What Does “Flesh” Mean in the Bible?
In the Bible, “flesh” often means the whole person, with a body that is weak and dies.
It can mean
- “One flesh”: husband and wife united in marriage.
- “The Word became flesh”: the Son of God truly became man.
Where it appears in the Bible
John 1:14; Matthew 19:6; Matthew 26:41
What the Bible says
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Matthew 19:6
Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
Matthew 26:41
Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
Source: Catechism 990, 1644 and 461