Bible Strands
Ephesians 5:31
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Ephesian believers, placing this marital description between the statement that believers are members of Christ’s body and the declaration that the passage ultimately points to Christ and the church.
The words — καταλείψει (kataleipsei) means “will leave,” and τοῦτο (toutou) translates as “this,” tethering the instruction directly to the preceding context.
The thread — The text quotes Genesis 2:24 and repeats that exact formulation in Matthew 19:5 and Mark 10:7.
Why it lands — The passage states that marriage creates a primary bond that supersedes parental ties, requiring readers to acknowledge the structural priority of marital commitment.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
- Matthew 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
- Mark 10:7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
- 1 Corinthians 6:16 Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”