What Does Leaving and Cleaving In Marriage Mean?

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:24-25

Wayne Mack has some helpful insights. Taken from the book titled Strengthening Your Marriage by Wayne Mack.

"Leaving" means

1. You establish an adult relationship with your parents and your spouses parents.

2. You must be more concerned about your spouse's ideas, opinions, and practices than those of your parents.

3. You must not be slavishly dependent on your parents for affections, approval, assistance, and counsel.

4. You must eliminate any bad attitudes toward your parents/your spouses parents, or you will be tied emotionally to them regardless of how far you move from them.

5. You must stop trying to change your mate simply because your parents do not like him the way he is.

6. You make the husband and wife relationship your priority human relationship.

Marriage involves "cleaving" which is translated in the ESV as "hold fast to his wife." Here are some meanings of "cleaving:"

1. Holding fast (cleaving) is the contrast to "leave." This gets at our concept of starting a new life together.

2. The result of "leaving" and "cleaving" is spelled out in verse 25: "and the man and his wife were both naked and not ashamed." This means that sexual intimacy and relational intimacy are impacted by the husband's and wife's ability to leave their parents and hold fast to one another and become one.

3. Handling conflict biblically is crucial oneness.

4. Couples should seek to be aware of the hindrances to oneness.

5. Sexual relations within marriage should be kept sacred according to God's view (Hebrews 13:4).

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