Matthew 19:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."

NIV: I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."

NASB: And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery .'

CSB: I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery."

NLT: And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery — unless his wife has been unfaithful. '

KJV: And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

NKJV: And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

Some Pharisees have asked Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason. Jesus' first response was that God designed marriage between a man and a woman to be lifelong. It makes two people into one flesh, and God's will is that they remained joined. When pushed by the Pharisees, though, that Moses allowed for divorce, Jesus agreed this was true—not because divorce was God's will, but to limit the damage it could do. This allowance was due to the hardened hearts of the people (Matthew 19:1–8).

Now Jesus gives a direct answer to the Pharisees' question. In Deuteronomy 24:1, a man is pictured as giving his wife a certificate of divorce because he finds some "indecency" in her. One group of Pharisees believed "indecency" to mean some kind of sexual sin. Others believed it to mean anything the husband might not like about his wife. The Pharisees want to know which side Jesus takes.

Though He is speaking directly to the question of men divorcing their wives, these guidelines would apply to the question of a woman seeking divorce, as well. Jesus puts His answer in very specific terms. Any man who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery. In short, Jesus declares divorce sinful except in the case of sexual immorality.

The Greek word for sexual immorality, porneia, does not refer to adultery specifically, but to any kind of sexual sin. If a wife is guilty of sexual sin, that will amount to unfaithfulness and the husband is permitted to divorce her under the law and marry another woman. Any man who divorces his wife apart from this one exception, however, will be guilty of adultery as soon as he marries or has intercourse with another woman. This is because his prior marriage will not have been legally ended.

This verse raises many more questions, and much has been written about it by scholars. The bottom line is this: God's heart is that divorce should never happen, but human hearts are hard and sinful. If a woman commits a sexual sin, Jesus allowed that the law permitted her husband to divorce her. A man is not permitted to divorce his wife under any other circumstance.

This does not, of course, resolve all the issues concerning divorce for believers. What about situations where the husband is the one who is unfaithful? What if there is physical or emotional abuse? What if one of the spouses is not a believer? What if the divorce and remarriage has already happened?

Some of those questions are answered in other parts of the New Testament. Others are not, and Christians sometimes differ on the best ways to apply them.

Pharisees ask Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause. Jesus reminds them marriage was designed by God at creation. Divorce, then, is lawful only in the case of sexual immorality. A rich young man asks Jesus what good thing he must do to have eternal life. Jesus insists only God is good. He challenges the man's sincerity by asking him to give all his wealth to the poor and follow Him. The man's refusal demonstrates how easy it is to prefer wealth to dependence on God. In response to the disciples' question, Jesus says salvation is impossible with men but not with God.

Matthew 19 follows Jesus' teachings about temptation and forgiveness in chapter 18. This passage begins with Jesus leaving behind Galilee and heading toward Jerusalem the long way around. Jesus tells the Pharisees that divorce is legal only in cases of sexual immorality. Jesus blesses little children and then answers a rich young man who asks how to have eternal life. The man leaves sad after Jesus challenges him to give his money to the poor and follow Him. Jesus says salvation is impossible with men, but not with God. Chapter 20 contains additional parables and examples, and is the last before Jesus arrives in Jerusalem in the days just prior to His crucifixion.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.