A man leaves his own father, who brought him up, and his own country, and cleaves to his wife: Compare Gen 2.24. For the verb brought … up, see verse 16. Cleaves to (“clings to” in New Revised Standard Version) may be rendered “joins to,” “stays close to,” or “attaches to.” The Greek word translated wife also means simply “woman,” and is the same word used throughout this subsection. Since his wife is literally “his own woman” in the Greek text, it is a legitimate translation. Contemporary English Version provides the following helpful model for this verse:

• A man will abandon the father who raised him and even leave his own country, just to be with his wife.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.