Genesis 2:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

How could he foresee that humanity would multiply? How did he know of the intimacy between husband and wife? This transpired after the fall, yet prior to it, humanity lived in a paradise akin to angels, untainted by desire, free from passionate urges, and devoid of bodily needs. Created in a state of incorruption and immortality, they did not even require clothing, as it is stated, “they were both naked and felt no shame” (Gen. 2:25). So where did he derive the inspiration for such words? It is clear that, prior to his disobedience, he, as a recipient of prophetic grace, beheld these truths with spiritual insight. My intention in sharing this is not trivial; rather, it is so that you may recognize the overwhelming love that God has bestowed upon humanity. From the very beginning, He granted an angelic existence, showered countless blessings upon them, and, above all, conferred the gift of prophetic grace. Thus, as you observe humanity's negligence in light of so many blessings, I urge you to refrain from attributing blame to God, for the fault lies with humanity itself. It is mankind's actions that led to all miseries, the loss of divine gifts, and the consequences that ensued from disobedience, as you will come to understand. Reflecting on the divine order given to Adam, having showered him with such immense blessings—first, by creating the entire world for him even before his existence, then creating him to enjoy all visible creation—He commanded that a paradise be established for Adam to inhabit, separated from the mute creatures. Adam was given dominion over them and appointed to name them, as a lord would address his subjects. Furthermore, recognizing Adam’s solitude, he was granted a helper of the same kind, as God created a wife for him, and beyond this, God endowed him with the dignity of a prophet. After all these blessings, He crucially liberated him from bodily concerns, freeing him from the need for clothing or similar necessities, that he might live on earth as an earthly angel. In contemplating all this, I am in awe of God's love for humankind, and the negligence of humanity, alongside the malice of the devil. It was intolerable for the evil one to witness such angelic existence dwelling in mortal flesh.

Adam foretells of past events, acknowledges the present, and speaks of what is to come: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and unite with his wife.” Yet there was no marriage at that time; so from where do the father and mother come?

It is the unification of two into one flesh, and that a man shall leave his parents to join with his wife because we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Eph. 5:30). Who is this Husband that a wife forsakes her family for? It is the Church, drawn from the nations, to whom the prophetic call is made: Forget thy people and thy father's house (Ps. 44:11). For what man, if not the One to whom John testified: The Husband who was before me comes after me (John 1:30).

The Scripture further states: “and they shall be one flesh.” Indeed, there are those who achieve a oneness of body and spirit with their wives, leading their thoughts to become estranged from their fathers and mothers. Conversely, he who remains unmarried and solitary shares a unified spirit and mind with his Father.

3:20) because Eve was made from his rib while he was in a deep sleep, so too did he foresee that from the rib of the crucified Christ, the Church, the genuine mother of all the living, would arise. Indeed, the Church is that woman who fled into the wilderness to her place from the presence of the serpent and was nourished for a time, times, and half a time (Rev. 12:14).

The creation of the wife from her husband reflects the divinely intended relationship for humanity before the fall. The rib was taken from Adam in a manner that did not compromise his innocence; rather, he was in a state of bliss bestowed upon him by God. Only the righteous may experience such a state. There is no clear example of how humanity was intended to reproduce prior to the fall, yet it is evident that such reproduction must have occurred in perfect purity and devoid of passion. Instead ofbase, animalistic gratification, there was to be sacred, spiritual fulfillment. We do not perceive this divine plan as hidden from God; we believe that just as it was easy for God to create one method, He could effortlessly institute another. This context references the present approach to procreation: it is permitted. Indeed, this permission signifies the lamentable consequence of our transgression and reveals God's withdrawal from us. We are born tainted by sin: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me" (Psalm 50:7). Such conception in sin and birth through iniquity cannot reflect God’s design.

This call to separate from father and mother primarily involves the husband, as he is responsible for establishing a distinct home and family, separate from his own parents. The profound unity of marriage is further emphasized by the term "one flesh." This fundamental and universal principle of matrimony serves to prohibit polygamy and unwarranted dissolution of marriage, while still honoring virginity and chastity. In the context of marriage, the created wife and her husband are united in such a manner that they become one flesh; similarly, those redeemed by Jesus Christ and who have faith in Him are part of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Eph. 5:30).

Thus, the Apostle affirms: "The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does" (1 Cor. 7:4). This is not merely a societal tradition or a human decree; it is a divine ordinance. The statement, "A man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh," as affirmed by Jesus Christ, was expressed by the Creator Himself (Matt. 19:4-5), regardless of whether it originated from Adam or Moses. The Creator established this unbreakable bond between husband and wife, making divorce, except in situations outlined in scripture, an act of injustice and contrary to God’s will: "What God has joined, let not man separate," proclaimed Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:6). Likewise, polygamy stands in opposition to this divine law, as it contradicts the clear intention expressed in the words: "there shall be two," meaning two individuals, not several, forming one flesh.