Genesis 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This is the intent of marriage, a bonding of two lives into one. Not just a blending of lives, a bond. The word marriage did not appear until Genesis 34 when things got a little more complicated.

Genesis 34 English Standard Version

The Defiling of Dinah

1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. 2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and humiliated her. 3 And his soul was drawn to Dinah the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl for my wife.”

Lust predated marriage and the “rapist” begged his father to buy Dinah.

The custom of the bride-price is introduced. 12 “Ask me for as great a bride-price and gift as you will, and I will give whatever you say to me. Only give me the young woman to be my wife.”

Jacob answered in this way. 14 They said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a disgrace to us. 15 Only on this condition will we agree with you—that you will become as we are by every male among you being circumcised. 16 Then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters to ourselves, and we will dwell with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us and be circumcised, then we will take our daughter, and we will be gone.”

All the men of the Hivite were circumcised to honor the son of Hamor the prince of that land. They changed the way they worshipped so the son could have his bride.

Now comes the Son of Man into the world seeking a bride and in order to receive His bride all must change the way they worship in order for the marriage to take place. In this we find once again the institutional demand of the bride-price is placed upon the Father in order to secure a bride for His Son. The original meaning of bride price is engagement present. It must be made before the betrothal can be contracted. See Mark 10:45 This was the usage of ransom by Jesus according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia.

 To Whom Was the Ransom Paid?

(1) Not to Satan

(2) To Divine Justice

(a) Redemption by Price

(b) Redemption by Power