What Does the Bible Say About Only Having One Spouse?

1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV / 14 helpful votes

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Hebrews 13:4 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

Genesis 2:24 ESV / 10 helpful votes

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

1 Corinthians 7:1-40 ESV / 7 helpful votes

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ...

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV / 6 helpful votes

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Ephesians 5:33 ESV / 5 helpful votes

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:31 ESV / 5 helpful votes

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

1 Corinthians 7:39 ESV / 5 helpful votes

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.

Matthew 19:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes

He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Matthew 19:3-9 ESV / 5 helpful votes

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” ...

Matthew 5:31-32 ESV / 5 helpful votes

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV / 5 helpful votes

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Exodus 20:14 ESV / 5 helpful votes

“You shall not commit adultery.

1 Peter 3:7 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

1 Timothy 3:2 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

1 Corinthians 7:15 ESV / 4 helpful votes

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

Romans 7:2-3 ESV / 4 helpful votes

For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV / 4 helpful votes

And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

1 Timothy 3:12 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

Ephesians 5:25 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV / 3 helpful votes

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Corinthians 6:16 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”

Mark 10:11-12 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:4-6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 19:1-30 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Now when Jesus had finished these sayings, he went away from Galilee and entered the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ...

Matthew 5:32 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:28 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Deuteronomy 24:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house,

Leviticus 18:18 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister, uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive.

Colossians 3:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

Ephesians 5:22-33 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ...

1 Corinthians 9:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

1 Corinthians 6:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

Luke 16:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Matthew 19:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:8-9 ESV / 2 helpful votes

He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:5-6 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 19:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

Malachi 2:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Proverbs 22:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 18:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes

He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

2 Samuel 12:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

45 Bible Verses about Only Having One Spouse

1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Hebrews 13:4 ESV / 10 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 2:24 ESV / 10 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:1-40 ESV / 7 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:18 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:33 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:31 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:39 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:3-9 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:31-32 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 20:14 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Peter 3:7 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 3:2 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:15 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Romans 7:2-3 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 3:12 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:25 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:16 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Mark 10:11-12 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:4-6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:1-30 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:32 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:28 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 24:1 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 18:18 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Colossians 3:19 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ephesians 5:22-33 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 9:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:13 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 16:18 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:8-9 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:5-6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:5 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Malachi 2:16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Proverbs 22:6 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Proverbs 18:22 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Samuel 12:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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