In the Bible, giving in marriage refers to the act of a father or guardian giving away a daughter to her husband, symbolizing a transfer of authority and the establishment of a new family unit. It highlights the importance of covenant relationships and the sacredness of marriage as ordained by God.
Scripture
18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field.
21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
23 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.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Biblical Significance of Giving in Marriage
The act of giving a daughter in marriage in the Bible is deeply rooted in the cultural and spiritual understanding of familial authority and the sanctity of the marital covenant. This practice is often seen in the context of patriarchal societies where the father or guardian held a significant role in the family’s hierarchy. Biblically, this transfer of authority is confirmed in passages like Genesis 2:24, which states, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Here, marriage is depicted as a divine union that transcends familial ties, signifying not only the establishment of a new family unit but also the beginning of a deeper spiritual connection blessed by God.
Furthermore, the act of giving in marriage signifies a commitment to protect, honor, and nurture the new relationship. Ephesians 5:25 illustrates this by urging husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church, emphasizing a sacrificial and unconditional love that mirrors God’s covenant with His people. The notion of marriage as a covenant is further reinforced in Malachi 2:14, which speaks to the faithfulness expected in marriage and the spiritual implications of these unions. Overall, the biblical concept of giving in marriage encompasses the ideals of authority transfer, covenant commitment, and the divine purpose of establishing families that glorify God, underscoring its importance in the biblical narrative.
The biblical significance of giving a daughter in marriage extends beyond cultural practices to encompass themes of responsibility, legacy, and God’s design for relationships. This act is often seen as a formal acknowledgment of the new marital bond which carries profound implications for both the bride and groom. In many instances, it symbolizes not only the father’s blessing but also the passing down of wisdom and values from one generation to the next. This idea resonates throughout Scripture where the family structure is perceived as a microcosm of God’s relationship with humanity—a nurturing bond that reflects divine principles of love, trust, and fidelity.
Moreover, the act of giving in marriage can be connected to scriptural teachings on the importance of righteous choices in relationships. Proverbs frequently cautions against marrying outside of faith or virtue, as such unions can lead to spiritual discord and strife. This is a call for parents, especially fathers, to guide their children in making wise marital decisions, underlying the idea that the sanctity of marriage is intertwined with obedience to God’s will. The blessings associated with a marriage that honors this divine order further illustrate that the giving of a daughter in marriage is not merely transactional but a sacred trust, where the stakes involve the spiritual well-being of future generations. The biblical narrative encourages guardians to prepare their daughters not just for marriage but for a life-long walk in faith that is grounded in righteousness and love.
The Covenant of Commitment
In the biblical context, giving in marriage signifies a profound commitment between two individuals. This commitment is not merely a social contract but a sacred covenant that reflects the relationship between God and His people. It emphasizes loyalty, faithfulness, and the intention to support one another through life’s challenges. This covenantal aspect underscores the importance of mutual respect and love, which are foundational to a successful marriage.
The Role of Family and Community
The act of giving in marriage also highlights the significance of family and community involvement in the union. In biblical times, marriages were often arranged or heavily influenced by family members, symbolizing the collective support and blessing of both families. This communal aspect reinforces the idea that marriage is not just a union of two individuals but a joining of families and communities, fostering a sense of belonging and shared responsibility.
The Reflection of Divine Love
Furthermore, the biblical meaning of giving in marriage serves as a reflection of divine love. The relationship between spouses is often seen as a mirror of God’s love for humanity. This perspective encourages couples to embody qualities such as grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love, which are central to the divine relationship. By understanding marriage in this light, couples are called to pursue a deeper spiritual connection that transcends mere companionship, aiming to reflect the love and unity that God desires for His creation.
How to Embrace Christlike Love and Commitment
Embracing Christlike love and commitment is a transformative journey that begins with a sincere heart and a willingness to serve others selflessly. It’s about looking beyond our own needs and desires, and instead, reflecting on how Jesus demonstrated love through acts of kindness, forgiveness, and compassion. Start by cultivating a daily practice of prayer and scripture reading, allowing God’s word to shape your understanding of love. Engage with your community, offering your time and resources to those in need, just as Christ did. Remember, love is not merely a feeling but a commitment to act in ways that uplift and support others, even when it’s challenging. As you strive to embody this love, let it flow from your relationship with Christ, allowing His grace to empower you to love unconditionally, just as He loves you.
