The origin of traditional marriage vows in the Bible

The origin of traditional marriage vows in the Bible: Therefore, a man must leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and the two will become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).

If you’re thinking about “tying the knot,” then one thing you’ve probably thought about is your wedding vows. Wedding ceremonies – aside from marriage vows – vary greatly from culture to culture, even from country to country and from religion to religion.

Of course, most people can recite the vows we’ve all heard at real weddings and even weddings in movies or TV shows.

“I (name) take you (name) to be my lawfully wedded wife/husband, from this day forward, through thick and thin, through thick and thin, through sickness and through health, until death do us part. slow, love and cherish.”

These are the words that most likely your parents or even your grandparents used when they got married. Such vows – or something similar – have been used for hundreds of years and represent a tradition.

Today, of course, many couples write their own vows – making them truly unique, with promises that are meaningful to them.

Whether couples follow tradition, or decide to write their own vows, or choose some form or combination of both – the moment they say those vows is generally one they’ll remember forever. Or maybe not? Do you remember these words of commitment? Or… just a party after the ceremony?

It seems that today’s marriage vows are not what we would consider a serious promise.

Did you know that while the divorce rate has remained relatively stable in recent years — and has declined slightly over the long term — the average length of a marriage in the United States is 8.2 years. And somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of marriages end in divorce.

Unfortunately, according to a 2014 study by Baylor University, the divorce rate of those who call themselves Christians is actually higher than that of non-Christians. True or False – It sure sounds right, doesn’t it?

One would think we should know what we are getting ourselves into when we say those vows. We must understand what we are taking a solemn oath to do. Isn’t it?

History of marriage vows

The marriage vows as we know them originate from a book called the Book of Common Prayer (BCP). This is a liturgical prayer book used by churches belonging to the Anglican Communion.

The Book of Common Prayer was originally published in 1549 AD, during the reign of Edward VI and under the supervision of the Church of England. Its author was Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, although edited versions were published a few years later.

The Book of Common Prayer has served and continues to serve as a source of “procedures” and appropriate prayers not only for marriage ceremonies, but also for baptisms, confirmations, funerals, communions, morning and evening prayers, prayers for the sick, and more. This book covers almost all the dos and don’ts of worship and prayer.

Although the history of the Book of Common Prayer dates back to the 16th century, this is not the first place where we find such vows. In fact, these vows date back to the era of Sarum, which is the 11th century AD.

Sarum was a Latin liturgical form used in the Church of England centuries before the Book of Common Prayer. Even the term “tying the knot”, whose exact history is not known, goes back to the traditions of the early centuries.

If you’re old enough, you might remember that in the original version of the vows, the bride—and only the bride—had to promise to obey her husband.

Not surprisingly, most texts today no longer include that completely one-sided commitment. But other very important words—often overlooked—have also been omitted from the original marriage vows. And we rarely hear them today.

“…from this day forward, in hardship and comfort, in wealth and poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do us part, I will love and cherish, according to God’s holy law, and This is my solemn oath” (emphasis added). “According to God’s holy law, and this is my solemn oath.”

And it is in this sentence that суть (sareh – сути, the essence of the matter) means to perform marriage vows. What is the meaning of marriage: “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9) (Bible).

Biblical definition of marriage

God’s Word has a lot to say about marriage—that is, a man and a woman joining together.

In Ephesians 5, Paul devotes an entire chapter to Christian homes, explaining how husbands and wives should treat and commit to one another.

“Be submissive to one another for the sake of Christ” (verse 5).

“Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as you submit to God” (verse 22).

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” (verse 25).

And then Paul repeats Genesis 2:24.

“For this reason, a man will leave his parents and join his wife and they will become one” (verse 31).

Paul seems to care a lot about this. It is so important that he goes on to say:

“This is a deep mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the Church. However, each one of you must love his wife as himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (verses 32-33).

And this is where its importance lies. This is the essence of what marriage should mean to us. It is the hinge on which the whole marriage hinges.

Isaiah expressed it a little differently, but with the same message:

“For your Creator is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name, and the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer, he is called the God of all the earth” (Isaiah 54:5) (Bible).

According to the Bible, marriage is sacred. This shows how God views his relationship with us. A secret, yes, but still a solemn, sworn commitment.

The oath that God took to reconcile us with himself. Be committed to us, your bride. We should also treat our spouses as he has committed to us.

Today in the article : The origin of traditional marriage vows in the Bible We reviewed useful information about the Bible and the way of Jesus. If you wish, you can view other articles of Ali Vahidi about Christianity