English Standard Version
Ephesians 5:31
31"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
Ephesians 5:31 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
- New King James Version (NKJV)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”
Context of Ephesians 5:31
29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Read all of Ephesians 5Ephesians 5:31 word by word
ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forἀντίanti · forG473
- this causeοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- shallκαταλείπωkataleipō · to leave behindG2641
- a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- fatherπατήρpatēr · fatherG3962
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- motherμήτηρmētēr · motherG3384
- shall be joinedπροσκολλάωproskollaō · to joinG4347
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- wifeγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
- theyεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- twoδύοduo · twoG1417
- ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
- oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
Cross-references for Ephesians 5:31
- Genesis 2:24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
- Matthew 19:5and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
- Mark 10:7'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,
- 1 Corinthians 6:16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh."
Commentaries on Ephesians 5:31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31Shall be joined unto his wife - · 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 Genesis 2:21-24; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31For this cause - ̓̀ ́ Anti toutouThis verse is a quotation from Genesis 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, see the notes on Matthew 19:4. There is no evidence that the marriage connection was originally designed to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-33Verses 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 might bestow on all his members…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 31The unity of husband and wife should motivate the husband to care for his wife.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3131. 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Ephesians 5:31
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ephesians 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries