The Bible's commandments on marriage

(In Biblical order)

Don't commit adultery.

Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18, Romans 13:9

Jesus said, ... Thou shalt not commit adultery. Matthew 19:18

Do not commit adultery. Mark 10:19

If a man takes another wife, he must continue to feed, clothe, and have sex with his first wife.

If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish. Exodus 21:10

Maimonides #124: Not to withhold food, clothing, and sexual relations from your wife — Ex. 21:10

If, after taking a second wife, a man fails to feed, clothe, and have sex with his first wife, he must set her free.

And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money. Exodus 21:11

If you seduce and have sex with an unmarried woman, you must marry her.

If a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. Exodus 22:16

Maimonides #131: The court must fine one who sexually seduces a maiden — Ex. 22:15-16

If her father refuses to give her to you, you must pay him the customary price for virgins.

If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. Exodus 22:17

Don't marry your wife's sister while your wife is still alive.

Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. Leviticus 18:18

Maimonides #154: Not to have sexual relations with your wife's sister — Lev. 18:18

The Law of Jealousies: What a man must do when he suspects that his wife has been unfaithful.

If a man suspects his wife of being unfaithful, he reports it to the priest.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him, And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner; And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled: Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance. Numbers 5:11-15

The priest then makes her drink some "bitter water."

And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord: And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water: And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse: Numbers 5:16-18

If she is guilty, the water makes her thigh rot and her belly swell.

And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse: But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband: Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the Lord doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell; And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen. And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water: And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter. Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the Lord, and offer it upon the altar: And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water. And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people. Numbers 5:19-27

If the woman is innocent, no harm done -- she is free and will "conceive seed." In any case, "the man shall be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity."

And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled; Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law. Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.Numbers 5:28-31

Don't marry non-believers.

Neither shalt thou make marriages with them ... For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. Deuteronomy 7:3-4

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not ... take their daughters ... for yourselves. Nehemiah 13:25

Maimonides #162: Not to marry non-Jews — Deut. 7:3

Don't let your children marry non-believers.

Thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. Deuteronomy 7:3-4

The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons. Ezra 9:11-12

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons. Nehemiah 13:25

If you have two wives, one beloved and another hated, and your firstborn son was born of your hated wife, then give him twice the inheritance of your beloved wife's firstborn son.

If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. Deuteronomy 21:15-17

If a man accuses his wife of not being a virgin on her wedding night, and her parents are unable to produce the bloody sheets to disprove the accusation, then the men of the city shall stone her to death.

If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; ... But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you. Deuteronomy 22:13-21

Maimonides #122: To marry a wife by means of ketubah and kiddushin — Deut. 22:13

If a man falsely accuses his wife of not being a virgin on her wedding night, then he can never divorce her and he must pay her father 100 shekels of silver.

If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him; And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days. Deuteronomy 22:13-19

Maimonides #134: The slanderer must remain married to his wife — Deut. 22:19
Maimonides #135: He must not divorce her — Deut. 22:19

If a man is found raping an unmarried virgin, he must marry her, give her father fifty shekels, and never divorce her.

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife." Deuteronomy 22:28-29

Maimonides #134: The rapist must marry his victim if she is unwed — Deut. 22:29
Maimonides #134: He is never allowed to divorce her — Deut. 22:29

If you take a wife, and you find some uncleanness in her, then divorce her and kick her out of your house.

When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. Deuteronomy 24:1

Maimonides #126: To issue a divorce by means of a Get document — Deut. 24:1

A divorced wife may marry another man, but if her new husband divorces her because he hates her too (or if he dies), then her former husband must not remarry her.

(That would be an abomination to God.)

And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD. Deuteronomy 24:2-4

Maimonides #127: A man must not remarry his ex-wife after she has married someone else — Deut. 24:4

When a man takes a new wife, he shall not fight in war or do any business; he shall be free for one year to cheer up his new wife.

When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. Deuteronomy 24:5

Maimonides #608: He who has taken a wife, built a new home, or planted a vineyard is given a year to rejoice with his possessions — Deut. 24:5

If a man dies before his wife has a child, the widow must marry her dead husband's brother.

If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. Deuteronomy 25:5

Maimonides #128: To perform yibbum (marry the widow of one's childless brother) — Deut. 25:5

When a man marries his dead brother's wife, the firstborn son receives the dead brother's name.

And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. Deuteronomy 25:6

If a man refuses to "go in unto" his dead brother's wife, she shall loosen his shoe and spit in his face.

And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house. Deuteronomy 25:7-9

Maimonides #129: To perform halizah (free the widow of one's childless brother from yibbum) — Deut. 25:9

A man who refuses to have sex with his dead brother's wife shall be called "him that has his shoe loosed."

And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed. Deuteronomy 25:10

Put away your strange ex-wives.

We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land ... Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives ... according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. Ezra 10:2-3

Rejoice with your wife.

Rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Proverbs 5:18

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest. Ecclesiastes 9:9

Be satisfied with your wife's breasts.

Let her [your wife] be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. Proverbs 5:19

Don't talk to your wife.

Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. Micah 7:5

Be kind to your wife.

Let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. ... Take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Malachi 2:15-16

Don't divorce your wife (unless she has fornicated).

(If you divorce your wife, you cause her to commit adultery.)

Whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. Matthew 5:32

Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery. Matthew 19:9

Don't marry a divorced woman.

(If you do, you are committing adultery.)

Whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Matthew 5:32

Whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. Matthew 19:9

Don't divorce your wife (even if she has fornicated).

(If you divorce her, you both commit adultery.)

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ... And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. Mark 10:9-12

If you can't control yourself, get married.

(It's better to marry than to burn.)

It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:1-2

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. 1 Corinthians 7:8-9

If you're not married, don't get married.

I would that all men were even as I myself. 1 Corinthians 7:7

I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 1 Corinthians 7:8

Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment ... it is good for a man so to be. 1 Corinthians 7:25-26

Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. 1 Corinthians 7:27

A married believer should stay with an unbelieiving spouse, unless the unbelieving spouse decides to leave.

If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. ... But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. 1 Corinthians 7:12-15

If you are married, don't have sex.

(There's no time for it. Jesus is coming.)

The time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none. 1 Corinthians 7:29

Have sex whenever your spouse requires it.

(To avoid fornication and Satan's temptation.)

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication ... Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. ... Defraud ye not one the other ... that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5

Wives, obey your husbands (as though they were Jesus).

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Ephesians 5:22

As the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Ephesians 5:24

Let ... the wife see that she reverence her husband. Ephesians 5:33

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Colossians 3:18

Ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands. 1 Peter 3:1

Husbands, love your wife (like you love your own body).

Husbands, love your wives. Ephesians 5:25

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. Ephesians 5:28

Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself. Ephesians 5:33

Husbands, honor your wife.

(As the weaker vessel.)

Ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, 1 Peter 3:7