Bible
What Does the Bible Say About Marriage?
The Bible treats marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman, instituted in Genesis 2, affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19, and described in Ephesians 5 as a picture of Christ and the church. The character of marital love is described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Direct answer
The Bible presents marriage as a covenant union between one man and one woman, instituted by God in Genesis 2 and affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19. Ephesians 5 describes it as a picture of Christ and the church: sacrificial love on one side, honor on the other, faithfulness on both.
The character of marital love is described in 1 Corinthians 13: patient, kind, not easily angered, bearing all things, enduring all things. Marriage is a lifelong practice of that kind of love.
Examples
Original design
Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18-24
Jesus on marriage
Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 10:6-9
Christ and the church
Ephesians 5:22-33
Character of love
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Honor and faithfulness
Hebrews 13:4, Malachi 2:14-16
How it works
The page surveys the main biblical passages on marriage and the core teachings that follow from them. References are KJV.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.Genesis 2:24, KJV
Marriage as God's design (Genesis 2)
Genesis 2 presents marriage as part of the original creation: God says it is not good for the man to be alone and makes a 'help meet for him' (KJV) from his side. The man recognizes the woman as 'bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh' (Genesis 2:23). The verse that follows is the foundational text: 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh' (Genesis 2:24).
Marriage as covenant
Throughout Scripture, marriage is treated as a covenant, a binding promise made before God. Malachi 2:14 calls a man's wife 'the wife of thy covenant.' This is why divorce is taken seriously in the Bible: it is the breaking of a covenant, not the cancellation of a contract. The covenant frame also explains why faithfulness is non-negotiable; the relationship is held together by promises, not feelings.
Companionship and partnership
Beyond the formal covenant, the Bible portrays marriage as companionship: a man and woman walking through life together, supporting each other, building a household, raising children where God grants them, and serving God side by side. Proverbs 31 describes a wife of noble character whose works are praised. Acts 18 shows Priscilla and Aquila as a married team in ministry.
Christ and the church (Ephesians 5)
Paul takes the marriage relationship and treats it as a picture of Christ and the church. Husbands love their wives sacrificially, the way Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Wives honor and respect their husbands the way the church honors Christ. The passage is demanding in both directions; it sets a standard far above mere mutual tolerance. Christians read this as a high calling, not a license for domineering or doormat behavior.
Faithfulness, love, and responsibility
Hebrews 13:4 says: 'Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled.' Proverbs and the prophets repeatedly underline faithfulness as the heart of the marriage covenant. The character of marital love is described most fully in 1 Corinthians 13: patient, kind, not envious or proud, bearing all things, enduring all things. Marriage is a daily, lifelong practice of that kind of love.
Related Bible pages
Frequently asked questions
The Bible defines marriage from Genesis 2:24: 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' Jesus quotes this passage as the standard in Matthew 19:4-6. The biblical pattern is covenant union between one man and one woman, intended to be lifelong, with the goals of companionship, faithfulness, partnership, and (where God grants) children.
Yes. Malachi 2:14 calls a man's wife 'the wife of thy covenant.' Proverbs 2:17 speaks of a woman who has forgotten 'the covenant of her God.' A covenant is a binding promise made before God, not a contract that lasts only as long as both sides feel like it. Most Christian traditions treat marriage as a covenant for this reason.
Paul applies the relationship of Christ and the church directly to marriage (Ephesians 5:22-33). Husbands are commanded to love their wives 'as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it'; that is a high standard of self-giving sacrifice. Wives are called to honor and submit to their husbands as the church does to Christ. Many Christian traditions read this as mutual love and respect in a relationship of complementary roles; interpretations vary.
No. Genesis 1:28 records God's blessing 'Be fruitful, and multiply,' but the Bible does not command every individual couple to have biological children. Many godly people in Scripture are childless for long seasons (Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth) and some never have children. Marriage in the Bible is fundamentally a covenant of companionship and faithfulness; children are a gift where God grants them.
First Corinthians 13:4-7, the famous 'love chapter,' is read at countless weddings for good reason: it describes the self-giving love that any healthy marriage must keep practicing. Love in this passage is patient, kind, not envious, not proud, not easily angered, slow to record wrongs, rejoicing in truth. It bears, believes, hopes, and endures. That is the texture of a long, healthy marriage.
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