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

by Martin Luther

And even now, though all other things are changed, yet this close bond between married persons still remains firm. So that a man would leave his father and his mother much sooner than he would leave his wife. And where we find the contrary to this, for married persons are now sometimes found to leave and forsake each other, all this is not only contrary to the present divine command by the mouth of Adam, but such things are awful signs of that horrible corruption, which has come upon man through sin; and such corruption and unfaithfulness are greatly increased by Satan, the father of all dissensions.

Heathen nations also have discovered that there is nothing more appropriate for man nor beneficial for kingdoms than this oneness of the life of married persons. Hence they affirm, that it is a conclusion drawn from the law of nature that a wife, who shall retain her individuality or oneness of life with her husband, even unto death, is necessary for man. Hence also Christ himself says, that Moses suffered the Jews to give their wives a bill of divorcement, because of the hardness of their hearts; but that in the beginning it was not so, Mark 10:4, Math. 19:8. These evils of divorcements have all arisen since the fall through sin; as have also adulteries, poisonings and such like, which are sometimes found among married persons. Scarce a thousandth part of that primitive innocent, holy marriage is now left to us. And even to this day the husband and the wife have their home-nest, for the sake of mutual help and generation, according to the command of God, issued by the mouth of our first parent Adam; by which this state of married life and this leaving father and mother is exaltedly and gloriously commended, as well as commanded of God himself; as Christ also affirms in his reference to the words of Adam, on which we are now dwelling.

This "leaving father and mother" however is not to be understood as a command that the children of Adam, when married, should have nothing more to do with their parents. The command reaches only to dwelling any longer with their father and mother. It enjoins the children when married to have their own home-nest. In the present state of sin, and all its various evils, we often find that children are compelled to support their parents, when worn down with age and necessities. But had paradise and all its innocency continued, the state of life would have been inconceivably more exalted and blessed than our present fallen and sinful condition. Yet even then this same command of Adam, or rather of God himself, would have been obeyed. The husband, through love of his wife, would have chosen his homestead and made his home-nest with her, as the little birds do, and would have left his father and his mother for that purpose.

This sentence of Adam is also prophetic. For as yet there was no father or mother; nor consequently were there any children. Adam nevertheless through the Holy Spirit prophesies of that married life, which should be in the world, and predictively describes the separate dwelling of man and wife, and the separate domestic authorities and governments of the several families in all ages; that each family should have their own nest habitation, authority and rule.

V. 25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

This short closing sentence of the present chapter might have been omitted without any loss, seeing that it mentions a circumstance for recording which there seems no great need. For what does it concern us to know whether those in paradise walked about naked or clothed in raiment? This little clause of the concluding sentence however is very striking and very necessary. It shows us in a matter apparently quite insignificant, how dreadful an amount of evil this nature of ours has suffered through original sin.

All nations, more especially those of the north, hold nakedness of the body in great abhorrence. In like manner the more grave and modest characters among us, not only condemn short military jackets, as they are called, which are worn by our youth, but avoid public baths. And our uncomely parts, 1 Cor. 12:23, are always most studiously covered. This among us is wisdom and a moral discipline worthy of all praise. But Adam and Eve, Moses informs us, went about naked, and were not ashamed. For them therefore to go about naked was not only not disgraceful, but even laudable, delightful and glorious to God.

But all this delight and glory we have now lost by sin. We alone, of all creatures, are born naked; and with an uncovered skin we enter into this world. Whereas all the other animals bring into the world with them, as coverings of their own, skins, hairs, bristles, feathers or scales. We, on the other hand, continually need the shadow of buildings to protect us from the heat of the sun, and a multitude of garments to defend us from the rain, the hail, the frost and the snow. Adam however, had he continued innocent, would have felt none of these injuries or inconveniences. But as the human eyes retain still that peculiarity of nature, that they are not evilly affected or distressed either by cold or by heat; so would the whole body of Adam have been entirely free from the distresses of cold or heat, had he never fallen. Had Eve, our mother, sat among us naked the mere form of her breast and other members of her body would not have offended us. But now because of sin they awaken in us shame and inflame us with evil lust and passion.

This brief clause therefore shows us the awfulness of the evil which has come upon us, as the consequence of the sin of ... [text not printed] ... would be considered a proof of utter insanity. That very state of body therefore which was in Adam and Eve their highest glory, would be in us, should we be seen in that state, our deepest shame. It was the very glory of man and would have continued to be so, had he remained in his original innocency, that while all the other animals had need of hairs, feathers, scales, etc., to cover their unsightliness, man alone was created with that dignity and beauty of body, that he could appear uncovered, in the glory of his created nakedness. But all this glory is lost. We are now compelled not only for necessary protection, but for the sake of avoiding the deepest turpitude, to cover our bodies with more study and care than any other animals of God's creation. For they all come into the world covered by nature.

After this manner therefore does this second chapter of the book of Genesis more clearly and fully describe the creative work of the sixth day. In what manner man was created by the wonderful counsel of God. In what manner the garden of Eden was formed, in which man might have lived in the highest possible pleasure. In what manner, by means of the prohibition of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the external worship of the future church was instituted by divine authority. By what external worship and in which place, had the prohibition of the tree of knowledge not been violated by Adam and Eve, they would have testified their obedience to God, had they not been deceived and drawn aside by the snares of Satan.