Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1: Luther on the Creation

by Martin Luther

Wherefore Moses here adopts his peculiar and appropriate phraseology, "And he brought her to the man." Who brought her to the man? He, God, Jehovah, Elohim, the Jehovah God, the Whole Divinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. These all unitedly say to Adam, Behold, this is thy bride with whom thou art to dwell and with whom thou art to generate and bring up children. And there is no doubt whatever that Adam received Eve with the utmost pleasure; for even now, in this corrupt state of nature, the mutual love between bride and bridegroom is peculiar, great and excellent.

But apart from the epileptic and apoplectic lust in the marriage state today, it was a chaste and most pleasing love, and union itself was most honorable and most holy. Now however sin pours itself in and expresses itself from the eyes and ears everywhere, and then in all the senses.

This passage demands particular notice. For it stands as the revealed will of God, not only against all abuses of the sex and lusts of every kind, but also as a confirmation of marriage, and all those impious revilings and refusings by which the papacy has deformed and marred matrimony. Is it not worthy of admiration that God instituted and ordained marriage even in the state of innocency? Much more need then have we of this divine institution and ordination in our present state, wherein our flesh is weak and so corrupt through sin. This divine consolation therefore stands proof and invincible against all doctrines of devils, 1 Tim. 4:1. By the Scripture before us, we see that marriage is a state of life divine; that is, ordained of God himself.

What was it therefore that came into the minds of those tools of Satan and enemies of Christ, who deny that there could be any holiness or chastity in marriage, and who affirmed that those only were adapted for ministers of churches who lived in celibacy, because the Scriptures, they argued, said, Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord, Is. 52:11. Are then those who are married unclean? If so, God himself is the author and institutor of uncleanness, who himself brought Eve to Adam. Adam himself also did evil in suffering himself to be persuaded to enter into a state of uncleanness, when his nature in his state of innocency needed not marriage. But have not the impious Papists suffered the righteous punishments of such blasphemies? They have not only polluted themselves with harlots in multitudes, but have indulged in other unmentionable wickednesses, even unto abomination, and are at this day just ripe for the punishments of Sodom and Gomorrah.

When I was a boy, marriage was positively considered so infamous on account of all this impure and impious celibacy, that I used to believe I could not even think of the married life without sin. For the minds of men generally were filled with the persuasion that if any one wished to live a holy life, and a life acceptable to God, a man must never become a husband nor a woman a wife, but must take upon them the vow of celibacy; and hence many men who had married became on the death of their wives either monks or contemptible priests. All those worthy men therefore who have labored and endeavored to cause marriage to be honored as aforetime, according to the Word of God, and to be held in all its due praise, have taken upon themselves a highly useful and necessary service to the Church of Christ. So that now, blessed be God, all men consider it to be good and holy to live in unanimity and tranquility with a wife, even though it should be the lot of any one, Prov. 16:33, to have a wife that is barren, or laboring under any other affliction.

I do not however deny that there are some men who can live chastely without marriage; but let these who have thus a gift greater than the most of mankind, sail in their own ship. But as for that chastity which the Pope so highly lauds in his monks and nuns, and contemptible priests, it is in the first place polluted and contaminated by numberless horrible sins; and in addition to all this, celibacy is an institution of man without any warrant from the Word of God. O, what triumphs would the Papists celebrate could they but prove by the Word of God their celibacy to be a divine institution, as we can abundantly prove marriage to be. With what mighty weight of the Pope's authority would they compel all men to adopt their life of celibacy. Whereas now the only commendation of celibacy, which they can discover, is a tradition of men, or rather as Paul hath it, a doctrine of devils, Col. 2:8; 1 Tim. 4:1.

V. 23a. And the man said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh.

The sentence which immediately follows, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother," etc., is cited by our Lord, Math. 19:5, as the words of God himself, and not of Adam. But in that particular point there is no difficulty whatever, because as Adam was pure and holy the words of Adam may rightly be said to be divine words or the voice of God, for God spoke through him. All the words and the works of Adam in that state of innocency are divine, and therefore may truly be said to be the words and works of God.

Eve is presented to Adam by God himself. And just in the same manner as the will of God is prepared to institute marriage, so Adam is prepared to receive Eve with all pleasure and holiness when brought unto him. So even now also the affection of the intended husband toward his betrothed spouse, is of a particular and elevated kind. It is, nevertheless, deeply contaminated with that leprous lust of the flesh which, in righteous Adam, had no existence.

It is worthy of our greatest wonder and admiration, that Adam, the moment he glanced his eye on Eve, knew her to be a building formed out of himself. He immediately said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." These are not the words of an ignorant one, nor of one who was a sinner; nor of one who was ignorant of the works and of the creation of God. They are the words of one righteous and wise, and full of the Holy Spirit; of that Holy Spirit who reveals to the world, before ignorant of such high and holy wisdom, that God is the efficient cause of marriage and of man's taking to himself a wife, and that the final cause of marriage is that the wife might be unto her husband a civil, moral and domestic habitation, and cohabitation. This knowledge comes not from the five senses and reason merely. It is a revelation, as we here see, of the Holy Spirit.