bible verses about dating

Bible Verses About Dating: 12

Bible verses about dating: 12 Scriptures on wise romantic pursuit, purity of purpose, and love that waits for the right time.

Illustrated portrait of Christopher McAllister

By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 20265 min readSong of Songs 2:7 (NIV)

A man and a woman stand beside an open scroll on a stone wall under an olive tree.

"Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires."

— Song of Songs 2:7 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about dating want Scripture for romantic pursuit before a covenant — not only the roles of marriage or the heart-cleanliness focus of purity. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about marriage, Bible verses about purity, Bible verses about singleness, Love and romantic relationships, What does the Bible say about relationships, Bible verses about love and relationships, Bible verses about love, and Bible verse of the day. Dating here means wise courtship and romantic pursuit — distinct from marriage-as-covenant-roles and from purity-as-inner-cleanness alone.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "pure / holy" as a quality for how we treat others is ἁγνός hagnos (Strong's G53; Bible Hub G53) — pure, chaste, or free from defilement. Scripture does not use a modern word for "dating," but it does charge lovers not to awaken love early and to treat brothers and sisters with honor. The Song refrain and the call to purity of purpose frame romantic pursuit under God's timing, not under urgency alone.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Song of Songs 2 presses that love is not to be stirred up before its season — desire has a proper time (Bible Hub MHC Song of Songs 2; Bible Hub commentaries on Song of Songs 2:7; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on Song of Songs 2). On 1 Corinthians 7 he marks that marriage and singleness are both gifts, and that belonging "in the Lord" guards the bond (Bible Hub MHC 1 Corinthians 7; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on 1 Corinthians 7). On 1 Thessalonians 4 he notes that God's will includes sanctification and honor in how the body is treated (Bible Hub MHC 1 Thessalonians 4; Bible Hub commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 4:3).

12 Bible verses about dating

  1. Song of Songs 2:7. "Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." Love has a season — do not force it awake early. See Bible verses about purity.

  2. Genesis 29:20. "So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her." Patient pursuit can last years — love that serves is not the same as love that rushes. See Love and romantic relationships.

  3. 2 Corinthians 6:14. "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" Shared direction matters before shared romance deepens. See Bible verses about faith.

  4. 1 Timothy 5:2. "older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." Treat the person you pursue with family-level honor — absolute purity is the frame. See Bible verses about purity.

  5. 1 Samuel 16:7. "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'" Pursuit starts with the heart God sees, not the first impression. See Bible verses about love.

  6. Genesis 24:58. "So they called Rebekah and asked her, 'Will you go with this man?' 'I will go,' she said." Consent and clear yes belong in the story of a godly match. See Bible verses about marriage.

  7. Proverbs 19:14. "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD." A wise partner is a gift from the Lord — not only a preference list. See Bible verses about wisdom.

  8. Philippians 2:3-4. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." Dating that only asks "what do I get?" misses humility. See Bible verses about love.

  9. Song of Songs 2:16. "My beloved is mine and I am his; he browses among the lilies." Mutual belonging — not one-sided chase — marks healthy affection. See Love and romantic relationships.

  10. Colossians 3:12. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." The wardrobe for pursuit is fruit, not performance. See Bible verses about kindness.

  11. 1 Corinthians 7:39. "A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord." Freedom to marry is real — and "in the Lord" still names the boundary. See Bible verses about singleness.

  12. Proverbs 27:17. "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." A relationship that sharpens faith and character is better than one that only entertains. See Bible verses about friendship.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse for a season of attraction, a slow friendship turning romantic, or a decision about pace — not twelve as a dating rulebook. If you need not-yet timing, start with Song of Songs 2:7. If you need shared faith as a yoke, start with 2 Corinthians 6:14. If you need honor-as-sister/brother, start with 1 Timothy 5:2. For covenant roles after a vow, see Bible verses about marriage. For heart-and-body holiness, see Bible verses about purity. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse for dating?

Song of Songs 2:7 (do not awaken love early), 2 Corinthians 6:14 (do not be unequally yoked), and 1 Timothy 5:2 (treat younger women as sisters with absolute purity) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about dating differ from marriage verses?

Marriage pages center covenant roles, leaving-and-cleaving, and lifelong faithfulness; a dating page focuses wise romantic pursuit, pace, and honor before vows. Cross-link Bible verses about marriage.

What does hagnos mean for Christian dating?

Strong's G53 hagnos is pure or chaste — treating the other person with honor, not using romance as a cover for impurity.

Does the Bible mention dating?

Not with the modern word. It does speak to awakening love in season, purity, shared faith, and character — the frame this page uses for dating.

Where can I read more about marriage, purity, and romantic love?

Start with Bible verses about marriage, then Bible verses about purity, Love and romantic relationships, and What does the Bible say about relationships.

Sources

A man and a woman look at a blank scroll together, with a clay lamp and an olive sprig nearby.

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