10:8a

the two will become one flesh: The phrase the two refers to a man and his wife. The words become one flesh is a figure of speech here. It indicates that the husband and wife will become united as one person or being.

In some languages, it is not natural to refer to a man and woman becoming one flesh. If that is true in your language, you may want to indicate the meaning in another way. For example:

the two will become as united as if they were in one body
-or-
the two of them will become like one person

10:8b

Jesus stopped quoting from Scripture at the end of 10:8a and began to speak his own words again. Make this clear in your translation.

So they are no longer two, but one flesh: This part of the verse expresses the same principle as in 10:8a. The word two refers to two people, two separate individuals. The phrase but one flesh indicates that they are united as one flesh. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

So they are no longer two individuals, but are united into one flesh.
-or-
So they are no longer two separate persons only, but are united as one body/person.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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