Matthew 19:5-6
and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his 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 elevates marriage beyond a legal contract to a profound spiritual and physical union. He highlights that the profound "leaving" and "cleaving" isn't just about setting up a new household, but about forming an entirely new entity—"one flesh"—that takes precedence even over the primal family bonds. This "one flesh" concept implies an inseparable unity, so deep that it's akin to tearing oneself apart if severed.
The Pharisees are testing Jesus by asking about divorce, a topic they've twisted to allow for easy separation. Jesus responds by going back to the very beginning of creation, reminding them of God's original design for marriage as an inseparable union. He quotes Genesis to establish that a husband and wife are meant to be so intimately connected that they become "one flesh," a bond that should supersede even familial ties.
Ever wonder why marriage feels so foundational? Jesus points us back to the very beginning of creation to understand its true purpose and design.
When the Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with questions about divorce, he didn't just argue with them. He took them back to the absolute beginning – to Genesis.
The Order of Creation
Jesus reminds them, and us, that God made male and female. This wasn't just a biological fact; it was the foundation for marriage.
Leaving and Cleaving
He then quotes Genesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
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The Pharisees brought up Moses's law on divorce. But Jesus clarifies: was it God's ideal, or a concession to human weakness?
The conversation gets heated when the Pharisees bring up the Law of Moses, specifically the permission for divorce. Jesus’s response is crucial for understanding God’s heart versus human realities.
God's Ideal vs. Human Reality
Jesus makes a clear distinction:
Why the Concession?
Think of it like a doctor prescribing bed rest for a broken leg. Bed rest isn't the ideal state of being, but it's the necessary remedy for a serious problem. Similarly, divorce was permitted as a less-than-ideal way to manage a fallen world, not as a celebration of marital freedom. It was a way to prevent worse sin by allowing a separation when the "one flesh" bond was already deeply broken by sin.
Understand the original words
proskollēthēsetai · Greek Verb
To stick, cling, or glue together. It denotes a permanent, committed bond of love and loyalty in a covenantal relationship, especially in marriage.
sarka mian · Greek Noun/Adjective phrase
A biblical metaphor for the radical unity of two individuals in marriage, where they cease to be two separate entities and become a single, unified whole before God.
sarx · Greek Noun
Used in Genesis and here to describe the marriage union, it signifies a profound, ontological unity between a man and a woman that transcends mere physical attraction or legal contract, creating a singular entity in God’s sight.
synezeuxen · Greek Verb
Refers to a legal or divine bond or yoking. In this context, it emphasizes that marriage is an institution established and sanctioned by God, rather than a purely human invention.
chorizeto · Greek Verb
To divide, dissolve, or break apart. Jesus uses this word to forbid human interference in the permanent bond that God has established in marriage.
Jesus' response directly addresses the prevalent, relaxed views on divorce in 1st-century Judaism, particularly influenced by the School of Hillel, by pointing back to the original, unbreakable divine intention for marriage established at creation.
c. 4000 BC
Creation of Adam and Eve
God institutes marriage as a union between one man and one woman, establishing the foundational principle that 'a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is the divine ideal for marital union.
c. 1400 BC
The Law of Moses is Given
The Mosaic Law includes regulations for divorce, such as the issuance of a certificate of divorce. This was a concession made 'because of your hardness of heart,' not an endorsement of divorce as God's original will.
c. 20 BC - 10 AD
The Hillel School's Influence
The more liberal school of Hillel interprets the Law of Moses to permit divorce for almost any cause, significantly impacting Jewish understanding and practice of marriage and divorce.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
Jesus' Teaching on Marriage and Divorce
Jesus confronts the Pharisees' legalistic interpretations, reaffirming the creation ordinance for marriage and condemning divorce except for sexual immorality, thereby challenging the prevailing laxity.
This is the foundational passage that Jesus is quoting, explaining the original divine intention for marriage as a complete union where a man and woman leave their parental ties to become a single entity.
Malachi 2:15This verse speaks about God desiring godly offspring, highlighting the purpose of marriage as not just union but also procreation, aligning with the 'one flesh' concept and God's desire for a faithful lineage.
1 Corinthians 7:2Paul references the principle of marriage as a means to avoid sexual immorality, echoing Jesus' emphasis on the marital bond as the proper context for sexual intimacy, as implied by 'one flesh'.
Ephesians 5:31Paul directly quotes Genesis 2:24, applying the 'one flesh' principle to the relationship between Christ and the Church, showing marriage as a profound spiritual mystery reflecting divine love.
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…
henryMatthew 19:3-12: "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?"
19:3-12 The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by as…
Jesus elevates marriage beyond a legal contract to a profound spiritual and physical union. He highlights that the profound "leaving" and "cleaving" isn't just about setting up a new household, but about forming an entirely new entity—"one flesh"—that takes precedence even over the primal family bonds. This "one flesh" concept implies an inseparable unity, so deep that it's akin to tearing oneself apart if severed.
The Pharisees are testing Jesus by asking about divorce, a topic they've twisted to allow for easy separation. Jesus responds by going back to the very beginning of creation, reminding them of God's original design for marriage as an inseparable union. He quotes Genesis to establish that a husband and wife are meant to be so intimately connected that they become "one flesh," a bond that should supersede even familial ties.
The Pharisees are testing Jesus by asking about divorce, a topic they've twisted to allow for easy separation. Jesus responds by going back to the very beginning of creation, reminding them of God's original design for marriage as an inseparable union. He quotes Genesis to establish that a husband and wife are meant to be so intimately connected that they become "one flesh," a bond that should supersede even familial ties.
"and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his 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.”" — Jesus elevates marriage beyond a legal contract to a profound spiritual and physical union. He highlights that the profound "leaving" and "cleaving" isn't just about setting up a new household, but a…
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