44 Bible Verses about Singleness

And let the damsel's father say unto the elders, 'I gave my daughter unto this man to wife and he hateth her:

And Moses was content to dwell with the man. And he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter which bare a son,

If a damsel vow a vow unto the LORD and bind herself, being in her father's house and unmarried: If her father hear her vow and bond which she hath made upon her soul, and hold his peace thereto: then all her vows and bonds which she hath made upon her soul shall stand in effect. But and if her father forbid her the same day that he heareth it, none of her vows nor bonds which she hath made upon her soul shall be of value, and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father forbade her.

And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kiriathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife." And Othniel the son of Kenaz Caleb's younger brother took it: to whom he gave Achsah his daughter to wife,

Then said Saul to David, "Behold, my eldest daughter Merab: her I will give thee to wife; only play the man and fight the LORD's battles." For Saul thought, "Mine hand shall not be upon him, but the hand of the Philistines."

and on his sister as long as she is a maid and dwelleth nigh him and was never given to man: on her he may defile himself.

Behold Rebekah before thy face: take her and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, even as the LORD hath said."

And they said unto them, "We cannot do this thing, that we should give our sister to one that is uncircumcised, for that were a shame unto us. Only in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that all the men children among you be circumcised,

They shall come at no dead person, to defile themselves; except it be father or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister that hath had yet no husband: in such they may be defiled.

Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, "Go, and return each of you unto your mother's house. The LORD deal as kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me." And the LORD grant you that you may find rest, either of you in the house of her husband." And so she kissed them. Then they cried and wept and said unto her, "We will go with thee unto thy folk."read more.
But Naomi said, "Turn again my daughters: for what cause would you go with me? Think you that there be any more children in my bowels to be your husbands? Turn again my daughters and go: for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, also if I took a man this night: yea, and though I had already borne sons? Would ye tarry after them, till they were of age? Or would ye for them so long refrain from taking of husbands? Not so, my daughters: for it grieveth me much for your sakes, that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me."

Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown." For he feared lest he should have died also, as his brethren did. Thus went Tamar and dwelt in her father's house.

Notwithstanding, if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, but is returned unto her father's house again, she shall eat of her father's bread as well as she did in her youth. But there shall no stranger eat thereof.

which concubine played the whore in his house, and went away from him, unto her father's house to Bethlehem Judah, and there continued four months.

And if any man be betrothed unto a wife and have not taken her, let him go and return again unto his house, lest he die in the battle and another take her.'

But and if the thing be of a surety that the damsel be not found a virgin, let them bring her unto the door of her father's house, and let the men of that city stone her with stones to death, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house. And so thou shalt put evil away from thee.

And she said unto her father, "Do this much for me: let me alone two months that I may go down to the mountains and bewail my virginity with my fellows." And he said, "Go." And so he sent her away two months. And she went with her companions and lamented her maidenhead upon the mountains. And after the two months she turned again unto her father, which did with her according to his vow which he had vowed, and so she knew no man.

For the LORD shall call thee, being as a desolate sorrowful woman, and as a young wife that hath broken her wedlock, sayeth thy God.

Then said the elder unto the younger, "Our father is old, and there are no more men in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the world. Come therefore, let us give our father wine to drink, and let us lie with him that we may save seed of our father."

Then the child whom the barren shall bring forth unto thee, shall say in thine ear, "This place is too narrow, sit nigh together, that I may have room." Then shalt thou think by thyself, "Who hath begotten me these? Seeing I am barren and alone, a captive and an outcast? And who hath nourished them up for me? I am desolate and alone, but from whence come these?"

From this time forth thou shalt never be called the forsaken, and thy land shall no more be called the wilderness. But thou shalt be called Hephzibah, that is, my beloved; and thy land Beulah, that is, a married woman: for the LORD loveth thee, and thy land shall be inhabited.

As for your mother, ye shall chide with her, and reprove her: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband, unless she put away her whoredoms out of my sight, and her adultery from her breasts.

For it is written, "Rejoice thou barren, that bearest no children: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not. For the desolate hath many more children, than she which hath a husband."

Therefore be glad now, thou barren that bearest not. Rejoice, sing and be merry, thou that art not with child: For the desolate hath more children, than the married wife, sayeth the LORD.

For I would that all men were as I myself am: but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, another after that.

"Thou shalt take thee no wife, nor beget children in this place.

Then said his disciples to him, "If the matter be so between man and wife, then is it not good to marry." He said unto them, "All men cannot away with that saying, save they to whom it is given. There are chaste, which were so born out of their mother's belly. And there are chaste, which be made chaste of men. And there be chaste, which have made themselves chaste for the kingdom of heavens' sake. He that can take it, let him take it."

but and if they cannot abstain, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn.

The younger widows refuse. For when they have begun to wax wanton, to the dishonour of Christ, then will they marry, having damnation, because they have broken their first faith. And also they learn to go from house to house idle, yea not idle only, but also trifling and busybodies, speaking things which are not comely.read more.
I will therefore that the younger women marry and bear children, and guide the house, and give none occasion to the adversary to speak evil.

As concerning virgins, I have no commandment of the Lord: yet give I counsel as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful. I suppose that it is good for the present necessity. For it is good for a man so to be. Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.read more.
But and if thou take a wife, thou sinnest not. Likewise if a virgin marry, she sinneth not. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in their flesh: but I saver you.

Unto the married command not I, but the Lord: that the wife separate not herself from the man.

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his wife: and let every woman have her husband. Let the man give unto the wife due benevolence. Likewise also the wife unto the man. The wife hath not power over her own body: but the husband; And likewise the man hath not power over his own body: but the wife.read more.
Withdraw not yourselves one from another except it be with consent for a time, for to give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and afterward come again to the same thing, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency. This I say of favour, not of commandment.

And he said unto the people, "Be ready against the third day, and see that ye come not at your wives."

And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under mine hand - but there is hallowed bread, if the young men have abstained only from women." And David answered the priest and said unto him, "Of a truth, women hath been locked up from us about a three days, when I came out: and the vessels of the young men were holy. Howbeit, this way is impure: but it shall be hallowed in the vessel."

I say unto the unmarried men, and widows: it is good for them if they abide even as I do,

As concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man, not to touch a woman.

I would have you without care; the single man careth for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord: but he that hath married, careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference between a virgin and a wife. The single woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be pure both in body and also in spirit: but she that is married, careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.read more.
This speak I for your profit, not to tangle you in a snare: but for that which is honest and comely unto you; And that ye may quietly cleave unto the Lord without separation.

The third said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

The same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

She that is a very widow, and friendless, putteth her trust in God, and continueth in supplication and prayer night and day:

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are married: but are as the angels of God in heaven.

For when they shall rise again from death, they neither marry, nor are married: but are as the angels which are in heaven.

but they which shall be made worthy to enjoy that world, and the resurrection from death, neither marry wives,

This say I, brethren: the time is short. It remaineth that they which have wives, be as though they had none: and they that weep, be as though they wept not: and they that rejoice, be as though they rejoiced not: And they that buy, be as though they possessed not: And they that use this world, be as though they used it not: For the fashion of this world goeth away.