Matthew 19:6

George Lamsa Translation

Henceforth they are not two, but one body; therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

King James Version (1611)
Wherefore they are no more twaine, but one flesh. What therefore God hath ioyned together, let not man put asunder.

King James Version
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

English Standard Version
So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

New American Standard Bible
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate."

New Century Version
So there are not two, but one. God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them."

Amplified Bible
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Wherefore they are no more twaine, but one flesh. Let not man therefore put asunder that, which God hath coupled together.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."

Legacy Standard Bible
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."

Berean Standard Bible
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Contemporary English Version
Then they are no longer two people, but one. And no one should separate a couple that God has joined together."

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus they are no longer two, but one. So then, no one should split apart what God has joined together."

Darby Translation
so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

Easy-to-Read Version
So they are no longer two, but one. God has joined them together, so no one should separate them."

Good News Translation
So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

Lexham English Bible
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate."

Literal Translation
So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.

American Standard Version
So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Bible in Basic English
So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Then let not that which has been joined by God be parted by man.

Hebrew Names Version
So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man tear apart."

International Standard Version
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must never separate."

Etheridge Translation
Wherefore they were not [fn] two, but one body. That, therefore, which Aloha hath conjoined, man shall not separate.

Murdock Translation
Wherefore they were not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath united, let not man sunder.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Wherfore, they are no more twayne, but one fleshe. Let not man therefore put a sunder, that which God hath coupled together.

English Revised Version
So that they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

World English Bible
So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man tear apart."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Weymouth's New Testament
Thus they are no longer two, but `one'! What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And so thei ben not now tweyne, but o fleisch. Therfor a man departe not that thing that God hath ioyned.

Update Bible Version
So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man separate.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore they are no more two, but one flesh. Therefore what God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

New English Translation
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

New King James Version
So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

New Living Translation
Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together."

New Life Bible
So they are no longer two but one. Let no man divide what God has put together."

New Revised Standard
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So that, the longer, are they, two, but, one flesh, What, therefore, God, hath yoked together, Let not, a man, put asunder.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.

Revised Standard Version
So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Wherfore now are they not twayne but one flesshe. Let not man therfore put a sunder that which God hath cuppled to gedder.

Young's Literal Translation
so that they are no more two, but one flesh; what therefore God did join together, let no man put asunder.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now are they not twayne then, but one flesh. Let not man therfore put a sunder, yt which God hath coupled together.

Mace New Testament (1729)
so that they are not now two, but one. what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Simplified Cowboy Version
So they ain't two people anymore, but rather one. Whatever the Boss brings together no man should separate."

Contextual Overview

³ And the Pharisees came up to him and were tempting him and saying, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause? ⁴ But he answered and said to them, Have you not read, that he who made from the beginning, made them male and female? ⁵ And he said, Because of this, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh. ⁶ Henceforth they are not two, but one body; therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate. ⁷ They said to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of separation and then divorce her? ⁸ He said to them, Moses, considering the hardness of your heart, gave you permission to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ But I say to you, Whoever leaves his wife without a charge of adultery and marries another commits adultery; and he who marries a woman thus separated commits adultery. ¹⁰ His disciples said to him, If there is so much scandal between man and woman, it is not worthwhile to marry. ¹¹ He said to them, This saying does not apply to every man, but to whom it is needed. ¹² For there are eunuchs who were born this way from their mother''s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. To him who can grasp, this is enough.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: Proverbs 2:17, Malachi 2:14, Mark 10:9, Romans 7:2, 1 Corinthians 7:10-14, Ephesians 5:28, Hebrews 13:4

hath: ץםוזוץמום [Strong's G2201], "hath yoked together," as oxen in the plough, where each must pull equally in order to bring it on. Among the ancients, they put a yoke upon the necks of a new married couple, or chains on their arms, to shew that they were to be one, closely united, and pulling equally together in all the concerns of life.

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:50 - afflict Mark 10:7 - General John 8:5 - but 1 Corinthians 6:16 - for

Cross-References

Judges 19:23
And the old man, the master of the house, went out to them and said to them, No, my brethren, no, do not be so wicked; seeing that this man has come into my house, do not commit this shameful act.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Wherefore they are no more twain,.... They were two before marriage, but now no more so; not but that they remain two distinct persons,

but one flesh; or, as the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "one body": hence the wife is to beloved by the husband as his own body, as himself, as his own flesh, Ephesians 5:28.

