“To Marry” Is Missing: Marriage Through the Bible’s Original Language

“To Marry” Is Missing: Marriage Through the Bible’s Original Language

Most Christians assume the Bible has a clear, sacred institution called “marriage,” complete with ceremonies, titles, and legal stages. But a closer look—especially through Hebrew eyes—reveals something surprising: the Bible has no verb “to marry.” Instead of modern ideas about marriage, Scripture speaks in terms of possession, covenant, companionship, and responsibility. Let’s rethink what it means to be “married” in light of the original languages—and how Jesus reframes it for the New Covenant.

There Is No Verb “To Marry” in Hebrew

In the Hebrew Bible, you’ll never find a verb equivalent to our English word marry as a sacred or romantic ceremony. Instead, the language is transactional or relational:

לקח (laqach) – “to take”

“When a man takes a wife…” (Deut 24:1)

בעל (ba’al) – “to be master of / possess”

“She is married to a husband” = “She belongs to a master” (Exod 21:3)

קנה (qanah) – “to acquire or buy”

Used for acquiring both land and wives.

In other words, men “took” or “acquired” women—often from their fathers—and a covenant agreement or bride price (mohar) sealed the arrangement. There is no distinct ceremonial event, no wedding vows, no temple officiants. The relationship was recognized through union and covenantal intent, not institutional performance.

There Were No Titles Like “Fiancé” or “Spouse” as We Know Them

Unlike our modern progression of “single → dating → engaged → married → divorced,” the Bible’s categories were far more fluid and contextual. A woman was typically:

Under her father’s household authority

Taken by a man as “his woman”

Or put away (divorced or rejected)

The Hebrew words translated as “husband” and “wife” are simply:

אִישׁ (ish) – man

אִשָּׁה (ishah) – woman or “his woman”

So when Genesis says,

“This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man” (Gen 2:23),

it uses no legal language or sacred marriage terminology—just relational recognition and unity of origin.

Translators Imposed the Word “Marriage” into Genesis 2

Genesis 2:24 famously reads:

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

But again, the Hebrew doesn’t say “wife” or “marry.” It literally reads:

“A man shall leave his father and mother and cling to his woman (ishah)…”

The term “wife” is a contextual relational label, not a legal title. Translators insert “marriage” here due to cultural assumptions, not linguistic necessity. This verse isn’t a legal decree or wedding ceremony. It’s a relational observation: when a man forms a bond with a woman, it’s a sacred unity rooted in fleshly oneness and personal loyalty, not legalism.

Jesus Quotes Genesis 2 to Teach Relational Faithfulness, Not Legal Marriage

Jesus references Genesis 2:24 when asked about divorce (Matt 19:5; Mark 10:7–9):

“What God has joined together, let no man separate.”

What’s profound is what Jesus doesn’t say:

No mention of official marriage contracts

No priestly involvement

No formal ritual at all

Instead, Jesus points to the Edenic model—a world before temples, governments, or legal paperwork—where a man and a woman are joined in covenantal unity by God’s intention.

Jesus reframes the conversation from legal definitions to relational fidelity. For Him, what defines a marriage isn’t a wedding but the God-joined commitment between two people.

From Ownership to Mutuality: The New Covenant Ethic

In ancient Israel, unions were rooted in male control and property dynamics. But Jesus and the apostles elevate marriage into a sacred bond of mutual self-giving.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ…” (Ephesians 5:21)

Paul doesn’t reinforce patriarchal ownership. Instead, he teaches:

Husbands must love their wives as Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25).

Wives are not property but co-heirs of life (1 Peter 3:7).

Marriage becomes a living metaphor for Christ’s relationship with the body of believers.

No longer about taking or possessing, marriage in Christ is about service, unity, and shared purpose—a return to Eden, but with the maturity of the Spirit.

Conclusion

The Bible’s lack of a verb “to marry” isn’t a problem—it’s a revelation. It challenges us to stop equating marriage with:

Government documents

Cultural rituals

Religious traditions

What matters in God’s eyes is:

Relational commitment

Sacred companionship

Unity of purpose and body

Jesus takes us back to the beginning—not to enforce modern ideas of marriage, but to recover Eden’s vision of unity, love, and loyalty.