in marriage.
When the New Testament speaks about love, it often uses the word “agape.” “Agape love” refers to God’s unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love for humanity and that believers are called to show toward one another. It is the highest form of love, distinct from romantic or brotherly love (philia). It is characterized by a deep care for others regardless of circumstances or personal gain.
Agape love is beautifully described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, some of the most cited marriage verses of all time. This form of love helps the married couple endure faithfulness.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (CSB)
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Song of Solomon 3:4 (ESV)
“I have found the one whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go.”
Song of Solomon 6:3
I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine.
Song of Solomon 7:12
Let’s go early up to the vineyards.
Let’s see whether the vine has budded,
its blossom is open,
and the pomegranates are in flower.
There I will give you my love.
Song of Solomon 1:15
Behold, you are beautiful, my love.
Behold, you are beautiful.
Your eyes are like doves.
Song of Solomon 4:10
How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
the fragrance of your perfumes than all kinds of spices!
1 Corinthians 13:13
But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all that you do be done in love.
Colossians 3:14 (ESV)
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Song of Solomon 6:7
Many waters can’t quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
Song of Solomon 4:9-12 (ESV)
You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
Your lips drip nectar, my bride;
honey and milk are under your tongue;
the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
a spring locked, a fountain sealed.
Colossians 3:14
Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
Best short marriage verses
Mark 10:9
What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers all wrongs.
1 Corinthians 16:14
Let all that you do be done in love.
Bible verses about marriage
In the Scriptures, marriage is the most used image of God’s relationship with His people. This reflects God’s deep, covenantal love for His people, akin to the commitment and intimacy shared between a husband and wife.
In the Old Testament marriage verses, God is portrayed as the unwaveringly faithful husband of Israel, while Israel is described as His bride (Isaiah 54:5; Hosea 2:19-20). Even in the face of Israel’s unfaithfulness, God’s commitment remains steadfast, demonstrating His enduring love and His fervent desire for reconciliation (Jeremiah 3:14).
In the New Testament marriage verses, the relationship is further explored with Christ as the bridegroom and the Church as His bride. Paul draws a mysterious connection between the union of a man and his wife in marriage and Christ’s union with the Church: “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.”
Once you understand the eternal union of God with the Church and that the Church is the holy City of God in the new creation (Revelation 21-22), you will start to see the cosmic dimension your marriage has. In a way, you are building New Jerusalem through your marriage.
Genesis 2:22-24
Yahweh God made a woman from the rib which he had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
Malachi 2:16 (NASB)
“For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
Colossians 3:18-19
Wives, be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives, and don’t be bitter against them.
Ephesians 5:33 (ESV)
However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)
Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.
Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
Romans 12:9-10 (NIV)
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Ephesians 4:2-3 (NIV)
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Hosea 2:19-20
I will betroth you to me forever.
Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness, in justice, in loving kindness, and in compassion.
Ephesians 5:22-33
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. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
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.
1 Corinthians 7:2-11
But, because of sexual immoralities, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband give his wife the affection owed her, and likewise also the wife her husband. The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise also the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife. Don’t deprive one another, unless it is by consent for a season, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and may be together again, that Satan doesn’t tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. Yet I wish that all men were like me. However each man has his own gift from God, one of this kind, and another of that kind. But I say to the unmarried and to widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am. But if they don’t have self-control, let them marry. For it’s better to marry than to burn. But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
Scriptures for wives
Song of Solomon 2:16
My beloved is mine, and I am his.
He browses among the lilies.
Song of Solomon 3:4 (ESV)
“I have found the one whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go.”
Proverbs 31:10-12 (ESV)
An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
Proverbs 12:4 (ESV)
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
Scriptures for husbands
Ephesians 5:25 (ESV)
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
Proverbs 31:10 (ESV)
An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.
Proverbs 18:22
Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing,
and obtains favor of Yahweh.
Proverbs 5:18-19
Let your spring be blessed.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
A loving doe and a graceful deer—
let her breasts satisfy you at all times.
Be captivated always with her love.
Proverbs 21:9 (ESV)
It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
Proverbs 19:14
House and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
1 Peter 3:7
You husbands, in the same way, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as also being joint heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
Deuteronomy 24:5
When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he be assigned any business. He shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken.
