Matthew 19:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”

NIV: Why then,' they asked, 'did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?'

NASB: They *said to Him, 'Why, then, did Moses command to GIVE her a certificate of divorce and send her away?'

CSB: "Why then," they asked him, "did Moses command us to give divorce papers and to send her away? "

NLT: Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?' they asked.

KJV: They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

NKJV: They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

Attempting to trip Jesus up and discredit Him, some Pharisees have asked Him a question about His stance on divorce. Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason? Jesus has responded by quoting Genesis. This shows that marriage was designed at creation by God even before sin entered the world. God made us male and female. When a man and woman marry, God joins them together making them one flesh. What God has joined, men should not separate, Jesus has said (Matthew 19:1–6).

Now the Pharisees push back. They like to cite Scripture, but not all of it. In this case, Jesus is not using the passage they usually talked about concerning divorce. They point out to Jesus that Moses' commands allowed husbands to give their wives a certificate of divorce and send them away.

The divorce text the Pharisees want to talk about is found in Deuteronomy 24:1–4. The law contained in those verses describes a scenario in which a man gives his wife a certificate of divorce because he finds some "indecency" in her, and he sends her out of his house. The point of the command is that a specific man is not allowed to re-marry that specific woman if she marries another man first. That remarriage after an in-between marriage is described as an abomination to the Lord.

So the law does not specifically address under what circumstances divorce is allowed, but it does show that divorce was practiced among the Israelites during Moses' time. The Pharisees want to know how that fits with what Jesus just said about not separating what God has joined.

Matthew 19:1–12 is Jesus' response to a question from Pharisees about divorce. After establishing that marriage was designed to be lifelong by God at creation, Jesus insists that divorce is unlawful except in the case of sexual immorality. The disciples suggest it would be better not to marry, at all, in that case. Jesus says that is not true, and a life of celibacy is only for certain people, such as eunuchs of various kinds.

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.