Matthew 5:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

NIV: But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

NASB: but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

CSB: But I tell you, everyone who divorces his wife, except in a case of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

NLT: But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

KJV: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

NKJV: But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

In the previous verse, Jesus described the standard teaching on divorce from the Jewish religious leaders. They allowed a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce for little or no reason, according to their interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1–4. This "interpretation," as it turns out, left out not only much of the original wording but almost all the original purpose.

Jesus once again demonstrates God's true and original intent. In this case, God means for marriages to be for life. Rather than agreeing that marriages can or should be dissolved for petty reasons, Christ describes divorces motivated by something less than sexual immorality to be invalid. That's not to say this is the one and only reason of any kind that might justify a divorce. The primary point is that a man may not legitimately divorce his wife unless she violates the marriage through adultery or some other sexual immorality.

Because the divorce is invalid, the man is guilty of causing his wife to commit adultery when she remarries another man. In the same way, a man who marries a woman whose divorce was not for a valid reason also becomes guilty of adultery. From Jesus' view, false divorces—no matter how legal the religious leaders say they are—lead to more and more adultery. He was shockingly clear about the penalty for adultery and lust (Matthew 5:27–30).

Jesus' teaching here is not simply a reflection of some obscure, fussy rule. It's because God instituted marriage, and deeply values it for its own sake. Marriage is not only the fundamental relationship of every culture; it is meant to be a representation of Christ and the church (Genesis 2:24–25; Ephesians 5:25–33).

Matthew 5:31–32 contains Jesus' comments about divorce, delivered during the Sermon on the Mount. As with His prior statements about lust and adultery, Jesus raises the standards of righteousness above mere legalism. While God may have ''allowed'' divorce, that does not mean He ''approves'' of it. Rather than seeing divorce as a loophole, Jesus indicates that we ought to see marriages as sacred unions.

The Sermon on the Mount contains some of Jesus' most challenging teaching. It begins with the unlikely blessings of the Beatitudes. Jesus' disciples must do good works in order to be a powerful influence: as the salt of the earth and light of the world. The superficial righteousness of the Pharisees is not good enough to earn heaven. Sins of the heart, such as angry insults and intentional lust, are worthy of hell just as much as adultery and murder. Easy divorce and deceptive oaths are forbidden. Believers should not seek revenge. Instead, God intends us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. In short, we should strive to be perfect, as God is perfect.

Matthew 5 follows Matthew's description of the enormous crowds that were following Jesus (Matthew 4:25). One day, Jesus sits down on a hill to teach them, in an address we now call the Sermon on the Mount. He describes as blessed those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, and who are persecuted. Christ also explains how God's standards of righteousness go far beyond behaviors and speech; they also include our thoughts and attitudes. Meeting God's standards means perfection. Chapter 6 continues this sermon, with more examples of Jesus clarifying God's intent for godly living.

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.