Bible verses on marriage, sexual morality, and divorce
The Bible emphasizes sexual morality within marriage by promoting faithfulness and exclusivity. The Bible also encourages sexual relations within marriage to express love and unity between spouses (1 Corinthians 7:3-5). Sexual purity is upheld as essential, with a focus on mutual respect, self-control, and the sanctity of the marital relationship. Adultery, fornication, and other forms of sexual immorality are condemned throughout Scripture.
The Bible addresses divorce in several passages. Divorce was allowed in the Old Testament, but it wasn’t God’s will. The same goes for polygamy. Following Jesus’ teachings, Christians forbid polygamy and made divorce possible only for the most grievous and rare reasons.
Jesus states that divorce and remarriage, except in cases of sexual immorality, constitute adultery. The Apostle Paul echoes Jesus’ teachings on divorce. He also advises believers not to marry unbelievers but to remain married to an unbeliever, allowing divorce where a non-believing spouse wishes to leave (1 Corinthians 7:10-15).
Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled; but God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
1 Corinthians 7:10-15
But to the married I command—not I, but the Lord—that the wife not leave her husband (but if she departs, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband not leave his wife.
But to the rest I—not the Lord—say, if any brother has an unbelieving wife, and she is content to live with him, let him not leave her. The woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he is content to live with her, let her not leave her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.
2 Corinthians 6:14
Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Matthew 19:4-9
He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’ So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”
They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a certificate of divorce and divorce her?”
He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so. I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.”
Mark 10:6-9
But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
Luke 16:18
Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
Matthew 5:32
but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
The best Bible verse about marriage
The best Bible verse about marriage is not the easiest one to quote because it needs some unpacking before you see the beauty of it. But once you unlock the meaning of this verse, you will see your marriage in a different light.
Of course, everyone has their favorite marriage verses, but we think the best Bible verse about marriage is Song of Solomon 8:6.
Song of Solomon 8:6
Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm;
for love is strong as death.
Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
a very flame of Yahweh.
On the surface level, the verse looks even a bit odd because it compares the strength of love to death. However, when studied further, it is a token of love from a woman who is head over heels in love with her man.
Song of Songs is a love poem in which “Beloved,” a woman, and “Lover,” a man, exchange longing and desire. Song of Songs 8:6 depicts the woman talking to her man. She wants him to seal her in his heart and arm, to be devoted only to her in spirit and deed. If not, her love is so strong that the jealousy it creates will be like death to her. Her love flashes in her heart like a very flame of Yahweh.
Impressive as the verse already is, it gets better. Let’s unpack the verse further so you can see why.
In the Bible, fire symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Jesus came to “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matthew 3:11).
In Song 8:6, Yahweh is written yâ, a shortened form of YHWH. Yâ consists of two Hebrew letters: yod and hey.
Once Adam and Eve were married, Adam’s marital name became Ish, Man. In Genesis 2:23, Adam names Eve as isha, Woman in his poem.
Genesis 2:23 (ESV)
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.”
Ish consists of three Hebrew alphabets: aleph, yod, and shin. If you remove yod between aleph and shin, you have the word “fire” in Hebrew.
Isha also has three Hebrew alphabets: aleph, shin, and hey. If you remove hey from the end, you have the word “fire” again in Hebrew.
Once married, Man and Woman are now
- aleph, shin + yod, hey = aleph, shin + Yahweh.
Without God, man and woman are separate, consuming fires, but married with God’s fire, the Holy Spirit, they become an inseparable union, “one flesh” (Gen 2:24).
Perhaps these are the reasons why the Orthodox and Catholic Church see marriage as a sacrament.
Conclusion
To conclude this article, we quote Tertullian’s letter to his wife, which beautifully encapsulates a Christian marriage.
They are, in very truth, two in one flesh; and where there is but one flesh there is also but one spirit. They pray together, they worship together, they fast together; instructing one another, encouraging one another, strengthening one another. Side by side they visit God’s church and partake of God’s Banquet; side by side they face difficulties and persecution, share their consolations.
They have no secrets from one another; they never shun each other’s company; they never bring sorrow to each other’s hearts. Unembarrassed they visit the sick and assist the needy. They give alms without anxiety; they attend the Sacrifice without difficulty; they perform their daily exercises of piety without hindrance.
They need not be furtive about making the Sign of the Cross, nor timorous in greeting the brethren, nor silent in asking a blessing of God. Psalms and hymns they sing to one another, striving to see which one of them will chant more beautifully the praises of their Lord. Hearing and seeing this, Christ rejoices. To such as these He gives His peace. Where there are two together, there also He is present; and where He is, there evil is not.