Topical Bible: Marriage: The Bridegroom: Adorned With Ornaments

◄ Marriage: The Bridegroom: Adorned With Ornaments ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, marriage was a significant covenant, often symbolizing the relationship between God and His people. The imagery of the bridegroom adorned with ornaments is a powerful representation of joy, celebration, and the sanctity of marriage. This imagery is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious practices of ancient Israel and is reflected in various passages throughout the Bible.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 61:10 : "I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom wears a priestly headdress, as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." This verse highlights the joy and righteousness associated with the bridegroom, drawing a parallel between the adornment of the bridegroom and the spiritual adornment of salvation and righteousness bestowed by God.

2. Song of Solomon 3:11 : "Come out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding—the day of his heart’s rejoicing." Here, the bridegroom, King Solomon, is depicted wearing a crown, symbolizing honor, authority, and the joy of the wedding day. The adornment signifies the importance and celebration of the marital union.

3. Ezekiel 16:10-13 : In this passage, God describes His covenant with Jerusalem using the metaphor of a bride adorned with ornaments: "I clothed you with embroidered cloth and put sandals of fine leather on your feet. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head." This imagery emphasizes the beauty and care with which God adorns His people, akin to a bridegroom preparing for his bride.

Cultural Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, weddings were grand events, and the bridegroom's adornment was a reflection of his status and the joy of the occasion. The use of ornaments, such as crowns, jewelry, and fine garments, was not only a display of wealth but also a symbol of the covenantal relationship being established. The adornment of the bridegroom was a visual representation of the honor and commitment inherent in the marriage covenant.

Theological Significance:

The adornment of the bridegroom in Scripture often serves as a metaphor for the relationship between Christ and the Church. Just as a bridegroom prepares himself for his bride, Christ prepares and adorns His Church, presenting her as pure and holy. This imagery is seen in Ephesians 5:25-27 , where Christ's love for the Church is likened to a husband's love for his wife, sanctifying her and presenting her in splendor.

The adornment of the bridegroom with ornaments is a rich biblical theme that underscores the beauty, joy, and sacredness of marriage. It serves as a reminder of the divine love and commitment that marriage represents, both in human relationships and in the spiritual relationship between God and His people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 61:10
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Treatise ii. On the Dress of virgins.
... is intended to appeal, who have adorned themselves with ... is animated to bear, and
the bridegroom to dare ... at weddings for her whose mind is not towards marriage? ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise ii on the dress.htm

Matt. xxii. 1-14.
... even after the death, then is the marriage, then the bridegroom. ... not that the king
ought to be adorned more than ... clad thus, them that have on a marriage garment ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxix matt xxii 1-14.htm

1 Timothy ii. 10-Aug
... to a marriage? ... this sort becomes a modest woman, who should be adorned "with
shamefacedness ... Thou hast Christ for thy Bridegroom, O virgin, why dost thou seek ...
/.../homily viii 1 timothy ii.htm

Funeral Oration on Meletius .
... blessed affection, she loved him, her own bridegroom, with a ... religion, she remained
chaste and kept the marriage vow ... them for the loss by being adorned with the ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/funeral oration on meletius.htm

Ephesians v. 22-24
... 28:19.) And not simply hath He adorned her, but ... Christ and the Church a bride and
bridegroom; never would ... lest any one have broken through her marriage chamber ...
/.../homily xx ephesians v 22-24.htm

Jewish Homes
... as a king, or with songs as a bridegroom; and each ... to his home, he found it festively
adorned, the Sabbath ... in the power of her father till marriage, she could ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 6 jewish homes.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... who are held as celibates by the ancient law are freed from the threatened terrors
of the laws, and let them so live as if by the compact of marriage they were ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

The Holy City; Or, the New Jerusalem:
... of city doth much concern the point; she is here called 'the new and holy city,'
which words are explained by these, 'prepared as a bride and adorned for her ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the holy city or the.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... hood, suffers an infamous strumpet to inveigle him into a miserable marriage, as
he ... millstone was hanged about thy neck, and that thou, as so adorned, was cast ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

Mr. Bunyan's Last Sermon:
... Women will dress their children, that every one may see them how fine they are;
so he in Ezekiel 16:11: 'I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/mr bunyans last sermon .htm