10:7a–10:8a

The words in 10:7–10:8a are a quotation from Genesis 2:24. You may want to give this reference in a footnote.

10:7a

For this reason:

Here are some other ways to translate For this reason:

That is why (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Because of this
-or-
So (New Century Version)

Jesus probably used the phrase For this reason to connect to the previous statement. But the phrase For this reason is a direct quote from the Greek translation of Genesis 2:24. In Genesis, these words refer back to Genesis 2:23c: “she was taken out of man.” God made the first woman from the rib of the first man (Genesis 2:22). So the two started from “one flesh.” Jesus may have implied this reason as well.

a man will leave his father and mother: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as leave refers to the man leaving his parents’ household and starting a new household with his wife.

10:7b

and be united to his wife: There is a textual issue in this verse:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts have the words “and be united to his wife.”

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Bible, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, King James Version, NET Bible, New Century Version, New Living Translation, Revised English Bible, English Standard Version)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts do not have these words.

(New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). However, if the major language version follows option (2), you may want to follow that.

be united to his wife: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be united to means “be joined with,” “cling to,” or “associate with.” It has a general meaning here that includes the idea of sexual intercourse. Use an expression that expresses a general sense of “join with.” For example:

be joined to his wife (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
be united together by God with his wife

This clause is passive. 10:9 indicates that God is the one who joins the man and the woman together, but the focus here is on the man. If a passive clause is not natural in your language here, you may use an active clause. For example:

God will unite him with his wife
-or-
will live with his wife
-or-
gets married (Contemporary English Version)

If possible, keep the focus on the man.

© 2008 by SIL International®

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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