What does the Bible say about marital love?
Bible Topic · WEB
The Bible presents marital love as a covenantal union of faithful companionship, tender delight, sacrificial service, and mutual honor under God. Genesis 2:24 grounds marriage in a man and woman becoming one flesh, while Proverbs 5:18-19 commends joyful, exclusive delight in one’s spouse. Ephesians 5:22 and 5:33 call wives to respectful submission and husbands to Christlike, self-giving love, reflecting Christ’s care for his church. First Peter 3:7-12 commands husbands to live considerately with their wives and honor them as fellow heirs of grace. First Corinthians 13:1-13 shows that enduring love is patient, kind, humble, and persevering.
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Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible
- 1 Peter 3:7-12
[7] You husbands, in like manner, live with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the woman, as to the weaker vessel, as being also joint heirs of the grace of life; that your prayers may not be hindered. [8] Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous, [9] not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing. [10] For, "He who would love life, And see good days, Let him keep his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. [11] Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it. [12] For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And his ears open to their prayer; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
- Proverbs 5:18-19
[18] Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. [19] A loving doe and a graceful deer-- Let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.
- Ephesians 5:33
Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
[1] If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. [2] If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing. [3] If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing. [4] Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, [5] doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; [6] doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; [7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8] Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. [9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; [10] but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. [11] When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. [12] For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. [13] But now faith, hope, and love remain--these three. The greatest of these is love.
- Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
- Ephesians 5:22
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
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