For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24, The Scriptures)
The Hebrew phrase "echad basar" means "one flesh" or "one body" and literally describes the physical act of the penis penetrating into the body of another person. More specifically, it refers to a man and a woman joining their bodies together in penile-vaginal sexual intercourse. For example, a husband and wife join together at night and become "one flesh" or "one body". They become "one flesh" during the act of sexual intercourse. What is important to understand is that being "one flesh" with someone is not a state of existence; it is a state of action.
Most Believers already understand that a man and a woman become "one flesh" through sexual intercourse.
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Source:
http://www.righteouswarriors.com/contro ... cle11.html
The section entitled,
One Flesh.
# QUESTION Does the expression "one flesh" as used in Genesis 2:24 refer to penile-vaginal sexual intercourse?
No; while the word (ba·sar) IS used in Leviticus 15:23 with reference to the man's genital organ, the word is used much more frequently in a general sense to refer to
the soft substance of a physical body, whether of man, beast, bird, or fish" or parts thereof (see ; Le 17:11-14; De 28:53-57; 2Ki 6:28-; Le 17:15,16; De 14:21). Notice the first occurence of the word in scripture at Genesis 2: 21, where it refers, not to Adams genitals, but to the flesh surrounding his ribcage on his chest.
KINSHIP
The hebrew word for "flesh" "basar" is also often used to simply refer to a distinct species or "kind" of physical creature (see Ge 6:17; Ge 9:3, 4; Ex 22:31) as well as metaphorically in scripture to refer to close kinship. For example between Jacob and his father-in-law Laben "Then Laban said to him, "You are
my own flesh and blood." [...]" - Genesis 29:14 NIV (compare Gen 3:23, 37:27; 2Sa 5:1 Ge 2:23).
SEX OR MARRIAGE?
It also should be noted that the Hebrew did have a word which covered sexual intercourse, (yada) and this word is lacking in the sequence of events in Genesis 2: 19-24). Indeed the narrative links the idea of "one flesh", not with intercourse, as is the case of the conception of Cain (see Ge 4: 1), but with the presenting of Eve to Adam. In this passage we see, #1) Eve created, #2) God bringing her to Adam #3) Adam declaration in poetry that she is 'flesh of his flesh' and #4) the narrative conclusion that male-female unions that follow this model are permanent arrangements commenting that "a man must STICK to his wife (or woman) and they must become 'one flesh'.
In short, rather than implying that Adam had sex with his wife and this act caused them to became "one flesh", the passage indicates it was the presentation of Eve sight of God that forged the union.
The context of Jesus quotation of the above Genesis account at Mat 19: 5, 6 sheds further light on how this expression should be understood. Jesus stated that adultery (which usually involves penile-vaginal penetration) violated or breaks the divine mandate to become "one flesh". If this union can be broken or disolved by an subsequent act it is clearly a state of continued existence. Further one might ask, if the physical penetration of a penis into a vigina renders the individuals "one flesh" what is to be made of the divine law that rapists be punished or that even concentual sexual intercourse be viewed as unlawful under certain circumstances (possibly punishable by death)? Clearly Jesus is refering to more therefore than just a physical copulation but a state of "ownership" or unity of kinship, that was divinely binding and broken by only by legal declaration.
CONCLUSION While it may be poetically satisfying to see the obvious paralles between the physical act of sexual intercourse and the biblical expression, it is somewhat of a wild extrapolation of the scriptural use of the words to suggest that "
echad baser" is refering specifically to copulation, especially as other words and expressions (such as the hebrew word "
yada" - see Genesis 4:1) cover the sexual act. It is much more contextually justifiable to conclude that "echad baser" refers to the CONTINUED existence of a man and a woman in as a divinely contracted (permanent) family UNIT.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESS
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