5:31a

Verse 5:31a–b is a quotation from Genesis 2:24. It is also quoted in other places in the New Testament: Matt. 19:5, Mark 10:7–8, 1 Cor. 6:16. See how this quotation was translated in these verses and translate it here in a similar way. If you want to make it clear in your translation that this is a quotation, you can say:

As the Book of God says…”
-or-
As the scripture says (Good News Translation)
-or-
It’s written in the Bible like this

For this reason: This is the beginning of a quote from Genesis 2:24 and therefore the phrase For this reason refers to the fact that God had made woman from the rib of the man Adam. This does not give a reason for verse 30. If this is not clear in the translation you may want to include the implied information from what happened prior to this in Genesis. For example:

Because ⌊the woman was made from man’s rib⌋ a man will leave his father and mother

a man will leave his father and mother: There are several ways to translate this clause:

• As an indirect command. For example:

So a man should leave his father and mother…

• As a general statement about what usually happens:

This is why a man ⌊normally⌋ leaves his father and mother…

leave his father and mother: You can translate the phrase his father and mother as “his mother and ⌊his⌋ father” or “his parents”—whatever is natural in your language.

The phrase leave his father and mother can be translated “leave his parents’ house.” These words mean that a man’s primary relationship and duty is no longer with his parents, but with his wife. Your translation should not imply that a man should abandon or neglect his parents.

be united to his wife: He will form a close and permanent relationship with his wife. He will live with her and they will become a new family, a new household.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

and will be joined to his wife (NET Bible)
-or-
and he will live with his wife

5:31b

the two will become one flesh: The phrase the two will become one flesh means that the husband and wife will become like one person, or like one body. (Jesus uses this same figure in Matthew 19:4–6.) In God’s sight, it is like a husband and wife are no longer two separate people. It is like they are just one person.

Paul was making a very logical comparison: A husband should love his wife like Christ loves the church (5:25). That is, he should love her like he loves his own body (5:28). The church is part of Christ’s body (5:30), and since a husband and wife are one, (5:31), a wife is like part of the husband’s body.

one flesh: Here one flesh means “one person.” In the Greek, it is the same word the Berean Standard Bible translates as “body” in 5:29a. See flesh, Meaning 3 in the Glossary for more information.

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