Courtship, Dating and Romantic Relationships

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Just because you are my brother should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wage should be.” Now Laban had two daughters. The name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Now the eyes of Leah were dull, but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. And Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.” Then Laban said, “Better that I give her to you than I give her to another man. Stay with … Read Genesis 29:15–30

And Samson went down to Timnah, and he saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines. He went up and told his father and mother, and he said, “I saw a woman in Timnah from the daughters of the Philistines; so then, take her for me as a wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a wife among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Take her for me because … Read Judges 14:1–20

Now Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek for you security that things may be good for you? So then, is not Boaz our kinsman whose maidservants you were with? Look, he is winnowing the barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash, anoint yourself, put your clothing on, and go down to the threshing floor. Do not make yourself known to the man until he finishes eating and drinking. And when he lies, take notice of the place where he lies. And you shall go and uncover … Read Ruth 3:1–18

Three of these are too wonderful for me, and four, I do not understand them: the way of the eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman. Read Proverbs 30:18–19

The voice of my beloved! Look! Here he comes leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills! My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! He is standing behind our wall, gazing through the window, looking through the lattice. My beloved answered and said to me, “Arise, my beloved! Come, my beauty! For look! The winter is over; the rainy season has turned and gone away. The blossoms appear in the land; the time of singing has arrived; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. … Read Song of Solomon 2:8–15

Now concerning virgins I do not have a command from the Lord, but I am giving an opinion as one shown mercy by the Lord to be trustworthy. Therefore, I consider this to be good because of the impending distress, that it is good for a man to be thus. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek release. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But if you marry, you have not sinned, and if the virgin marries, she has not sinned. But such people will have affliction in the flesh, and I would spare … Read 1 Corinthians 7:25–40