Mark 10:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

NIV: It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,' Jesus replied.

NASB: But Jesus said to them, 'Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.

CSB: But Jesus told them, "He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.

NLT: But Jesus responded, 'He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts.

KJV: And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

NKJV: And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

A "hardened heart" is an attitude that is stubbornly self-centered. The Old Testament uses the term "stiff-necked," describing someone who refuses to look around. Hardheartedness is always directed at God and His will. The sin of the men who treat their wives unfairly started with the sin of not valuing God's Word and His plan for humanity (Mark 10:7–9).

Many of the laws in the Old Testament are designed to mitigate the hardship sin caused others. Men in the Old Testament era had cultural authority which, if they chose to abuse it, could devastate women. Malachi 2:16 is often translated "'For I hate divorce,' says the LORD." An extremely literal translation is "I hate [when men] send away [their wives]." But Jewish scribes twisted the meaning and translated it, "if you hate her, divorce her."

Malachi, the last of God's prophets, records God's condemnation of the Israelites for dishonoring their wives (Malachi 2:13–16). God intended the wife to be a companion, a covenant-holder, a partner in raising godly offspring. To be married is to have "a portion of the Spirit in their union" (Malachi 2:15). Instead, we see an attitude like that of the disciples who, when faced with the charge to either remain faithful or divorce and remain celibate, complain it would be "better not to marry" (Matthew 19:10). It is a hard heart that would choose not to marry specifically because they aren't given a built-in escape plan. That's very different from those who choose nobler reasons to remain single (1 Corinthians 7:36–37).

In Matthew's account, Jesus is more specific. He says, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so" (Matthew 19:8). He then goes on to say that if a man divorces his wife for anything short of adultery and marries another, he commits adultery. So, God allowed divorce if the wife committed adultery, but it was not mandatory: it was permitted, not required We see this when Mary became pregnant and Joseph, thinking she had slept with another, "being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly" (Matthew 1:19).

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.