Bible References to Giving in Marriage:
Matthew 19:4-6: 4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,
5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Ephesians 5:22-33: 22 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.
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 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.
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
30 because we are members of his body.
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:1-16: 1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.
9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband.
11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Colossians 3:18-19: 18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.
1 Peter 3:1-7: 3 Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,
3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—
3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—
3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—
5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
Genesis 24:1-67: 1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.
2 And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, “Put your hand under my thigh,
3 that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,
4 but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant said to him, “Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6 And Abraham said to him, “See to it that you do not take my son back there.
7 The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.
8 If the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there.”
9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.
10 Then the servant took ten of his master’s camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor.
11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time when women go out to draw water.
12 And he said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today and show steadfast love to my master Abraham.
13 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water.
14 Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.”
15 Before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with her water jar on her shoulder.
16 The young woman was very attractive in appearance, a maiden whom no man had known.
17 The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water to drink from your jar.”
18 She said, “Drink, my lord.” And she quickly let down her jar upon her hand and gave him a drink.
19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking.”
20 and quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran again to the well to draw water, and she drew for all his camels.
21 The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half shekel, and two bracelets for her arms weighing ten gold shekels,
23 And said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”
24 She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
25 She added, “We have plenty of both straw and fodder, and room to spend the night.”
26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord.
27 saying, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master’s kinsmen.”
28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.
29 Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban. Laban ran out toward the man, to the spring.
30 As soon as he had seen the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s arms, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, “Thus the man spoke to me,” he went to the man. And behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring.
31 He said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord. Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
32 So the man came to the house and unharnessed the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and there was water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.
33 Then food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I have to say.” So he said, “Speak on.”
34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.
35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become great. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male servants and female servants, camels and donkeys.
36 And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all that he has.
37 My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell,
38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my clan and take a wife for my son.’
39 I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not come with me.’
40 He said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way.
41 Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’
42 “I came today to the spring and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you are prospering the way that I go,”
43 Behold, I am standing by the spring of water. Let the virgin who comes out to draw water, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,”
44 and she shall say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,” let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’
45 “Before I had finished speaking in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with her water jar on her shoulder, and she went down to the spring and drew water. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’”
46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels drink also.’ So I drank, and she gave the camels drink also.
47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her arms.
48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to take the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son.
49 Now then, if you are going to show steadfast love and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, “The thing has come from the Lord; we cannot speak to you bad or good.
51 Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”
52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he bowed himself to the earth before the Lord.
53 And the servant brought out jewelry of silver and of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave to her brother and to her mother costly ornaments.
54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they arose in the morning, he said, “Send me away to my master.”
55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let the young woman remain with us a while, at least ten days; after that she may go.”
56 But he said to them, “Do not delay me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away that I may go to my master.”
57 They said, “Let us call the young woman and ask her.”
58 And they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will go.”
59 So they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men.
24 They blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”
61 Then Rebekah and her young women arose and rode on the camels and followed the man. Thus the servant took Rebekah and went his way.
62 Now Isaac had returned from Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the Negeb.
63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming.
64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel.
65 and said to the servant, “Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
67 Then Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
Ruth 4:13-17: 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.
14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!
15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.
17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Proverbs 18:22: 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
and obtains favor from the Lord.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7: 6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.
Malachi 2:14-16: 2 Yet you say, “Why?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
2 Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
Matthew 22:23-30: 23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,
24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’”
25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother.
26 So too the second and the third, down to the seventh.
27 Last of all, the woman also died.
28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Mark 10:6-9: 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’
7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,’
8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.
9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.
Luke 20:34-36: 34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,
35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,
36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
John 2:1-11: 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.
3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.
9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13: 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Hebrews 13:4-7: 4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.