For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.
Parallel translations
- WEB For man is not from woman, but woman from man;
- BSB For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.
- NKJV For man is not from woman, but woman from man.
- NASB For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
- NLT For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Woman was made from man, recalling Eve's creation from Adam. The creation order undergirds Paul's teaching on roles.
Overview
Paul appeals to Genesis 2, where the woman was formed from the man, to support the order he is describing. This sequence of creation carries significance for the relationship between men and women. Yet, as the following verses show, this is balanced by mutual dependence, so the appeal establishes order without implying that woman is inferior.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Tim 2:13For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
- Gen 2:21–23And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.
How 1 Corinthians 11:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.