"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Truth to Learn
God has a specific design for the marriage relationship.
Behind the Words
The words “For this reason” are translated from the Greek words anti toutou. The word anti means “opposite” or “against” and toutou (a form of houtos) means “this.” So, this expression literally means “against this,” or “answering to this.”
The verb “leave” is from the Greek verb kataleipō, made up of kata, meaning “down” but used as an intensifier and leipō, meaning “to leave” or “to be without.” Hence, the meaning of kataleipō is “to completely leave behind” or “to forsake.”
“Joined” is translated from proskollaō, which is composed of pros, meaning “to” or “toward” and kollaō, meaning “to glue.” So, we can see that this word means “to glue one thing to another.”
The words “shall become” are translated from esontai eis. Esontai is the verb of being meaning “they shall be” and eis is a preposition meaning “unto” or “into.” Hence, these two words literally mean “shall be unto” or “shall become.”
Meaning Explained
Today’s verse is a quotation from Genesis. This particular verse comes immediately after Adam had awakened from his deep sleep during which God had removed one of his ribs to make the woman (Eve) for him. Upon awakening Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man” (Genesis 2:23). The very next verse is:
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
These are not the words of Adam, for he did not have an earthly mother or father and he had not yet experienced fatherhood. These are the words of Moses as he is narrating the story. Moses’ point is, as Adam and Eve were literally made of the same flesh, so too, any married couple separate from their parents and become “as one” when they are married.
Now, we know that a man and a woman don’t literally come to share the same DNA after they get married. However, they do produce offspring that is literally a union (a gluing together) of the DNA of both parents. Also note that the marriage of a man and a woman brings them into such intimacy both physically and emotionally that they become glued together in purpose, thought, and will. Just as Adam was alone and not complete until God provided a woman for him, so too a man and a woman today are not complete until they are united in marriage.
As we will see in the next verse, Paul is not just talking about the physical union of a man and his wife, he is also talking about the spiritual union between Christ and His bride.
Application
Clearly, God’s plan for mankind involves a deep emotional and physical gluing together of one man and one woman in marriage. Any other arrangement is counter to the image of Christ and His bride, the church.
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2012 Will Krause. All rights reserved.