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the sanctity of marriage

What does the Bible say about the sanctity of marriage? These are the passages readers found most helpful — tap any citation to read it in context.

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4May marriage be honorable in every way, and may the marriage bed be immaculate. For God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

24For this reason, a man shall leave behind his father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife; and the two shall be as one flesh.

4And he said to them in response, “Have you not read that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female?” And he said: 5“For this reason, a man shall separate from father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife, and these two shall become one flesh. 6And so, now they are not two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.”

1Now concerning the things about which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2But, because of fornication, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. 3A husband should fulfill his obligation to his wife, and a wife should also act similarly toward her husband. 4It is not the wife, but the husband, who has power over her body. But, similarly also, it is not the husband, but the wife, who has power over his body. 5So, do not fail in your obligations to one another, except perhaps by consent, for a limited time, so that you may empty yourselves for prayer. And then, return together again, lest Satan tempt you by means of your abstinence. 6But I am saying this, neither as an indulgence, nor as a commandment.

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18The Lord God also said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let us make a helper for him similar to himself.”

18Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. And whoever marries her who has been divorced by her husband commits adultery.

22He who has found a good wife has found goodness, and he shall draw contentment from the Lord. He who expels a good wife expels goodness. But he who holds on to an adulteress is foolish and impious.

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and handed himself over for her, 26so that he might sanctify her, washing her clean by water and the Word of life, 27so that he might offer her to himself as a glorious Church, not having any spot or wrinkle or any such thing, so that she would be holy and immaculate. 28So, too, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no man has ever hated his own flesh, but instead he nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ also does to the Church. 30For we are a part of his body, of his flesh and of his bones.

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16If you would hold hatred, dismiss her, says the Lord, the God of Israel. But iniquity will cover his garment, says the Lord of hosts. Preserve your spirit, and do not be willing to despise.

3And the Pharisees approached him, testing him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to separate from his wife, no matter what the cause?” 4And he said to them in response, “Have you not read that he who made man from the beginning, made them male and female?” And he said: 5“For this reason, a man shall separate from father and mother, and he shall cling to his wife, and these two shall become one flesh. 6And so, now they are not two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7They said to him, “Then why did Moses command him to give a bill of divorce, and to separate?” 8He said to them: “Although Moses permitted you to separate from your wives, due to the hardness of your heart, it was not that way from the beginning.

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31And it has been said: ‘Whoever would dismiss his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce.’ 32But I say to you, that anyone who will have dismissed his wife, except in the case of fornication, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever will have married her who has been dismissed commits adultery.