9 Popular Marital Vows in the Bible

Standard wedding vows are an extremely common part of most modern wedding ceremonies. 

In a typical modern wedding, marital vows will consist of three parts: a short speech by the person marrying the couple and personal vows chosen by the couple.

In all three cases, marital vows are personal choices that typically reflect the couple’s personal beliefs and feelings towards another.

Writing your own vows, be it traditional marriage vows or non-traditional wedding vows, is never easy, and couples wondering how to write wedding vows often try to search for wedding vows examples. 

Christian couples who marry often choose to have Bible verses included in some part of their Christian wedding vows. The verses chosen—like any marriage vow—will vary depending on the couple themselves.

Let’s take a closer look at what the Bible says about marriage and reflect on some Bible verses about love and marriage.

What does the Bible say about marital vows?

Technically, nothing—there are no wedding vows for him or her in the Bible, and the Bible does not actually mention vows being required or expected in a marriage.

No one knows exactly when the concept of wedding vows for her or him first developed, particularly in relation to Christian marriages; however, the modern Christian concept of marital vows used in the Western world even today comes from a book commissioned by James I in 1662, titled the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

The book included a ‘solemnization of matrimony’ ceremony, which is still used today in millions of weddings, including (with some alterations to the text) non-Christian marriages.

The ceremony from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer includes the famous lines ‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,’ as well as lines about the couple having each other in sickness and health until death do them part.

The most popular verses for marital vows in the Bible

Although there are no marital vows in the Bible, there are still many verses that people use as part of their traditional wedding vows. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Bible verses about marriage, which are frequently chosen for both catholic wedding vows and modern wedding vows.

Amos 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

This verse has become more popular in recent decades, particularly among couples who would rather emphasize that their marriage is a partnership, in contrast to older marital vows that emphasized a woman’s obedience to her husband.

1 Corinthians 7:3-11 Let the husband render unto the wife due to benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

This is another verse that is often chosen for its emphasis on marriage and love being a partnership between a couple, who should be bound to love and respect each other above all else.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This particular verse is the most popular for use in modern weddings, either as part of the marital vows or during the ceremony itself. It is even fairly popular for use in non-Christian wedding ceremonies.

Proverb 18:22 He who finds a wife what is good and receives favor from the LORD.

This verse is for the man who finds and sees a great treasure in his wife. It shows that the Supreme Lord is happy with him, and she is a blessing from Him to you.

Ephesians 5:25: “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.”

In this verse, the husband is being asked to love his wife just as Christ loved God and church. 

Husbands should commit themselves to their marriage and spouse and follow in the footsteps of Christ, who gave his life for what he loved and cherished.

Genesis 2:24: “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

This verse defines marriage as a divine ordinance through which a man and a woman who started as individuals become one after they are bound by the laws of marriage.

Mark 10:9: “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Through this verse, the author tries to convey that once a man and a woman are married, they are literally harnessed into one, and no man or authority can separate them from one another.

Ephesians 4:2: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

This verse explains that Christ emphasized that we should live and love with humility, avoid unnecessary conflicts, and be patient with those we love. These are many other parallel verses that further discuss the essential qualities one should exhibit around the people we love.

1 John 4:12: “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.”

This is one of the marriage scriptures in the Bible that reminds us that God abides in the heart of those who seek love, and even though we cannot see him in a physical form, he remains within us. 

Each religion has its own wedding tradition (including marriage vows) that passes through generations. Marriage in the Bible can have a slight variation among different clergy. You can even take advice from the officiant and get some guidance from them.

Apply these marital vows from the Bible and see how they can enrich your marriage. Serve the Lord on all days of your life, and you will be blessed.

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Sylvia Smith Author

Sylvia Smith loves to share insights on how couples can revitalize their love lives in and out of the bedroom. As a writer at Marriage.com, she is a big believer in living consciously and encourages couples to adopt this principle... Read more in their lives too. Sylvia believes that every couple can transform their relationship into a happier, healthier one by taking purposeful and wholehearted action. Read less