Texts in Conversation
In Genesis, a man and woman become one flesh in marriage. Exegesis on the Soul, a Nag Hammadi text, reads this union as the soul rejoining the heavenly partner from whom she was separated.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 2:24
Hebrew Bible
23 Then the man said, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and unites with his wife, and they become one family. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, but they were not ashamed.
Exegesis on the Soul 4:5
Nag Hammadi
When, however, they have joined [with one another], they become one life. Because of this the prophet said about the first man and the first woman, “They will become one flesh.” ‒ (Genesis 2:24) For they were at first joined to each other when they dwelt with the Father before the woman led astray the man who is her brother. This marriage has joined them together again, and the soul has been united with her true love, her original master; as it is written, “For the woman’s master is her husband.” ‒ (Genesis 3:16), (Ephesians 5:23)
Search:
Notes and References
“... But [once] they unite [with one another], they become a single life. Wherefore the prophet said (Gn 2:24) concerning the first man and the first woman, They will become a single flesh. For they were originally joined to one another when they were with the father before the woman led astray the man, who is her brother. This marriage has brought them back together again and the soul has been joined to her true love, her real master, as it is written (cf. Gn 3:16; 1 Co 11:1; Ep 5:23), For the master of the woman is her husband. ...”
Robinson, William C., Jr.; Scopello, Maddalena
"The Exegesis on the Soul (II,6)" in Robinson, James M. (ed.) The Nag Hammadi Library in English
(p. 195) HarperCollins, 1990
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,