Leave and Cleave

I am wondering what it means to leave and cleave. I have been on both sides of the experience now. I was once a young bride leaving and cleaving to my husband and now a mother of married daughters.

Interesting situation. I did a little studying on it. I went on line, Googled “leave and cleave” and I got quite a few sites that were trying to tell me what it was.

I went to the original Bible verse in Hebrew, looked up all the words through the Strong’s concordance and the American Standard Version was true to the Hebrew.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

I did further study about the words leave and cleave.

Leave means:  In the Hebrew is the word azab which means to commit self - also leave, forsake, loose.

In that passage the man is directed to leave, forsake, loose his father and his mother.

Cleave means: In Hebrew is dabaq which means to cleave - To cling, cleave, keep close.

The man is to cling, cleave and keep close to his wife.

God is so good that when He gives us instruction He also gives many explanations and pictures of what it looks like. There are several marriages in the Bible; the healthy ones seem to have the husband in the role of the leader and the wife as the helpmate. They are a picture of leaving and cleaving. The husband has drawn his wife to him and loves and protects her.

I love the Bible because in it the Lord gives us the words to life. He has made a map for us to follow. His Words are a light for our feet.

In the New Testament the LORD talks to us through Paul when He explains about how we are to live our lives. We have been given a structure in Genesis – a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife and they shall be one flesh – and then we are given how we are to live it out in real life. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are to approach each situation with love as the end result.

As a young man, God directs him to leave and cleave and we learn that he is to do that with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. As the head of a new family he is to lead, step out, and direct those in his new family in a manner reflecting what the Lord has called him too, love.

It's a big role for the young man and hopefully those parents he's leaving will be his biggest cheerleaders pointing him to Godliness and righteousness, praying for him daily. Supporting him in his new role and responsibility.

In summary, the command to leave and cleave is given to the husband. He is to leave his family and cling to his wife. By the power of the Holy Spirit he is to lead his family in Godliness which is love.