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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse follows the creation of the woman and the man's joyful recognition of her, drawing a foundational principle about marriage from that first union.
What Does Genesis 2:24 Mean?
Genesis 2:24 means that marriage forms a new and primary bond in which a husband and wife are joined into a single, shared life. Drawn as a conclusion from the creation of the first couple, the verse lays out three movements: leaving, cleaving, and becoming one flesh.
To "leave" father and mother signals that marriage establishes a new household with its own loyalty and priority, even above the bond with one's parents. To "cleave" means to hold fast, to be devoted and faithfully bound to one's spouse -- a word of commitment and permanence. The result is that the two "shall be one flesh," a profound union of bodies and lives that makes of two people a new whole. Jesus later quoted this verse to teach the seriousness and intended permanence of marriage. The verse presents marriage not as a human invention but as part of God's design from the beginning -- a covenant of unity meant to be marked by faithfulness, devotion, and the joining of two lives into one.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew "dabaq" (cleave) means to cling or hold fast, while "basar echad" (one flesh) describes the deep unity of the married couple.
Cross References
“And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh.”
- Matthew 19:5
“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”
- Mark 10:9
“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.”
- Ephesians 5:31
Application
In marriage, give yourself fully to faithful devotion to your spouse, prioritizing that bond and nurturing the unity God intends it to have.