Topical Bible: Marriage: should be With Consent of Parents

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Topical Encyclopedia

Marriage, as depicted in the Bible, is a sacred covenant that often involves the consent and blessing of the parents. This practice is rooted in the cultural and religious traditions of the ancient Near East, where family units played a central role in the social and spiritual life of the community. The involvement of parents in the marriage process is seen as a means of ensuring the stability and sanctity of the union.

Biblical Foundations

The concept of parental consent in marriage is illustrated in several biblical narratives. In Genesis 24, the account of Isaac and Rebekah provides a clear example. Abraham, seeking a wife for his son Isaac, sends his servant to find a suitable bride from his own kin. The servant encounters Rebekah and, after receiving a sign from God, approaches her family to seek their consent. Genesis 24:50-51 records the response of Rebekah's brother and father: "Laban and Bethuel answered, 'This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter. Rebekah is here before you. Take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has decreed.'"

This passage highlights the importance of family involvement and divine guidance in the marriage process. The consent of Rebekah's family is sought and given, demonstrating respect for familial authority and the belief that marriage is a divinely ordained institution.

Cultural Context

In biblical times, marriages were often arranged by families, and the consent of parents was a crucial element. This practice was not merely a social custom but was deeply intertwined with the spiritual and covenantal aspects of marriage. Parents were seen as guardians of their children's well-being and were responsible for ensuring that marriages were formed in accordance with God's will and the community's values.

The account of Jacob and Rachel in Genesis 29 further illustrates this cultural norm. Jacob works for Laban, Rachel's father, for seven years to earn the right to marry her. This arrangement underscores the role of the father in granting permission for marriage and the expectation that a suitor would demonstrate his commitment and ability to provide for his future wife.

New Testament Perspectives

While the New Testament does not explicitly mandate parental consent for marriage, it upholds the principles of honor and respect within family relationships. Ephesians 6:1-3 states, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother' (which is the first commandment with a promise), 'so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'"

This exhortation to honor one's parents can be understood to extend to the context of marriage, where seeking parental blessing aligns with the biblical call to respect and value family relationships. The New Testament emphasizes mutual love and submission within the family, which can be seen as supporting the practice of involving parents in marriage decisions.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, marriage with the consent of parents reflects the biblical understanding of marriage as a covenantal relationship that involves not only the couple but also their families and the broader community. It acknowledges the wisdom and guidance of parents, who are entrusted with the responsibility of nurturing and protecting their children.

Involving parents in the marriage process can also be seen as an expression of the biblical principle of community, where individual decisions are made in the context of relationships and accountability. This approach aligns with the biblical vision of marriage as a partnership that serves the purposes of God and contributes to the flourishing of the family and the community.

Conclusion

The biblical model of marriage with the consent of parents underscores the importance of family involvement and the recognition of marriage as a divinely ordained institution. Through the narratives and teachings of Scripture, the role of parents in the marriage process is affirmed as a means of ensuring that marriages are formed in accordance with God's will and the values of the faith community.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 28:8
And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Judges 14:2,3
And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Whether Conditional Consent Makes a Marriage?
... Objection 2: Further, marriage should be certain. ... the sun will rise tomorrow"-and
then the marriage is valid ... payment of a sum of money, or the consent of the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether conditional consent makes a.htm

Whether a Betrothal is a Promise of Future Marriage?
... is appended does not destroy the liberty of marriage; for if it be unlawful, it
should be renounced ... say, "I will take thee, if thy parents consent," and such ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether a betrothal is a.htm

Whether the Consent Needs to be Expressed in Words?
... expressed in words, so that the expression of words is to marriage what the ... Sent.),
persons who are being married should give their consent by accepting ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the consent needs to.htm

Whether Rape is a Species of Lust, Distinct from Seduction?
... seducing women, should not have those women in marriage, although they should have
subsequently married them with the consent of their parents." Therefore rape ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether rape is a species.htm

Marriage Does not Cancel a Mutual Vow of Continence; There was ...
... as broken between those who have by mutual consent agreed to ... might be done, in the
case of this marriage, to the ... of whom it was foretold that Christ should come ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 12 xi marriage does not.htm

Whether the Children of Jews and Other Unbelievers Ought to be ...
... or the natural law, and then it should be induced ... to embrace the faith: it can then
consent to the ... Reply to Objection 1: In the marriage bond, both husband and ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the children of jews.htm

Whether one Can be Compelled by One's Father's Command to Marry?
... Objection 3: Further, no one should promise, especially ... carnal father can compel
his son to marriage. ... parents would hold good without their children's consent. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether one can be compelled.htm

How Isaac Took Rebeka to Wife.
... as to take money, for that he should have all on ... Do you therefore confirm that marriage,
whose espousals have ... so much solicitude, in giving your consent to the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 16 how isaac took.htm

The Second Helvetic Confession, AD 1566.
... Marriage should be contracted in the fear of the Lord, with the consent of parents
or their representatives, and for the end for which it was instituted. ...
/.../ 55 the second helvetic.htm

Whether one who is under Another's Power Can Give Alms?
... the support of the burdens of marriage, whether that ... her husband's permission: yet
such alms should be moderate ... without the express or presumed consent of her ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether one who is under.htm