Studying the married couples in the Bible is one of the best ways to learn the do’s and don’ts of marriage through God’s eyes.
The couples listed in this post gives an overview. Of course, it is not a comprehensive list but it will certainly give you somewhere to start your study.
Each couple has a reference Scripture beside it to make it easy for you find them.
Famous Couples in the Bible
These are perhaps the most popular biblical couples. For the most part, this list features marriages that show the reality that every marriage is imperfect.
They are a mix of the good and the bad. That’s the perfect marriage in an imperfect world.
Famous biblical couples in the Old Testament
Adam and Eve – Genesis 2:15–3:13
Noah and Wife – Genesis 5:32, 7:7, 9:18)
Abraham and Sarah – Genesis 17:1-8, 15-22; 21:1-7
Isaac and Rebekah – Genesis 24:24-67
Jacob and Rachel – Genesis 29:1-30
Jacob and Leah – Genesis 29:22-28
Boaz and Ruth – Ruth 2:1-13; 4:1-17
King Ahasuerus and Esther – Esther 2:1-20
Job and Wife – Job 2:9, 19:27, 31:10
Famous biblical couples in the New Testament
Mary and Joseph – Matthew 1:18 – 25
Zechariah and Elizabeth – Luke 1:5-7
Examples of good marriages in the Bible Old Testament
What’s considered a good marriage might not be the exact same for everyone. But there are some things we can definitely agree on.
For example, a marriage that produces truly godly children or where both people move together as a unit or in which there is clear evidence of love and empathy or in which one person makes the other better or where individuals were allowed to fulfill the purpose for which God called them.
This list has examples of these kinds of characteristics. Of course, we aren’t assuming these were perfect marriages but there are lots of good things we can learn from them.
Good marriages in the Old Testament
Amram and Jochebed – Exodus 6:20
Moses and Zipporah – Exodus 2:21, 4:24-26, 18:3
Aaron and Elisha – Exodus 6:23
David and Bathsheba – 2 Samuel 11-12:25, 1 Kings 1-2
David and Abigail – 1 Samuel 25:39
Naomi and Elimelech – Ruth 1:3-17
Manoah and Wife – Judges 13:2
Deborah and Lappidoth – Judges 4:4
Hannah and Elkanah – 1 Samuel 1:2
The Shunammite Woman and her husband – 2 Kings 4:8 – 10
Good marriages in the New Testament
Priscilla and Aquila – Acts 18:2-3
*The famous marriages mentioned above for the New Testament are also good.
Examples of bad marriages in the Bible
Many of the Bible stories about couples give few details but just enough to let us know what an unhealthy relationship looks like.
For example, we see where ungodliness produces all kinds of bad fruit in marriage, the power of bad influences within a marriage and the pain of marrying someone who doesn’t get along with the in-laws or strays from the marriage.
Bad marriages in the Old Testament
Lot and Wife – Genesis 19:26
Esau and Beeri – Genesis 26:34-35
Esau and Basemath – Genesis 26:34-35
Judah and daughter of Shua – Genesis 38:2,12
Ahasuerus and Vashti – Esther 1:10 – 2:4
David and Michal – 1 Samuel 18:17
Nabal and Abigail – 1 Samuel 25:14
Ahab and Jezebel – 1 Kings 16:30-31
Hosea and Gomer – Hosea 1:2-3
Potiphar and Wife – Genesis 39:2-7
Jeroboam and wife – 1 Kings 14:1-18
Jehoram and Athaliah – 2 Kings 8:16 -27
Haman and Zeresh – Esther 5:14, 6:13
Ahaz and Abijah – 2 Chronicles 29:1-2, 2 Kings 18:1-2
Amon and Jedidah – 2 Kings 21:24; 2 Kings 22:1
Saul and Ahinoam – 1 Samuel 14:50
Bad marriages in the New Testament
Herod and Herodias – Mark 6:14-29
Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5:1-11
Felix and Druscilla – Acts 24:24-26
King Agrippa and Bernice – Acts 25:13, 23, 30-31
Unknown Couples in the Bible
These couples are little known. One-half these couples are usually well-known but not the other half.
This list adds some more details to these characters and helps us see their humanity even more.
Unknown couples in Old Testament
Salmon and Rahab – Matthew 1:5
The Shulammite Girl and Her Shepherd Boy – Song of Solomon 1:1-7, 6:1-3, 13,
Ezekiel and unnamed wife – Ezekiel 24:15 – 18
Isaiah and unnamed wife – Isaiah 8:3
Abraham and Keturah – Genesis 25:1, 6
Ishmael and unnamed Egyptian wife – Genesis 21:21
Prophetess Huldah and Shallum – 2 Kings 22:14, 2 Chronicles 34:22
Asenath and Joseph – Genesis 41:50-52
King Saul and Ahinoam – 1 Samuel 14:50
Solomon and Naamah – 1 Kings 14:21-31
Achsah and Othniel – Joshua 15:16 – 19
Unknown couples in the New Testament
Peter and wife – Mark 1:30
Pilate and Wife – Matthew 27:19
Unmarried couples in the Bible
The use of concubines was common particularly in the Old Testament.
Concubines usually served the purpose of having children to ensure that there would be an heir for the family.
Although they had more rights than a slave, they didn’t have as much privilege as a wife.
Abraham and Hagar – Genesis 16:3
Abraham and Keturah – 1 Chronicles 1:32
Jacob and Zilpah – Genesis 30:9-13
Jacob and Bilhah – Genesis 30:1-8
Samson and Delilah – Judges 16:4-21
King Saul and Rizpah – 2 Samuel 3:7
The ultimate couple in the Bible
Throughout Scripture, God has consistently used the metaphor of marriage to describe the relationship between mankind and himself.
Here are a few of those Bible verses from both the Old Testament and New Testament:
Isaiah 62:5
Isaiah 54:5-8
Hosea 2:19-20
Ephesians 5:31-32
2 Corinthians 11:2
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