You would have thought that after God created the world, and man, and even woman, that He had finished, and yet, the very last thing God makes for us is a marriage covenant in Genesis 2:24
When God chose to make woman, instead of making her from the dust of the ground, He decided in His infinite wisdom to make her from man’s flesh and bone. Yet, in doing so, God illustrated that in marriage, we symbolically become one flesh
We can see that throughout Scripture, God treats this unique relationship between man and woman seriously. This is because marriage is a union of the couple’s hearts and lives, and therefore, the ultimate goal is not just to become best friends, but one
God gave marriage as a gift. This was because male and female was created perfectly for each other. Yet, how often does society treat marriage like something we can easily discard? This is because we have become a society that if we don’t like it, or it becomes too hard, we discard it and start again
Unfortunately, different translations have reduced the significance of the Hebrew verb dabak within Genesis 2:24. NASB denotes, “be joined.” ESV says, “hold fast.” NIV states, “is united.” NLT shows “is joined.” The Orthodox Jewish Bible says “cleave.” None really comes close to the meaning under the Hebrew text
Dabak is the action of attaching yourself to another as an expression of total unselfishness. It is the exact opposite of looking out for yourself and sets aside individuality. It means that we absolutely commit to the other person even when that commitment means your own interests are compromised. Dabak is the ability to identify yourself with the other person, to live in their shoes, and to see the world from their point of view
Dabak, therefore, in marriage, should not be seen as a convenience or cultural act, but more, that when a man leaves his parents, he promises himself to his wife by taking responsibility for her – as she does to him – by loving each other above all others, and then, from this, two become one as well, in the intimacy and commitment of sex that should be reserved purely within marriage
Categories: Genesis
