S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Many of the marriages mentioned in the Bible were arranged marriages in which the parents were involved in choosing a mate for their children. The practice of arranged marriage varied greatly from ...

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July 01 2013 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Dottie Meredith Supporter

In Bible times some women had a choice about whom they married while others did not. That God wants women to have a choice as to whom they marry is obvious from such passages as Numbers 27:1-6 and Numbers 36:1-13, where it says: This is what the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they wish; only they must marry within the family of the tribe of their father (36:6)'. This verse finds something of a parallel in 1 Corinthians 7:39, where Paul writes: A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

November 18 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

ICB
They called her and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?” She said, “Yes, I do.”
NCV
They called her and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?” She said, “Yes, I do.”

(Genesis 24:58) Note the similarity between Abraham’s servant’s firm position on presenting his petition (Genesis 24:33) and his refusal in delaying finishing the job. When the Lord’s @ work, that’s when to keep going! He asked that they let the woman (Rebekah) make the choice to marry Isaac, and her answer was an early “I do.” (earlier than the actual wedding). Incidentally, this is the choice every sinner has to make if he/she wants to be “married to Christ” and share His home in heaven.

June 09 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Did women in the Bible have a choice about whom they married?

When you read the Bible accounts of marriage, it says that these were arranged marriages:

In a patriarchal society, a woman's marriage was often arranged by her father, with the prospective groom needing the father's permission. 

For example, the daughters of Zelophehad were given the freedom to marry whomever they wished, as long as the marriage was within their father's tribe. This group was given the right to choose their own husbands, with the stipulation that they must marry within their father's tribe (Numbers 36:6).

In the NT, widows were also free to remarry whom they pleased, provided the person was a believer, according to 1 Corinthians 7:39.

Also, the specific societal and cultural context in which each passage was written is essential for understanding the role of women's choice in marriage. 

Conclusion:

Rebekah was asked for her consent (Genesis 24).

Jacob chose Rachel, whom he loved, and worked for her father, Laban, to earn the right to marry her (Genesis 29).

Michal loved David, and this pleased her father, Saul, in arranging the marriage (1 Samuel 18:20).

The daughters of Zelophehad were given the choice of whom to marry, provided they married within their own tribe to keep the property within the family (Numbers 36:6). 

While the family structure was patriarchal and arranged marriages were standard, women in the Bible were generally not forced into marriages against their will. They had the right to refuse a match.

1 day ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report