24 therefore doth a man leave his father and his mother, and hath cleaved unto his wife, and they have become one flesh.
And the Pharisees came near to him, tempting him, and saying to him, `Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?' And he answering said to them, `Did ye not read, that He who made `them', from the beginning a male and a female made them, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall be -- the two -- for one flesh? so that they are no more two, but one flesh; what therefore God did join together, let no man put asunder.' They say to him, `Why then did Moses command to give a roll of divorce, and to put her away?' He saith to them -- `Moses for your stiffness of heart did suffer you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it hath not been so. `And I say to you, that, whoever may put away his wife, if not for whoredom, and may marry another, doth commit adultery; and he who did marry her that hath been put away, doth commit adultery.'
so ought the husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies: he who is loving his own wife -- himself he doth love; for no one ever his own flesh did hate, but doth nourish and cherish it, as also the Lord -- the assembly, because members we are of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones; `for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they shall be -- the two -- for one flesh;'
but from the beginning of the creation, a male and a female God did make them; on this account shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be -- the two -- for one flesh; so that they are no more two, but one flesh; what therefore God did join together, let not man put asunder.' And in the house again his disciples of the same thing questioned him, and he saith to them, `Whoever may put away his wife, and may marry another, doth commit adultery against her; and if a woman may put away her husband, and is married to another, she committeth adultery.'
have ye not known that he who is joined to the harlot is one body? `for they shall be -- saith He -- the two for one flesh.' And he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit;
And ye have said, `Wherefore?' Because Jehovah hath testified between thee And the wife of thy youth, That thou hast dealt treacherously against her, And she thy companion, and thy covenant-wife. And He did not make one `only', And He hath the remnant of the Spirit. And what `is' the one `alone'! He is seeking a godly seed. And ye have been watchful over your spirit, And with the wife of thy youth, None doth deal treacherously. For `I' hate sending away, said Jehovah, God of Israel, And He `who' hath covered violence with his clothing, said Jehovah of Hosts, And ye have been watchful over your spirit, And ye do not deal treacherously.
and because of the whoredom let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her proper husband; to the wife let the husband the due benevolence render, and in like manner also the wife to the husband; the wife over her own body hath not authority, but the husband; and, in like manner also, the husband over his own body hath not authority, but the wife.
In like manner, the wives, be ye subject to your own husbands, that even if certain are disobedient to the word, through the conversation of the wives, without the word, they may be won, having beheld your pure behaviour in fear, whose adorning -- let it not be that which is outward, of plaiting of hair, and of putting around of things of gold, or of putting on of garments, but -- the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible thing of the meek and quiet spirit, which is, before God, of great price, for thus once also the holy women who did hope on God, were adorning themselves, being subject to their own husbands, as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him `sir,' of whom ye did become daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror. The husbands, in like manner, dwelling with `them', according to knowledge, as to a weaker vessel -- to the wife -- imparting honour, as also being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 2
Commentary on Genesis 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
This chapter is an appendix to the history of the creation, more particularly explaining and enlarging upon that part of the history which relates immediately to man, the favourite of this lower world. We have in it,
Gen 2:1-3
We have here,
Gen 2:4-7
In these verses,
Gen 2:8-15
Man consisting of body and soul, a body made out of the earth and a rational immortal soul the breath of heaven, we have, in these verses, the provision that was made for the happiness of both; he that made him took care to make him happy, if he could but have kept himself so and known when he was well off. That part of man by which he is allied to the world of sense was made happy; for he was put in the paradise of God: that part by which he is allied to the world of spirits was well provided for; for he was taken into covenant with God. Lord, what is man that he should be thus dignified-man that is a worm! Here we have,
Gen 2:16-17
Observe here,
Thus easy, thus happy, was man in a state of innocency, having all that heart could wish to make him so. How good was God to him! How many favours did he load him with! How easy were the laws he gave him! How kind the covenant he made with him! Yet man, being in honour, understood not his own interest, but soon became as the beasts that perish.
Gen 2:18-20
Here we have,
Gen 2:21-25
Here we have,