Ephesians 5 · Verse 31

Ephesians 5:31

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

Ephesians 5:31, King James Version

Ephesians 5:31 in other translations

BSB	“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
WEB	“For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.”
ASV	For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh.
YLT	‘for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be--the two--for one flesh;'
DARBY	Because of this a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.
BBE	For this cause will a man go away from his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
Webster	For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

What does Ephesians 5:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

31. For--The propagation of the Church from Christ, as that of Eve from Adam, is the foundation of the spiritual marriage. The natural marriage, wherein "a man leaves father and mother (the oldest manuscripts omit 'his') and is joined unto his wife," is not the principal thing meant here, but the spiritual marriage represented by it, and on which it rests, whereby Christ left the Father's bosom to woo to Himself the Church out of a lost world: Ep 5:32 proves this: His earthly mother as such, also, He holds in secondary account as compared with His spiritual Bride (Lu 2:48, 49; 8:19-21; 11:27, 28). He shall again leave His Father's abode to consummate the union (Mt 25:1-10; Re 19:7). they two shall be one flesh--So the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Septuagint, &c., read (Ge 2:24), instead of "they shall be one flesh." So Mt 19:5. In natural marriage, husband and wife combine the elements of one perfect human being: the one being incomplete without the other. So Christ, as God-man, is pleased to make the Church, the body, a necessary adjunct to Himself, the Head. He is the archetype of the Church, from whom and according to whom, as the pattern, she is formed. He is her Head, as the husband is of the wife (Ro 6:5; 1Co 11:3; 15:45). Christ will never allow any power to sever Himself and His bride, indissolubly joined (Mt 19:6; Joh 10:28, 29; 13:1).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 31. For this cause. αντιτουτου. This verse is a quotation from Gen 2:24, and contains the account of the institution of marriage. The meaning of the phrase rendered "for this cause," is, "answerably to this;" or corresponding to this--that is, to what Paul had just said of the union of believers and the Redeemer. On the meaning of this verse, Mt 19:6. There is no evidence that the marriage connexion was originally designed to symbolize or typify this union, but it may be used to illustrate that connexion, and to show the strength of the attachment be- tween the Redeemer and his people. The comparison should be confined, however, strictly to the use made of it in the New Testament.

(a) "shall a man leave" Gen 2:24 (*) "unto" "cleave to" (b) "shall be one flesh" 1Cor 6:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 31 Shall be joined unto his wife - Προσκολληθησεται· He shall be glued or cemented to her; and, as a well-glued board will sooner break in the whole wood than in the glued joint, so death alone can part the husband and wife; and nothing but death should dissolve their affection. See the notes on Gen 2:21-24 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Ephesians 5:22-33

The duty of wives is, submission to their husbands in the Lord, which includes honouring and obeying them, from a principle of love to them. The duty of husbands is to love their wives. The love of Christ to the church is an example, which is sincere, pure, and constant, notwithstanding her failures. Christ gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify it in this world, and glorify it in the next, that he…

Read the full comment on Ephesians 5:22-33 →

Ephesians 5:31 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἀντὶantiBecause ofG473

τούτουtoutouthisG3778

καταλείψειkataleipseiwill leaveG2641

ἄνθρωποςanthrōposa manG444

τὸνtontheG3588

πατέραpaterafatherG3962

καὶkaiandG2532

τὴνtēn<the>G3588

μητέραmēteramotherG3384

καὶkaiandG2532

προσκολληθήσεταιproskollēthēsetaiwill be joinedG4347

πρὸςprostoG4314

τὴνtēntheG3588

γυναῖκαgunaikawifeG1135

αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846

καὶkaiandG2532

ἔσονταιesontaiwill beG1510

οἱhoitheG3588

δύοduotwoG1417

εἰςeisintoG1519

σάρκαsarkafleshG4561

μίαν.mianone.G1520

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Ephesians 5:31

Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Matthew 19:5
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Mark 10:7-8
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
1 Corinthians 6:16
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Ge 2:24; Mt 19:5; Mr 10:7,8; 1Co 6:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Ephesians 5:30
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Ephesians 5:31
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Ephesians 5:32
This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Read all of Ephesians 5

Ephesians 5:31 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Por esto dejará el hombre á su padre y á su madre, y se allegará á su mujer, y serán dos en una carne.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	« C’est pour cela que l’homme laissera son père et sa mère et sera joint à sa femme; et les deux seront une seule chair ».
German Elberfelder 1871	"Deswegen wird ein Mensch seinen Vater und seine Mutter verlassen und seinem Weibe anhangen, und die zwei werden ein Fleisch sein".
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Propter hoc relinquet homo patrem et matrem suam, et adhærebit uxori suæ, et erunt duo in carne una.