Ephesians 5:31

“For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
Ephesians 5:31 · direct translation from the Greek

Study it in the app

Paul holds up the Messiah's self-giving love as the husband's modelDating and Marriage

With the Greek beneath

For this reasonἀντὶ τούτουa manἄνθρωποςwill leaveκαταλείψειhis fatherτὸν πατέραandκαὶhis motherτὴν μητέραandκαὶwill be joinedπροσκολληθήσεταιto his wife,τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦandκαὶthe twoοἱ δύοwill becomeἔσονται εἰςoneμίανflesh.σάρκα

Quotation · Genesis 2:24

Go to Genesis 2:24

Paul quotes the whole of Genesis 2:24, without a formula, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have.

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): עַל כֵּן יַעֲזָב אִישׁ אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אִמּוֹ וְדָבַק בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ וְהָיוּ לְבָשָׂר אֶחָד

Septuagint (Genesis 2:24 in the Septuagint numbering): ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 5 consecutive words: “τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Ephesians 5:31, word by word

For this reasonἀντὶanti

because

Because, therefore.

Where else “anti” appears

a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos

person

A person, man or woman.

Where else “anthrōpos” appears

will leaveκαταλείψειkataleipsei

forsake

To give something up completely, for something greater.

Where else “kataleipsei” appears

his fatherπατέραpatera

parents

A family's father; sometimes father and mother.

Where else “patera” appears

his motherμητέραmētera

mother

The woman who gives birth to a child and raises it.

Where else “mētera” appears

will be joinedπροσκολληθήσεταιproskollēthēsetai

be joined to

Be joined to, cling to someone.

Where else “proskollēthēsetai” appears

to his wifeγυναικὶgynaiki

wife

A married woman, joined to her husband.

Where else “gynaiki” appears

the twoδύοdyo

two

Two.

Where else “dyo” appears

will becomeἔσονταιesontai

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “esontai” appears

oneμίανmian

single

Just one, or united as one.

Where else “mian” appears

fleshσάρκαsarka

flesh

The soft part of the body, of people or animals; also the body itself.

Where else “sarka” appears

Translation note

Quoted from Genesis 2:24.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Genesis 2:24

Paul quotes the whole of Genesis 2:24, without a formula, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have.

See them side by side

Ephesians 5:31

³¹For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

Genesis 2:24

²⁴That is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.

The context

30because we are members of his body.

31 · This verse (above)

32This mystery is great; but I am speaking about the Messiah and about the assembly.

Read all of Ephesians 5

To study Ephesians 5 in a group

1. What it says
What does Paul say about walking in love and walking as children of light (v. 1-2, 8-9)?
2. What it means
Paul links the Messiah's love for the assembly with a husband's love for his wife (v. 25-29). What does the text say that love is like?
3. How I live it
Paul invites us to give thanks always and to speak with psalms and songs (v. 19-20). What simple habit could help you do that?

How to use it