Mark 10:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,

NIV: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,

NASB: FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER ,

CSB: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

NLT: ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,

KJV: For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

NKJV: ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

"Leave" is from the Greek root word kataleipo. It literally means to depart and not take the object along. When God made Adam and Eve, He told them to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 1:28). After the Flood, when the people joined together to make the Tower of Babel, God confused their languages and "dispersed them over the face of all the earth" (Genesis 11:9). There is a place for tribes and cities and nations, to pool resources and labor for defense, survival, and cultural advancement. But there is also a place for separation.

Some manuscripts do not include "and hold fast to his wife," but it is original to Genesis 2:24 which this verse quotes. The passage in Genesis can mean the man must cling to his wife as he separates from his parents. But it also means he must pursue and overtake her, to woo her and earn her affections. This isn't a passive relationship, but something the man is being told to work for.

In a typical Jewish household, if a son was to marry, he built a room on his father's house and brought his bride to live there. The marriage would have been arranged by the man or his father and the father of the bride, although it's believed she had veto rights. Economically, that arrangement helped the family, but socially, it was challenging. The man worked for his father. The woman provided children for the clan. If the man rejected the woman, she returned to her father. In many cases, there was no opportunity for the man and woman to separate and be their own family. The patriarchal arrangements had great financial benefits for all involved, but it's not easy to "hold fast to [your] wife" when your parents are in the next room.

Mark 10:1–12 carries profound implications for marriage and sexuality. In Jesus' time, a man could divorce his wife for the slightest offense. Jesus' asserts people have corrupted God's definition for marriage: that one man and one woman become unified by a covenant made before God. Jesus then says that if a man can't handle that kind of lifelong commitment, he shouldn't get married (Matthew 19:10–12). As usual, God's law protects the powerless: in this case, women. Today, Jesus' words do the same, rebuking those who choose to harden their hearts against their spouse for selfish reasons. An expanded version of this account is in Matthew 19:1–12, and Luke 16:18 contains a portion of it, as well.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.