Genesis 2:24

“That is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.”
Genesis 2:24 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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God sees the man is alone and makes someone who fits himDating and Marriage

With the Hebrew beneath

That is whyעַל כֵּןa manאִישׁleavesיַעֲזָבhis fatherאֶת אָבִיוand his motherוְאֶת אִמּוֹandוְclingsדָבַקto his wife,בְּאִשְׁתּוֹandוְthey becomeהָיוּ לְoneאֶחָדflesh.בָשָׂר

Quotation · 1 Corinthians 6:16

Go to 1 Corinthians 6:16

Paul quotes the end of Genesis 2:24, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have.

Formula: φησίν “it says” (1 Corinthians 6:16)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ὅτι ὁ κολλώμενος τῇ πόρνῃ ἓν σῶμά ἐστιν Ἔσονται γάρ φησίν οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν

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

This passage could not be located with certainty in the transcription of the Septuagint we use, so it is not compared.

Quotation · Ephesians 5:31

Go to Ephesians 5:31

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

Quotation · Matthew 19:5

Go to Matthew 19:5

Jesus joins Genesis 1:27 and 2:24; of the latter he quotes the whole verse, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have.

Formula: καὶ εἶπεν “and said” (Matthew 19:5)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ εἶπεν Ἕνεκα τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ κολληθήσεται 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 2:23-24 in the Septuagint numbering): καὶ καὶ εἶπεν Ἀδάμ τοῦτο νῦν ὀστοῦν ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων μου καὶ σὰρξ ἐκ τῆς σαρκός μου. αὕτη κληθήσεται Γυνή, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἐλήμφθη αὕτη. 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

Quotation · Mark 10:7-8

Go to Mark 10:7-8

Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have, and concludes: “they are no longer two but one flesh.”

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν ὥστε οὐκέτι εἰσὶν δύο ἀλλὰ μία σάρξ

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

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 6 consecutive words: “ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα.”

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

Genesis 2:24, word by word

a manאִישׁish

man

An adult male person; also each man of a people, a trade or a place.

Where else “ish” appears

leavesיַעֲזָבyaazav

leave

To not take something along, or put it in another's care.

Where else “yaazav” appears

his fatherאָבִיavi

father

The man who begets a child and heads his household.

Where else “avi” appears

and his motherאִמּim

mother

The woman who gives birth to and raises her children, and who is owed honor.

Where else “im” appears

clingsדָבַקdavak

cling

To stay close to someone, like YHWH.

Where else “davak” appears

to his wifeאִשְׁתּisht

wife

Literally "his woman": the one married to him.

Where else “isht” appears

they becomeהָיוּhayu

become

To turn into something new, or fall upon someone.

Where else “hayu” appears

oneאֶחָדechad

united

United as one: "YHWH is one".

Where else “echad” appears

fleshבָשָׂרvasar

flesh

The body of a person or animal, the soft part covering the bones.

Where else “vasar” appears

Parallel passages

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

Quotation · 1 Corinthians 6:16

Paul quotes the end of Genesis 2:24, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have.

See them side by side

Genesis 2:24

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

1 Corinthians 6:16

¹⁶Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For, it says, The two will become one flesh.

Quotation · Ephesians 5:31

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

Genesis 2:24

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

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.

Quotation · Matthew 19:5

Jesus joins Genesis 1:27 and 2:24; of the latter he quotes the whole verse, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have.

See them side by side

Genesis 2:24

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

Matthew 19:5

⁵and said, ‘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’?

Quotation · Mark 10:7-8

Jesus quotes Genesis 2:24, with “the two,” which the Hebrew does not have, and concludes: “they are no longer two but one flesh.”

See them side by side

Genesis 2:24

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

Mark 10:7-8

⁷‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

The context

23And the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called Woman, because from Man this one was taken.”

24 · This verse (above)

25And the two of them, the man and his wife, were naked, and they were not ashamed.

Read all of Genesis 2

To study Genesis 2 in a group

1. What it says
How did YHWH Elohim form the man, and what did he give him so that he became a living being (v. 7)?
2. What it means
Why does YHWH Elohim say it is not good for the man to be alone (v. 18)?
3. How I live it
What friendship or relationship can you care for this week so you do not walk alone?

How to use it