Mark 10:6-9
But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus points back to the very first moment of creation, not just to establish a rule, but to reveal the design behind it. By highlighting that God made them male and female "from the beginning," He emphasizes that this union reflects an original, intended pattern, not just a temporary arrangement. This means marriage isn't just a social contract, but a divine blueprint established at the dawn of time.
Challenged by the Pharisees on the issue of divorce, Jesus redirects their attention from Moses' concession to God's original design for marriage. He begins by referencing creation itself, establishing that from the very start, God intended a union between one man and one woman, which directly contrasts with the ease of divorce the Pharisees were inquiring about. This foundational principle then leads into the deeper explanation of why marriage is meant to be an indissoluble bond.
The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with questions about divorce, appealing to the Law of Moses. But Jesus points them to an even older, more foundational authority.
Jesus doesn't just debate the nuances of Mosaic Law; He goes straight to the heart of God's original design for humanity.
From the Beginning...
When confronted with questions about divorce, Jesus doesn't get bogged down in legal arguments. Instead, he says, 'But from the beginning of creation...' This immediately shifts the focus from human tradition or even the Law of Moses to God's foundational act of creation. It’s a reminder that God’s intentions are eternally established, not subject to the changing opinions or ‘hardness of hearts’ of people.
The Divine Decree
'God made them male and female.' This wasn't an accidental arrangement or a later development. It was God's deliberate act in creation, establishing a fundamental principle for human relationship. Jesus uses this truth to underscore that marriage, in its purest form, is a divine institution, not merely a societal construct or a legal contract that can be easily broken.
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Jesus links the creation of male and female to the profound concept of 'one flesh.' What does this union mean, and why is it so significant?
Jesus doesn't just state that God made male and female; he connects this act to the core of what marriage is meant to be: an inseparable union.
Two Become One
Jesus’ argument, rooted in Genesis, is that the creation of one man and one woman was intended to result in a singular, unified entity – 'one flesh.' This wasn't just a physical joining, but a deep spiritual and relational bond that reflects God's own unity.
An Indissoluble Bond
This concept of 'one flesh' is the foundation for Jesus' subsequent teaching: 'What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.' It asserts that marriage is a sacred bond established by God, making it uniquely resistant to human dissolution. The very act of creation established a pattern and a principle that transcends mere human agreement or disagreement.
Understand the original words
ktiseōs · Greek Noun
A reference to the inception of the universe by divine act, indicating the original divine intent and order for humanity before the fall.
arsen kai thēly · Greek Adjective/Noun phrase
The fundamental biological and functional distinction established by the Creator, emphasizing God's intentional design in human gender.
kataleipsei · Greek Verb
A verb denoting a permanent, covenantal breaking of the previous primary household allegiance to form a new, independent domestic unit.
proskollēthēsetai · Greek Verb
A term implying a firm, binding attachment or 'glueing' together, often used to describe loyalty, fidelity, and the intimacy of the marriage bond.
sarka mian · Greek Noun phrase
A theological concept of profound union involving physical, emotional, and spiritual oneness, signifying the total merging of two lives into a single covenantal reality.
synezeuxen · Greek Verb
The divine act of binding two people together in marriage, underscoring that the covenant is fundamentally initiated and sanctified by God rather than human contract.
chōrizetō · Greek Verb
The act of dissolving a marriage bond; biblically condemned in this context as an intrusion into what God has sovereignly unified.
Jesus points back to the very beginning of creation, before the Law of Moses, to establish marriage as a lifelong, indissoluble union between one man and one woman, directly challenging the prevailing lax interpretations of divorce prevalent in his day.
c. 1400 BC
Exodus and Law Given
Moses receives the Law from God on Mount Sinai, including regulations concerning marriage and divorce.
c. 900 BC
Malachi on Marriage
The prophet Malachi condemns divorce, emphasizing God's hatred for it and the sacredness of the marriage covenant.
c. 1st Century AD— this verse
Pharisaic Divorce Debates
During Jesus' time, the Pharisees debated the permissibility of divorce, with differing interpretations of Moses' law.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Teaching on Divorce
Jesus confronts the Pharisees' questions about divorce, grounding His teaching in God's original design for marriage at creation.
This is the foundational creation account that Jesus is referencing, establishing the divine design for humanity as male and female from the very beginning.
Genesis 2:24This passage describes the union of the first man and woman, emphasizing that they 'shall become one flesh,' which Jesus uses to underscore the intended permanence of marriage.
Matthew 19:4-5This is the parallel account in Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus also quotes from Genesis to establish His argument about marriage, showing consistency in His teaching on this matter.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11The Apostle Paul directly addresses marital issues, echoing Jesus' teaching by stating that a wife should not separate from her husband, and if she does, she must remain unmarried, reflecting the indissolubility Jesus emphasized.
Malachi 2:15-16This Old Testament prophet condemns divorce, lamenting that a man would break faith with the wife of his youth and that 'the Lord, the God of Israel, detests him who covers his wife with violence,' aligning with Jesus' heart for faithfulness in marriage.
calvinMark 10:2-12: "And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him."
- And the Pharisees came to him, tempting him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever? 4. Who answering said to them, Have you not read, that he who made them at first, [593] made them male and female? 5. And he said, Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall be one flesh. 6. The…
wesleyMark 10:6: "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female."
10:6 From the beginning of the creation - Therefore Moses in the first of Genesis gives us an account of things from the beginning of the creation. Does it not clearly follow, that there was no creation previous to that which Moses describes? God made them male and female - Therefore Adam did not at first contain both sexes in himself: but God made Adam, when first created, male only; and Eve female only. And thi…
Jesus points back to the very first moment of creation, not just to establish a rule, but to reveal the design behind it. By highlighting that God made them male and female "from the beginning," He emphasizes that this union reflects an original, intended pattern, not just a temporary arrangement. This means marriage isn't just a social contract, but a divine blueprint established at the dawn of time.
Challenged by the Pharisees on the issue of divorce, Jesus redirects their attention from Moses' concession to God's original design for marriage. He begins by referencing creation itself, establishing that from the very start, God intended a union between one man and one woman, which directly contrasts with the ease of divorce the Pharisees were inquiring about. This foundational principle then leads into the deeper explanation of why marriage is meant to be an indissoluble bond.
Challenged by the Pharisees on the issue of divorce, Jesus redirects their attention from Moses' concession to God's original design for marriage. He begins by referencing creation itself, establishing that from the very start, God intended a union between one man and one woman, which directly contrasts with the ease of divorce the Pharisees were inquiring about. This foundational principle then leads into the deeper explanation of why marriage is meant to be an indissoluble bond.
"But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore…" — Jesus points back to the very first moment of creation, not just to establish a rule, but to reveal the design behind it. By highlighting that God made them male and female "from the beginning," He…
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