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)
The Pharisees were "tempting" Jesus, not just to test his knowledge, but to trap him by asking about a deeply divided issue in their religious schools. They hoped to force Jesus into taking a side that would alienate either the common people or the religious authorities.
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)
These Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus by asking a divisive question about divorce, which was hotly debated among Jewish rabbis. They're hoping his answer will either contradict the Law of Moses or alienate one of the prominent rabbinical schools. Jesus, however, doesn't directly answer their trap but instead appeals to the original creation account to address the heart of the matter.
The Pharisees thought they had Jesus cornered. Their question wasn't just about marriage; it was a political and religious tightrope walk.
The Pharisees approached Jesus with a loaded question: 'Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?' They weren't seeking genuine understanding. Instead, they were 'tempting' him – trying to catch him in a contradiction.
At the time, Jewish society was divided. Some rabbis, like those in Hillel's school, believed divorce was permissible for almost any reason, even if a man simply found his wife distasteful. Others, following Shammai, held a stricter view, allowing divorce only for severe sexual misconduct.
The Pharisees knew Jesus had previously spoken about divorce. If he sided with Hillel, he’d appear immoral and contradict his own teachings. If he sided with Shammai, he’d seemingly oppose the widely accepted practice sanctioned by Moses, potentially angering the populace. They hoped to discredit him no matter his answer.
Jesus didn't just answer the question; he rewrote the rulebook by pointing back to the very beginning.
Instead of getting caught in the debate between Hillel and Shammai, Jesus took them back to the foundational moment of creation.
Ask a follow-up
Jesus uses this creation account to establish marriage as a sacred, God-ordained institution, setting a standard far higher than the prevailing rabbinical disputes.
Why did Moses 'permit' divorce if it wasn't God's best? Jesus clarifies a crucial distinction.
The Pharisees pushed back, asking why Moses commanded a certificate of divorce if God intended marriage to be unbreakable.
Jesus' answer reveals a vital distinction between what God permits and what he intends:
Jesus shows that concessions made due to sin don't negate God's perfect design. They are merely accommodations in a broken world, not the blueprint for how things ought to be.
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.
This exchange reveals a heated debate within Judaism at the time, with Jesus firmly upholding a stricter, creation-based view of marriage against the more permissive interpretations of the day, particularly those of the School of Hillel.
c. 20 BC - AD 20
Rise of the Schools of Hillel and Shammai
These two influential rabbinical schools emerged, offering differing interpretations of Jewish Law, including significant disagreements on the grounds for divorce.
c. AD 10-30
Jesus' Public Ministry and Teaching
During this period, Jesus taught extensively throughout Galilee and Judea, addressing various religious and social issues, including marriage and divorce.
c. AD 28
Jesus Declares Stance on Divorce
Jesus addresses the issue of divorce, likely in Galilee, emphasizing the sanctity of marriage as established at creation and stating that divorce (except for sexual immorality) leads to adultery.
c. AD 29
Jesus Again Addresses Divorce
In Perea, Jesus reiterates his teaching on marriage and divorce, further clarifying his position and challenging the prevailing lenient interpretations.
c. AD 30— this verse
Pharisees Challenge Jesus on Divorce
Pharisees, seeking to trap Jesus, ask him if it is lawful to divorce one's wife for any and every cause, a question deeply dividing rabbinical opinion.
This passage lays the foundation for Jesus' argument by describing God's original design for marriage as a union between one man and one woman, setting the ideal against which divorce is measured.
Genesis 2:24Jesus directly quotes this verse to establish the profound unity of marriage, illustrating that a man and woman become 'one flesh,' a bond that should not be broken by human decree.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4This Old Testament passage is the one the Pharisees likely referenced to permit divorce. Jesus explains that Moses permitted it due to the people's 'hardness of heart,' not because it was God's original, perfect will.
Malachi 2:14-16This prophetic passage speaks against divorce, highlighting that God hates betrayal and the breaking of covenant, reinforcing Jesus' message about the sanctity and permanence of marriage.
Matthew 5:31-32This is Jesus' earlier teaching on divorce, showing consistency in His message that divorcing a wife for any reason other than sexual immorality makes one guilty of adultery.
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…
The Pharisees were "tempting" Jesus, not just to test his knowledge, but to trap him by asking about a deeply divided issue in their religious schools. They hoped to force Jesus into taking a side that would alienate either the common people or the religious authorities.
These Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus by asking a divisive question about divorce, which was hotly debated among Jewish rabbis. They're hoping his answer will either contradict the Law of Moses or alienate one of the prominent rabbinical schools. Jesus, however, doesn't directly answer their trap but instead appeals to the original creation account to address the heart of the matter.
These Pharisees are trying to trap Jesus by asking a divisive question about divorce, which was hotly debated among Jewish rabbis. They're hoping his answer will either contradict the Law of Moses or alienate one of the prominent rabbinical schools. Jesus, however, doesn't directly answer their trap but instead appeals to the original creation account to address the heart of the matter.
"And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”" — The Pharisees were "tempting" Jesus, not just to test his knowledge, but to trap him by asking about a deeply divided issue in their religious schools. They hoped to force Jesus into taking a side th…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026