The story ends with verse 23. However, the narrator speaks again in verse 24 to add an explanation that goes beyond the limits of the story outline. It is not possible for the man and woman in our story to leave their parents; so the application must be for later couples.
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother: man in verses 24 and 25 is ʾish in Hebrew (as in verse 23), but the word used in chapter 3 will be ʾadam again. Therefore introduces a conclusion or result: “Because of this…,” “Due to this…,” “This is why….” The conclusion is based on the whole story of the creation of the woman, beginning with verse 18 and including verse 23. Because the woman has been created as a suitable companion and support for the man, the man leaves his parental surroundings to unite with his wife. In many languages Therefore will have to be expanded in order to make this point clear; for example, one translation has “Because it happened like that, every man now leaves….” Another says “As a result of that the custom arose for a man to leave….”
Some interpreters have understood the man’s leaving his father and mother to mean that the man should go to live with the woman’s family and relatives or where the wife’s family lives. However, this seems to miss the point. The focus is upon the attraction, companionship, and suitability the man has experienced in the woman; and as a consequence of this he separates in some degree physically, socially, and spiritually from his parental home to begin another home with his companion. This focus may need to be brought out in translation, particularly in those parts of the world where the idea of the man leaving his parents at the time of his marriage is contrary to local custom. It is sometimes suggested that in these situations a cultural adaptation can be made that makes the text say “Therefore a woman leaves her mother and father….” However, some translators have found it more suitable to say, for example, “Therefore, both the husband and the wife leave their parents.” In other cases it is better to avoid the meaning of a man’s physical relocation altogether, and to express the sense in terms of his separating from the parents’ family unit to make a new family unit with his wife. If even this approach does not solve the problem, it may be necessary to include a note explaining that this text focuses on the setting up of a new family unit rather than on where that family unit is located.
Leaves his father … should not be translated by a word that means a break in relationships, such as “abandon, reject.” In some languages it is only possible to express leaves his father as physical separation, for example, “move away from, go away from, depart from,” or to express the idea of separation by saying “he stops living in the household of his parents.”
And cleaves to his wife: cleaves means “joins, stays close to, attaches himself to.” Like many other languages Hebrew does not distinguish between “wife” and “woman.” Accordingly wife is the same word as used in verse 23, but here it is grammatically possessed.
They become one flesh: flesh translates Hebrew basar, whose most common meaning is “meat” in contrast to bones. However, basar has a wide range of meanings: all living things, people and animals (Gen 6.12), humanity (Num 16.22), animal life (Gen 6.19), kin or brother (Gen 37.27), and various other meanings. Basar is the term used in 2.3, “flesh of my flesh.” Some interpreters argue that the reference is to sexual relations or to the child resulting from the union. However, it seems best to understand it to mean the result of the coming together itself, not as sex or offspring. Accordingly Bible en français courant translates “and the two of them become a single being,” Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “… one person,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “… united in body and soul.” Good News Translation is more general with “they become one,” which may be expressed in terms of the beginning of a new family unit, that is, “They become a new family.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .