Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother,

Spoken to: 

audience

This is the introduction to a long lesson on the sexes.

KJV: 

Matthew 19:5 For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

NIV : 

Matthew 19:5 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh

3RD (NLT, if not otherwise identified): 

 ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one

LISTENERS HEARD: 

Because of this, he will leave behind, a man, that father and this mother. Not only is he going to be glued to that woman of his but also the two will exist for flesh, one.

MY TAKE: 

Two sexes need to bond for creating and beginning one.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

There  is a unique word here, for Jesus, translated as "cleave" and "join." Of course, the word is funny. It means "glue."  The word is used in a variety of contexts in the Greek OT, but none of them related to a husband and wife. The most common, on the positive side, being glued to the Divine and on the negative, being glued to a skin disease. The perfect analogy for marriage.

The word translated innocuously as "leave" is also a rare word, used only three times by Jesus, with the specific meaning of "leave behind."

Though this verse seems to describe marriage, but it may have more the sense that a man and a woman will create a physical body that combines them both, that is, a baby. However, we have to read the verse in the order that it was spoken, as a setup and punchline, ending "the two will exist for/into flesh," a pause here is suggestive because the word "flesh" means "nature taking its course." However, it is followed with the punchline "one." The "one" is not only suggestive but changes the "flesh" to mean "body." Both the Greek words meaning "creating" and "beginning" also point to conception.

The verb used is not the verb of becoming, indicating a change in the man and woman, but the verb of being in the future. In English, we use the future of "to be" to mean "to become," but the word for becoming is a special word in Biblical Greek and, in many ways, is used as the opposite of "being." Perhaps, "will exist" is better in Greek translation to escape the sense of "becoming."

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

6
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "cause" doesn't exist in the source.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "father" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "mother" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "wife" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "two" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" before "flesh" is not shown in the English translation.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

7
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "reason" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "his" should be something more like "the."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "mother" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WV - Wrong Voice - The verb here is translated as passive but it is active.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "wife" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "become" should be something more like "exist."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "for" before "flesh" is not shown in the English translation.

# 3RD TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

10
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "explain" doesn't exist in the source.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "leaves"  is the present tense, but Greek is in the future.
  • WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "his" should be something more like "the."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "mother" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "is" is the present tense, but Greek is in the future.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the" before "wife" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WT - Wrong Tense - The English verb "are" is the present tense, but Greek is in the future.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "united" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "into" is means into a place. Here is probably means "for" a purpose.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "flesh" before "one" is not shown in the English translation.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

For  - "For" is from an adverb that means "on the account of," "because of," and "for the sake of."

this  - "This" is from a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar." It refers to the previous verse's statement.

cause - (IP) There is no Greek noun here that means "cause" here. It is somewhat assumed as the meaning of the "this" above.

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

man -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."  It is not the "male" of the previous verse, Matthew 19:4.

leave  - "Leave" is from a verb that means "to be left," "left behind," "forsake," "abandon," "leave," and "remaining." It is not the verb that is used in the Gospels to mean "leave" in the sense of leaving a place." It is in the future tense.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

mother, - "Mother" is from the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something.

and  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, in a series, as it here, is best translated as "not only...but also."

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

cleave  - "Cleave" is from a verb that means "to glue to or on," "to join (two substances)," "unite" and "to be stuck to" or "to be glued to." It is in the future tense. This is the only time Jesus uses this word.

to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

wife:  - "Woman" is from a word that means "woman" and "wife." It is not the "femaleness" of the previous verse.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

they -- This is from the third-person, plural form of the verb.

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

twain  - "Twain" is from the number "two."

shall -- This helping verb "shall" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

be -- The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.

missing "for"  -- (MW) The untranslated word means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, "for" a purpose, and "up to" limits in time and measure.

one  - - The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."

flesh? - - The Greek word translated as "the flesh" means "flesh," "meat," and "the physical order of things" as opposed to the spiritual. In contrasting it with "spirit," he is making it clear that he has been using it in the later sense.

EACH WORD of NIV : 

For  - "For" is from an adverb that means "on the account of," "because of," and "for the sake of."

this  - "This" is from a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar." It refers to the previous verse's statement.

reason - (IP) There is no Greek noun here that means "cause" here. It is somewhat assumed as the meaning of the "this" above.

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

man -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."  It is not the "male" of the previous verse, Matthew 19:4.

will -- This helping verb "will " indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

leave  - "Leave" is from a verb that means "to be left," "left behind," "forsake," "abandon," "leave," and "remaining." It is not the verb that is used in the Gospels to mean "leave" in the sense of leaving a place." It is in the future tense.

his   --  (WW) The "his" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

mother, - "Mother" is from the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something.

and  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, in a series, as it here, is best translated as "not only...but also."

be -- (WV) This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

united - "United " is from a verb that means "to glue to or on," "to join (two substances)," "unite" and "to be stuck to" or "to be glued to." It is in the future tense. This is the only time Jesus uses this word.

to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

wife:  - "Woman" is from a word that means "woman" and "wife." It is not the "femaleness" of the previous verse.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

two - "Two" is from the number "two."

will -- This helping verb "will" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

become -- (WW) The verb "become " here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.

missing "for"  -- (MW) The untranslated word means "into" a place, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, "for" a purpose, and "up to" limits in time and measure.

one  - - The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."

flesh - - The Greek word translated as "the flesh" means "flesh," "meat," and "the physical order of things" as opposed to the spiritual. In contrasting it with "spirit," he is making it clear that he has been using it in the later sense.

