Mark 10:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”

NIV: They said, 'Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.'

NASB: They said, 'Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away.'

CSB: They said, "Moses permitted us to write divorce papers and send her away."

NLT: Well, he permitted it,' they replied. 'He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.'

KJV: And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

NKJV: They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

The Pharisees are using weasel-words: terms that can be easily bent to give a preferred conclusion. The Mosaic law which God gave the Israelites allowed a man to divorce his wife, but commanded that if he do so, he must give her a certificate (Deuteronomy 24:1–4). Without the certificate, or "get," the woman would be banished but still legally married and unable to reclaim her dowry. Even today, devout Jewish women cannot be declared officially divorced without a get or widowed without two witnesses who saw her husband die. This has led some soldiers to give their wives a provisional get when they leave for combat duties.

The passages the Pharisees are referring to don't encourage divorce. They talk about what justifies divorce, what constitutes divorce, and if a divorced couple can remarry each other. Divorce was allowed if the woman was found to be "indecent." "Indecent" is from the Hebrew root word 'ervah and means something shameful that has been exposed. In practice and intent, it means adultery. Divorce was final if the man gave the woman a get and sent her out from the household. They could remarry each other, but not if either one of them had married someone else in the meantime.

That law sounds harsh to modern ears, but it was designed to protect women in a time and place that did little to legally honor them. There was no avenue for a woman to divorce her husband, even for abuse, but—just like slavery in the Roman Empire of the New Testament—civic laws were not going to change the hearts of a culture. God's law prohibited men from sending away a wife, without her children or dowry, for spurious reasons like burning dinner. God made it clear that marriage is for life, and a woman is to be protected. Jewish men had the same hardened opinion of these restrictions as the disciples (Matthew 19:10) and altered the law. God made male and female (Mark 10:6), but He did not make the female to be disposable.

Mark 10:1–12 carries profound implications for marriage and sexuality. In Jesus' time, a man could divorce his wife for the slightest offense. Jesus' asserts people have corrupted God's definition for marriage: that one man and one woman become unified by a covenant made before God. Jesus then says that if a man can't handle that kind of lifelong commitment, he shouldn't get married (Matthew 19:10–12). As usual, God's law protects the powerless: in this case, women. Today, Jesus' words do the same, rebuking those who choose to harden their hearts against their spouse for selfish reasons. An expanded version of this account is in Matthew 19:1–12, and Luke 16:18 contains a portion of it, as well.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.