WORD OF THE WEEK: CLEAVE

A study of old and/or unique words from the Bible that are worth knowing

“…For this reason a man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife: and the two shall become one flesh. So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:5-6)

Cleave (klēv) verb: from Greek ‘proskooloa’ (Strong’s G4347); to glue, to adhere, join one (self). It comes from two other Greek words, ‘pros’ (Strong’s G4314) meaning by the side of, motion towards, you-ward (moving toward the other) and ‘kollao’ (Strong’s G2853) meaning to glue, to stick, to join (self), keep company.

    This word appears four times in the New Testament when you read from the King James Version. The New King James version has updated the old word 'cleave' with “cling” (Matthew 19:5-6, Mark 10:7-9, Romans 12:9) and the phrase “continue with” (Acts 11:23).

    In both Matthew 19 and Mark 10 Jesus quotes the very first instruction given for marriage from Genesis 2:24. A man is to cleave to his wife – join himself to her, figuratively glue himself to her, adhere to her, be always moving wife-ward, stand beside her, keep company with her. Jesus adds in both accounts, “What God has joined together let not man separate.” That is what cleaving means – a permanent joining together – no paper clips or staples, but permanent bonding glue!

    My Dad (a gospel preacher of 50+ years) often uses the illustration that when you use wood glue to bond two pieces of wood together you will never again break the wood apart where it was joined, you may be able to break it elsewhere along their length but never where it was joined – the bond holds strong and true! That is what marriage is! Circumstances can happen, but the bond holds through it all!

    Now that the meaning of the word ‘cleave’ is established, I would like you to consider the other two occasions in which this word is used: Acts 11:23 and Romans 12:9

    In Acts 11:23 Barnabas encouraged the Christians in Antioch “to cleave to the Lord, with purpose of heart” – determine to glue themselves, adhere themselves, always be moving closer to the Lord!

    Paul gives instruction Romans 12:9 to “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cleave to what is good.” Be repulsed by evil – do all you can to separate yourself from it, but adhere yourself to goodness and doing good, always be moving closer to what is good, keep company with it and with those who engage in goodness (consider 2 Timothy 2:22)!

    When you married you made this commitment to your husband. When you were baptized you made this commitment to the Lord.

Are you cleaving as you should? Always drawing nearer to these?

You can do it! So can I!!