what therefore God hath joined together; or, by the first institution of marriage, has declared to be so closely united together, as to be, as it were, one flesh, and one body, as husband and wife are;

let no man put asunder; break the bond of union, dissolve the relation, and separate them from each other, for every trivial thing, upon any slight occasion, or for anything; but what is hereafter mentioned. The sense is, that the bond of marriage being made by God himself, is so sacred and inviolable, as that it ought not to be dissolved by any man; not by the husband himself, or any other for him; nor by any state or government, by any prince or potentate, by any legislator whatever; no, not by Moses himself, who is, at least, included, if not chiefly designed here, though not named, to avoid offence: and God and man being opposed in this passage, shows, that marriage is an institution and appointment of God, and therefore not to be changed and altered by man at his pleasure; this not merely a civil, but a sacred affair, in which God is concerned.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And he answered and said ... - Instead of referring to the opinions of either party, Jesus called their attention to the original design of marriage, to the authority of Moses an authority acknowledged by them both.

Have ye not read? - Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:21-22. “And said, For this cause,” etc., Genesis 2:24. That is, God, at the beginning, made but one man and one woman: their posterity should learn that the original intention of marriage was that a man should have but one wife.

Shall leave his father and mother - This means, shall bind himself more strongly to his wife than he was to his father or mother. The marriage connection is the most tender and endearing of all human relations more tender than even that bond which unites us to a parent.

And shall cleave unto his wife - The word “cleave” denotes a union of the firmest kind. It is in the original taken from gluing, and means so firmly to adhere together that nothing can separate them.

They twain shall be one flesh - That is, they two, or they that were two, shall be united as one - one in law, in feeling, in interest, in affection. They shall no longer have separate interests, but shall act in all things as if they were one - animated by one soul and one wish. The argument of Jesus here is, that since they are so intimately united as to be one, and since in the beginning God made but one woman for one man, it follows that they cannot be separated but by the authority of God. Man may not put away his wife for every cause. What God has joined together man may not put asunder. In this decision he really decided in favor of one of the parties; and it shows that when it was proper, Jesus answered questions without regard to consequences, from whatever cause they might have been proposed, and however much difficulty it might involve him in. Our Lord, in this, also showed consummate wisdom. He answered the question, not from Hillel or Shammai, their teachers, but from Moses, and thus defeated their malice.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 19:6. What therefore God hath joined together — συνεζευξεν, yoked together, as oxen in the plough, where each must pull equally, in order to bring it on. Among the ancients, when persons were newly married, they put a yoke upon their necks, or chains upon their arms, to show that they were to be one, closely united, and pulling equally together in all the concerns of life. See KYPKE in loco.

The finest allegorical representation of the marriage union I have met with, is that antique gem representing the marriage of Cupid and Psyche, in the collection of the duke of Marlborough: it may be seen also among Baron Stoch's gems, and casts or copies of it in various other collections.

1. Both are represented as winged, to show the alacrity with which the husband and wife should help, comfort and support each ether; preventing, as much as possible, the expressing of a wish or want on either side, by fulfilling it before it can be expressed.

2. Both are veiled, to show that modesty is an inseparable attendant on pure matrimonial connections.

3. Hymen or Marriage goes before them with a lighted torch, leading them by a chain, of which each has a hold, to show that they are united together, and are bound to each other, and that they are led to this by the pure flame of love, which at the same instant both enlightens and warms them.

4. This chain is not iron nor brass, (to intimate that the marriage union is a state of thraldom or slavery,) but it is a chain of pearls, to show that the union is precious, beautiful, and delightful.

5. They hold a dove, the emblem of conjugal fidelity, which they appear to embrace affectionately, to show that they are faithful to each other, not merely through duty, but by affection, and that this fidelity contributes to the happiness of their lives.

6. A winged Cupid, or Love, is represented as having gone before them, preparing the nuptial feast; to intimate that active affections, warm and cordial love, are to be to them a continual source of comfort and enjoyment; and that this is the entertainment they are to meet with at every step of their affectionate lives.

7. Another Cupid, or genius of love comes behind, and places on their heads a basket of ripe fruits; to intimate that a matrimonial union of this kind will generally be blessed with children, who shall be as pleasing to all their senses as ripe and delicious fruits to the smell and taste.

8. The genius of love that follows them has his wings shrivelled up, or the feathers all curled, so as to render them utterly unfit for flight; to intimate that love is to abide with them, that there is to be no separation in affection, but that they are to continue to love one another with pure hearts fervently. Thus love begins and continues this sacred union; as to end, there can be none, for God hath yoked them together.

A finer or more expressive set of emblems has never, I believe, been produced, even by modern refined taste and ingenuity. This group of emblematical figures is engraved upon an onyx by Tryphon, an ancient Grecian artist. A fine drawing was made of this by Cypriani, and was engraved both by Bartolozzi and Sherwin. See one of these plates in the second volume of Bryant's Analysis of Ancient Mythology, page 392.