Matthew 19:3
And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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These Pharisees weren't just asking for clarification; they were "tempting" Jesus, hoping to trap him with a question about divorce that had divided their own religious schools. They posed this to see if he'd align with the more lenient view (allowing divorce for any reason) or the stricter one, either choice risking backlash or accusations of contradicting Moses.
The Pharisees, eager to trap Jesus and discredit him, approach him with a contentious question about divorce. This wasn't just any debate; it was a heated topic dividing Jewish scholars, with one school allowing divorce for almost any reason and another permitting it only for serious marital offenses. By asking if divorce is permissible "for any cause," they hoped to force Jesus into taking a side that would alienate either the common people or a significant rabbinical faction.
The Pharisees weren't just curious; they were trying to catch Jesus in a theological trap. Their question about divorce was designed to force him into a corner.
The religious leaders of Jesus' day were divided on divorce. The School of Hillel allowed divorce for almost any reason, even if a man simply found his wife displeasing. The School of Shammai was stricter, permitting divorce only for serious misconduct like adultery.
This created a perfect setup for the Pharisees. If Jesus sided with Hillel, he’d seem immoral and loose with God’s law. If he sided with Shammai, he’d appear to contradict Moses, who, in Deuteronomy 24, did permit divorce. They were hoping to discredit him no matter his answer, using a deeply debated issue to test his authority and wisdom.
Jesus didn't just pick a side in the Pharisaic debate. He completely reframed the conversation, pointing back to the original, perfect design of marriage.
Instead of directly answering whether divorce was lawful for 'any cause,' Jesus went straight to the creation account in Genesis. He declared that from the beginning, God's intention was for 'a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.'
This union, 'one flesh,' represents a profound, God-ordained oneness. Jesus' point is that this bond is so sacred, so intrinsic, that 'what God has joined together, let not man separate.' He establishes that the ideal, God's perfect will, is lifelong, unbreakable commitment. The permission for divorce, Jesus implies, was a concession made later due to human sinfulness ('the hardness of your hearts'), not God's original, pure design.
Understand the original words
Pharisaioi · Greek Noun
A religious and political party in first-century Judaism known for their strict adherence to the oral and written Law and their opposition to Jesus. They often sought to entrap Jesus with theological questions.
peirazontes · Greek Verb
To put to the test, examine, or tempt, often with the intention of exposing a flaw or entrapping someone in their speech or actions.
exestin · Greek Verb
Permitted or authorized by the Law of God (Torah). In this context, the Pharisees are questioning if a particular practice aligns with the scriptural commands given by God.
apolysai · Greek Verb
The legal dissolution of a marriage. Biblically, it is viewed as a consequence of the hardness of the human heart, contrasting with God's original intent for marriage.
c. 20 BC - AD 50
Rabbinical Schools Debate Divorce
The schools of Hillel and Shammai offer opposing interpretations of the Law regarding divorce. Hillel's school permits divorce for nearly any reason, while Shammai's school restricts it to cases of adultery.
c. AD 28
Jesus Teaches on Divorce in Galilee
Jesus first addresses the issue of divorce, teaching that remarriage after divorce is adultery, except in cases of sexual immorality. This teaching is recorded in Matthew 5:31-32.
c. AD 30
Jesus Addresses Divorce in Perea
Jesus again speaks about divorce, reiterating his stance that unlawful divorce and remarriage constitute adultery. This teaching is found in Luke 16:18.
c. AD 32— this verse
Pharisees Question Jesus on Divorce
Pharisees, aware of Jesus' previous teachings, attempt to trap him by asking if divorce is permissible for 'any cause,' hoping to expose a contradiction with Moses' Law or incite popular anger.
This passage lays the foundation for marriage as a divine creation between one man and one woman, which Jesus directly references to counter the Pharisees' question about divorce.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4This is the Mosaic Law passage the Pharisees likely used to justify divorce, and Jesus explains its allowance due to hardness of heart, not divine approval.
Malachi 2:14-16Malachi condemns divorce and remarriage, highlighting God's hatred for betrayal in marriage, which aligns with Jesus' teaching on the sanctity of the marital bond.
Matthew 5:31-32This earlier teaching from Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount addresses the same issue of divorce, showing his consistent stance on the matter.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11Paul echoes Jesus' teaching, instructing believers not to separate and, if separated, to remain unmarried or be reconciled, reinforcing the permanence of marriage.
vincentMatthew 19:3: "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?"
TemptingSee on Matthew 6:13.For every causeThe temptation turned upon the dispute dividing the two great Rabbinical schools, the one of which (that of Hillel) held that a man might divorce his wife for any reason which rendered her distasteful to him; and the other (that of Shammai) that divorce was allowable only in case of unchastity. The querists w…
calvinMatthew 19:3-9: "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?"
- 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…
These Pharisees weren't just asking for clarification; they were "tempting" Jesus, hoping to trap him with a question about divorce that had divided their own religious schools. They posed this to see if he'd align with the more lenient view (allowing divorce for any reason) or the stricter one, either choice risking backlash or accusations of contradicting Moses.
The Pharisees, eager to trap Jesus and discredit him, approach him with a contentious question about divorce. This wasn't just any debate; it was a heated topic dividing Jewish scholars, with one school allowing divorce for almost any reason and another permitting it only for serious marital offenses. By asking if divorce is permissible "for any cause," they hoped to force Jesus into taking a side that would alienate either the common people or a significant rabbinical faction.
The Pharisees, eager to trap Jesus and discredit him, approach him with a contentious question about divorce. This wasn't just any debate; it was a heated topic dividing Jewish scholars, with one school allowing divorce for almost any reason and another permitting it only for serious marital offenses. By asking if divorce is permissible "for any cause," they hoped to force Jesus into taking a side that would alienate either the common people or a significant rabbinical faction.
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"And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”" — These Pharisees weren't just asking for clarification; they were "tempting" Jesus, hoping to trap him with a question about divorce that had divided their own religious schools. They posed this to se…
