Contextual topic guide
Bible Verses About Marriage
Bible verses about marriage, wedding, and husband and wife relationships.
The Bible's teaching on marriage starts in Genesis 2 and is picked up by Jesus and Paul. These verses are grouped for the reasons people look for them: understanding marriage, love between husband and wife, readings for a wedding, and help on the hard days.
Marriage verses, grouped by theme
Bible verses about marriage
Marriage in Genesis and in Jesus' teaching.
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”
Before Eve is created, God says it is not good for the man to be alone.
“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 verse in Matthew 19.
“Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
Jesus' answer to a question about divorce.
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
The same saying in Mark's Gospel.
“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.”
A proverb about finding a wife.
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”
Two are better than one.
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
The threefold cord.
“Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”
Marriage held in honour.
Love between husband and wife
Read Ephesians 5 and 1 Peter 3 as whole passages; the verses depend on their context.
“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
The verse that introduces Paul's teaching on households.
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”
Husbands are to love as Christ loved 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.”
Paul's summary of the passage.
“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”
Love without bitterness.
“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.”
Husband and wife as heirs together of the grace of life.
“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.”
The opening of the poem about the woman of noble character.
“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.”
Trust between husband and wife.
“Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.”
Rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”
Often read at weddings; the KJV says "charity" for love.
“Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
Love bears, believes, hopes and endures.
Bible verses for a wedding
Short readings for ceremonies, cards and anniversaries.
“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.”
Love as strong as death.
“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.”
Many waters cannot quench love.
“My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.”
A refrain of belonging from the Song of Solomon.
“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”
Ruth's vow to Naomi, often borrowed for wedding vows.
“And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Love as the bond that holds the other virtues together.
“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
God's love made complete as we love one another.
Verses for the hard days of marriage
Patience, forgiveness and how to handle anger.
“With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;”
Bearing with one another in love.
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
Do not let the sun go down on your anger.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Kind, tenderhearted and forgiving.
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
Forgive as Christ forgave you.
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
Love covers a multitude of sins.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”
Swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”
A soft answer turns away wrath.
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”
In honour preferring one another.
Read the household passages whole
Ephesians 5:21-33, Colossians 3:18-19 and 1 Peter 3:1-7 are often quoted one line at a time. Each is a single passage with a context, so open the full chapter before using a verse from it.
Questions about marriage
What Bible verse is read at weddings?
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is the most common wedding reading. Ruth 1:16-17, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and Song of Solomon 8:6-7 are also popular.