The Two Shall Become One Flesh (Genesis 2:18-24)

Genesis 2:18-24 · Berean Standard Bible

When God saw that it was not good for the man to be alone, he made a helper and companion suited to him, and Scripture declares: "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." Genesis 2:18-24 is the Bible's foundation for marriage — the place where the idea that two become one first begins.

18The LORD God also said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”

19And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.

20The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

21So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh.

22And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him.

23And the man said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man she was taken.”

24For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Read the wider context: Genesis 2.

Sitting with this passage?

Leave your email and we'll send you scripture and real stories of God's faithfulness — encouragement for whatever you're walking through.

Or keep reading —

marriagehusband and wifecreationweddingsGenesis

Related passages