“be joined to.” The Greek word translated as “be joined to” is the verb kollaō (#285 κολλάω), which literally means “to be glued to,” related to the noun kolla, “glue.” This verse is closely related to Mark 10:7 and Ephesians 5:31 (see commentary on Eph. 5:31).

Scholars have been able to determine that the original Greek text read kollaō here in Matthew 19:5, but there are later Greek manuscripts that read proskollaō as Mark and Ephesians do. However, changing a word in one verse—in this case, Matthew 19:5—to match a word in another verse—Mark 10:7 and Ephesians 5:31—was a common scribal tendency known as “harmonization,” and that is no doubt what happened to the Greek text of Matthew 19:5 in some later manuscripts.