📖 Biblical Definition
Leaving and cleaving is the marriage motion of Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." Two verbs, one motion. The leaving establishes the new household — the son ceases to live under his father’s roof and authority and forms his own household before God. The cleaving commits to its permanent integrity — the husband binds himself to his wife in covenant union. Both Old and New Testament cite the verse repeatedly (Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7; Ephesians 5:31). Without leaving, there is no new household; without cleaving, there is no permanence. Christian marriages fail at either end fail at both.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
(Gen 2:24.) The marriage motion of leaving the parental household and cleaving to the spouse.
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Leave: Hebrew azab, to abandon, forsake. The strength of the verb is striking — the new household displaces the parental as primary.
Cleave: Hebrew davaq, to cling, glue, adhere. The same word in Deut 10:20 of the Israelite's cleaving to the LORD; covenant cleaving.
📖 Key Scripture
Genesis 2:24 — "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
Deuteronomy 10:20 — "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave."
Ephesians 5:31 — "For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto his wife."
Ruth 1:14 — "And Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern marriage often fails the leaving step; in-law tensions, divided loyalty, and continued primary attachment to parents undermine the cleaving.
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Modern marriage culture preserves "cleaving" rhetorically while gutting "leaving" — adult children remain emotionally tethered to parents, parents continue managing married children's lives. The result is marriages that never form their own household identity. The corruption is the half-execution of the biblical pattern.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew azab (leave) and davaq (cleave).
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Hebrew azab — to leave, abandon, forsake.
Hebrew davaq — to cling, cleave, adhere.
Usage
"Two verbs, one motion: leave, then cleave."
"Without leaving, there is no household; without cleaving, no permanence."
"Cleave names both the marriage union and the soul's union with God."