Genesis 2:23

And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The man speaks immediately after God presents the newly formed woman to him. He addresses her directly as the first human recognizes his counterpart.

The words — The Hebrew phrase עֶצֶם מֵעֲצָמַי וּבָשָׂר מִבְּשָׂרִי (‘etsem me‘etṣamay ûḇāśār miḇśārî) literally translates to "bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh." This phrasing establishes immediate biological and relational identity between the two figures.

The thread — The concept of shared flesh and bone appears in 2 Samuel 5:1 when Israel acknowledges David as their own kin. Paul later applies the flesh metaphor to marital union in Ephesians 5:28 and derives the woman-from-man sequence in 1 Corinthians 11:8.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition of mutual origin and equal substance before any covenantal union is established. It requires the reader to acknowledge that human partnership begins with shared nature rather than hierarchical distinction.

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 Hebrew words

וַיֹּאמֶר֮va/i.yo.Merand/ he said הָֽאָדָם֒ha./'a.Damthe/ man זֹ֣אתzotthis [one]הַפַּ֗עַםha./Pa.'amthis/ time עֶ֚צֶם'E.tzem[is] bone מֵֽעֲצָמַ֔יme./'a.tza.Ma/ifrom/ bones/ my וּבָשָׂ֖רu./va.Sarand/ flesh מִבְּשָׂרִ֑יmi./be.sa.R/ifrom/ flesh/ my לְזֹאת֙le./zoTto/ this [one]יִקָּרֵ֣אyi.ka.Re'<it> will be called אִשָּׁ֔ה'i.Shahwoman כִּ֥יkifor מֵאִ֖ישׁme./'Ishfrom/ a man לֻֽקֳחָה־lu.ko.chah-she was taken זֹּֽאת׃Zotthis [one]

King James Version

And 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.

Cross-references

Ephesians 5:28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
1 Corinthians 11:8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.
2 Samuel 5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Here we are, your own flesh and blood.
Genesis 29:14 Then Laban declared, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” After Jacob had stayed with him a month,
Judges 9:2 “Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”
2 Samuel 19:13 And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”