In many parts of the Western world and Africa, it is a common practice for the father of the bride to walk his daughter down the aisle, presenting her with a veil covering her face. While often viewed as a cultural or ceremonial act, this tradition has profound biblical roots.
The first woman recorded in Scripture wearing a veil was Rebekah, as she approached her betrothed, Isaac. “Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from her camel… so she took a veil and covered herself” (Genesis 24:64–65). This act was not just modesty—it was symbolic. The veil signified that Rebekah was under her father’s authority, a woman who had submitted her life to God through her earthly covering—her father, Bethuel.
So, how does this translate to a modern Christian wedding?
When a father walks his veiled daughter down the aisle, he is doing more than presenting her to the groom. He is presenting her to God through His earthly representative—the pastor. In essence, the father is saying: “Lord, this daughter You gave me—I have taught her to know You. I have raised her to understand and walk in Your will, under my authority as her earthly covering. She has been under my care, and I have prepared her for You and for her future.”
In Numbers 30:3–5, Scripture reveals that when a daughter makes a vow, her father has the spiritual authority to confirm or annul it, demonstrating the biblical weight of a father’s responsibility and covering. This is not just a cultural idea but a spiritual one.
The white wedding gown further symbolizes purity, testifying that under her father’s authority, she has remained spiritually and biologically pure—a virgin in heart and body, preserved for God and for her husband.
This wedding moment is a sacred checkpoint where God evaluates the work of the father—whether he has raised a godly daughter kept in his care by God, especially a daughter who understands submission, purpose, and divine alignment. A well-raised daughter will naturally honor and submit to her husband, just as she did to her father.
At the altar, the pastor—God’s representative—receives the bride from the father and hands her over to the groom. This act signifies a transfer of authority. The groom, now as her husband, becomes her new spiritual covering. When the groom lifts the veil, it is more than a romantic gesture—it signifies the removal of the father’s authority and the bride’s transition into a new covenant under her husband’s leadership.
We remember Abimelech’s rebuke to Sarah, saying, “Your husband Abraham is your cover,” underscoring that Abraham was God’s delegated authority over her life (Genesis 20:16, paraphrased).
Fathers, we must raise our daughters like Bethuel raised Rebekah—to understand God’s purpose for their lives so that they are divinely prepared for the men God will bring their way. Rebekah was blessed to be the mother of millions, and her seed was destined to possess the gates of their enemies—a promise that mirrored the same covenant God made with Isaac.
When you raise your daughters this way, your son-in-law will rise and bless you.
But fathers, if you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus and are not walking as His disciple, you cannot lead your children into God’s purpose—because you cannot guide them into what you do not know yourself. This is why Christian fathers must take their God-given responsibility seriously. How we raise our daughters today will echo through the generations.
