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Ephesians 5:30-32

because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Ephesians 5:30-32 sits inside this longer paragraph.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without defect. Even so husbands also ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the assembly; because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.” This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly. Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    because we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones.

    “For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will be joined to his wife. The two will become one flesh.”

    This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and of the assembly.

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    For we are members of his body of his flesshe and of his bones.

    For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cotinue with his wyfe and two shalbe made one flesshe.

    This is a great secrete but I speake bitwene Christ and the congregacion.

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  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    For we are members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bones.

    For this cause shall a man leaue father and mother, and shall cleaue to his wife, and they twaine shalbe one flesh.

    This is a great secrete, but I speake concerning Christ, and concerning the Church.

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Cross-references (21)

  • Genesis 2:24 (v31) Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
  • Matthew 19:5 (v31) and said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?’
  • 1 Corinthians 6:15 (v30) Don’t you know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May…
  • Mark 10:7-8 (v31) For this cause a man will leave his father and mother, and will join to his wife, and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no…
  • 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (v30) For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one…
Show all 21 cross-references
  • Romans 12:5 (v30) so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another,
  • Genesis 2:23 (v30) The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of Man.”
  • 2 Corinthians 11:2 (v32) For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
  • Revelation 21:2 (v32) I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.
  • Isaiah 54:5 (v32) For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the…
  • Revelation 19:7-8 (v32) Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself…
  • Isaiah 62:4-5 (v32) You will not be called Forsaken any more, nor will your land be called Desolate any more; but you will be called Hephzibah, and your land…
  • Colossians 2:2 (v32) that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that…
  • 1 Corinthians 6:16 (v31) Or don’t you know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For, “The two”, he says, “will become one flesh.”
  • Ephesians 1:23 (v30) which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
  • 1 Timothy 3:16 (v32) Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached…
  • John 3:29 (v32) He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the…
  • Colossians 2:19 (v30) and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with…
  • Song of Solomon 1:1-8 (v32) The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine. Your oils have a…
  • Psalms 45:9-17 (v32) Kings’ daughters are among your honorable women. At your right hand the queen stands in gold of Ophir. Listen, daughter, consider, and turn…
  • Ephesians 6:19 (v32) on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (21 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv30–32 30. For we are members of his body, of…

30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. First, this is no exaggeration, but the simple truth. Secondly, he does not simply mean that Christ is a partaker of our nature, but expresses something higher (καὶ ἐμφατικώτερον) and more emphatic.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv30–32 He alludeth to the making of the woman, which…
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv30–32 30 For we are members of his body, of…
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv30–32 We are members of his body; his mystical body.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On v31 Here the apostle uses a farther argument to excite…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On v30 Nevertheless, let everyone of you in particular,.... The apostle…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv30–31 For we - The reason why Christ nourishes and…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv30–32 Verse 30. We are members of his body] He…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv30–32 For we are members of his body - Of…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v32 This....sacrament, (or mystery)....in Christ, and in the Church. This…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv30–32 For--Greek, "Because" (Co1 6:15). Christ nourisheth and cherisheth the…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv30–32 30. Members of his body—Conceptually, but not literally; just…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv30–32 30. members] Limbs; the word used above Eph_4:25; and…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv31–32 (31) For this cause.—In spite of much authority, it…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv30–32 For we are members of his body being, of…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv30–32 For we are members of His body, of His…
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv30–32 30. We are members of his body. We are…
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain On vv30–31 30. Because we are members of His body, as…
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v32 Eph 5:30; Eph 5:31 are quoted from Gen 2:23;…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v31 General Information:
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv31–32 5:31 The unity of husband and wife should motivate…
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