John Calvin Commentary Matthew 19:5

"and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh?" — Matthew 19:5 (ASV)

Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother. It is uncertain whether Moses represents Adam or God as speaking these words; but it is of little consequence to the present passage which of these meanings you choose, for it was enough to quote the decision which God had pronounced, though it might have been uttered by the mouth of Adam. Now, he who marries a wife is not commanded absolutely to leave his father; for God would contradict Himself if by marriage He set aside those duties which He enjoins on children towards their parents; but when a comparison is made between the claims, the wife is preferred to the father and mother. But if any man abandons his father and shakes off the yoke by which he is bound, no man will acknowledge such a monster;⁵⁹⁵ much less will he be at liberty to dissolve a marriage.

And the two shall be one flesh. This expression condemns polygamy no less than it condemns unrestrained liberty in divorcing wives; for, if the mutual union of two persons was consecrated by the Lord, the mixture of three or four persons is unauthorized.⁵⁹⁶ But Christ, as I stated a little while ago, applies it differently to His purpose: namely, to show that whoever divorces his wife tears himself apart, because such is the force of holy marriage that the husband and wife become one man. For it was not the design of Christ to introduce the impure and filthy speculation of Plato, but He spoke with reverence of the order which God has established.

Let the husband and wife, therefore, live together in such a manner that each shall cherish the other as if the other were half of their own self. Let the husband rule, so as to be the head, and not the tyrant, of his wife; and let the woman, on the other hand, yield modestly to his commands.

⁵⁹⁵ “Il n’y a celuy qui ne fust estonne d’un tel monstre;” — “there is no man who would not be astonished at such a monster.”;” — “there is no man who would not be astonished at such a monster.”

⁵⁹⁶ “C’est un meslinge faux et pervers;” — “it is a false and wicked mixture.”;” — “it is a false and wicked mixture.”