EACH WORD 3RD (NLT or as noted): 

This - "This" is from a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar." It refers to the previous verse's statement.

explains (IP) There is no Greek noun here that means "explain" here. It is somewhat assumed as the meaning of the "this" above.

why - "Why" is from an adverb that means "on the account of," "because of," and "for the sake of."

a -- There is no indefinite article in Greek, but when a word doesn't have a definite article, the indefinite article can be added in English translation.

man -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples."  It is not the "male" of the previous verse, Matthew 19:4.

leaves  - "Leave" is from a verb that means "to be left," "left behind," "forsake," "abandon," "leave," and "remaining." It is not the verb that is used in the Gospels to mean "leave" in the sense of leaving a place." It is in the future tense.

his   --  (WW) The "his" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

father -- "Father" is the Greek noun that means "father" or any male ancestor so "forefathers." It is the word that Christ uses to address his own Father.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

mother, - "Mother" is from the common Greek word for "mother" and "grandmothers," but it also means "the source" of something.

and  - The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also") and, in a series, as it here, is best translated as "not only...but also."

is -- (WT) This helping verb "is" indicates that the verb is the future tense. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

joined - "Joined " is from a verb that means "to glue to or on," "to join (two substances)," "unite" and "to be stuck to" or "to be glued to." It is in the future tense. This is the only time Jesus uses this word.

to -- This word "to" comes from the dative case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is a "to" for the English indirect object.

his -- The word translated as "his" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English. This pronoun follows the noun so "of his."

missing "the"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more. 

wife:  - "Woman" is from a word that means "woman" and "wife." It is not the "femaleness" of the previous verse.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also").

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

two - "Two" is from the number "two."

are -- (WT) The verb "are" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.

united - - (IW) There is not word for "united" here except the word "one." It is used below. This is adding another.

into -- (CW) The word translated as "into" means "into" a place, "for" a purpose, "towards" as a direction, "in regards to" a subject, and "up to" limits in time and measure.

one.- - The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."

The Greek word translated as "one " means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same."

missing "flesh"  -- (MW) The untranslated word "flesh" means "flesh," "meat," and "the physical order of things" as opposed to the spiritual. In contrasting it with "spirit," he is making it clear that he has been using it in the later sense.

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

Ἕνεκα" [17 verses](prep )For" is from heneka, which means "on account of," "as far as regards," "in consequence of," and "because."

τούτου [137 verses](adj sg masc gen) "This" is toutos, which is a demonstrative pronoun that means "this," "here," "the nearer," and "the familiar."

καταλείψει [3 verses](verb 3rd sg fut ind act) "Leave" is kataleipo, which means "to be left," "left behind," "forsake," "abandon," "leave," and "remaining."

ἄνθρωπος [209 verses](noun sg masc nom) "A man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

τὸν (article sg masc acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

πατέρα [191 verses](noun sg masc acc) "Father" is from pater, which means "father," "grandfather," "author," "parent," and "forefathers."

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

τὴν (article sg fem acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

μητέρα [27 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Mother" is from mêtêr (meter), which means "mother," "grandmother," "mother hen," "source," and "origin." -

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

κολληθήσεται [1 verse](verb 3rd sg fut ind pass) "Shall cleave" is kollao, which means to "glue," "cement," "mend (a broken vessel)," "join (substance to another)," generally, "join fast together," "unite," and in the passive, to "cleave to," and "is indissolubly bound to."

τῇ (article sg fem dat)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").

γυναικὶ [28 verses](noun sg fem dat) "Woman" is gyne, which means "woman (as opposed to man)," "wife," "spouse," "mortal woman (as opposed to a goddess)," and "female mate (among animals)."

αὐτοῦ (adj sg masc gen) "His" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."

καὶ (conj/adv) "And" is from kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

ἔσονται (verb 3rd pl fut ind mid) Is" is from eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," and "is possible."

οἱ (article pl masc nom) "They" is the Greek definite article, which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one."

δύο [36 verses](numeral) "Twain" is from duo, which means the number "two," "a couple," and "a pair." -- The Greek word for "two" means "two" or a "couple."

εἰς (prep) Untranslated is eis, which means "into (of place)," "up to (of time)," "until (of time)," "as much as (of measure or limit)," "as far as (of measure or limit)," "towards (to express relation)," "in regard to (to express relation)," "of an end or limit," and "for (of purpose or object)."

σάρκα [19 verses](noun sg fem acc) "Flesh" is sarx, which means "flesh," "the body," "fleshy," "the pulp of fruit," "meat," and "the physical and natural order of things" (opposite of the spiritual or supernatural).

μίαν [85 verses](adj sg fem acc) "One" is from heis, which means "one" (as opposed to other numbers), "single," and "one and the same." As in English, it can be used as a pronoun, meaning a single person.

Related Verses: 

Unimportant Opinions and Imaginings: 

"Because of this, a man is going to leave behind his father and mother. Not only is he going to become stuck on his woman but also the two are going to be a single body.

Front Page Date: 

Apr 18 2021