Recently, I saw some in people advocating for child marriage to justify child marriages in certain cultures, such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Sometimes they would misquote the Bible to justify or promote this practice. What does the Bible really say?
The Bible does not endorse, command, or promote child marriage
I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.
“‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. -- Ezekiel 16:7-8
While the Bible does not specify an age, certain passages like Ezekiel 16:7-8 indicate the marriage was to be done after puberty.
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. - Mark 10: 13 -16
In Mark 10: 13-16, Jesus also explicitly warned against exploiting children, and elevated their positions.
While the Bible was written in a world where post-pubescent teenage marriage was common, it nowhere endorses the marriage of children as that term is understood today.
Mary did not marry at 3 years old
Another common rumour was that Mary (mother of Jesus) was three when she married Joseph. This idea comes from a non-biblical (apocryphal) text, the Protoevangelium of James (also called the Infancy Gospel of James), written in the 2nd century.
This apocryphal story is not considered scriptural or historically reliable by most scholars or major Christian traditions; it was written to fill in gaps about Mary’s early life and emphasize her purity.
Early Christians did not practise child marriage.
Early and Medieval Christians did not practise the marrying or prepubescent children.
Christians lived within the Roman Empire (1 - 500s AD) and largely followed its customs. Roman law set the minimum marriageable age at 12 for girls and 14 for boys, based on presumed puberty. Marriages could sometimes occur slightly earlier in practice (especially among elites for alliances), but consummation was typically expected around or after physical maturity.
During the Medieval era (500s to 1500s AD), the Church formalized rules through canon law. By the 12th century (Gratian’s Decretum and later developments), the minimum ages for a valid marriage were set at 12 for girls and 14 for boys—aligned with the ages of presumed puberty and the capacity for consent. Betrothals could happen as young as 7 but they were promises of marriage and can be left unconsummated.
Conclusion
The historic Christian principles of maturity, consent within the cultural framework of the time, protection of the vulnerable, and the high view of the marriage covenant run counter to the exploitation of children.
