Matthew 19:9
And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus is shifting the conversation from the Pharisees' "any cause" mentality to God's original design, emphasizing that "except for sexual immorality" isn't just a loophole, but a recognition of a fundamental break in the sacred union. This exception highlights that the marriage bond, when violated by unfaithfulness, is already fundamentally fractured.
The Pharisees are testing Jesus by asking about the permissibility of divorce under Jewish law. Jesus responds by first pointing to God's original design for marriage at creation, emphasizing its intended lifelong and unified nature. He then addresses the Pharisees' question about Moses' law, explaining that divorce was permitted due to human hardness of heart, not because it was God's ideal.
The Pharisees tried to trap Jesus with a question about divorce, but Jesus turned it back to the very beginning of creation. What does God's initial design for marriage tell us about His expectations today?
Jesus wasn't just giving a new rule; He was calling people back to God's original, perfect plan for marriage.
The Creation Mandate
When challenged by the Pharisees, Jesus didn't start with Moses' law, but with Genesis. He reminded them that God made male and female, and declared, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh' (Genesis 2:24). This wasn't just a description; it was God's foundational design for humanity.
The 'One Flesh' Union
This 'one flesh' concept signifies an unbreakable bond, a deep spiritual, emotional, and physical unity. Jesus emphasizes that this union is so profound that 'what God has joined together, let not man separate.' This points to marriage as a sacred covenant established by God, not merely a human contract.
Hardness of Heart
Jesus then addresses the Mosaic Law. He explains that Moses' permission for divorce wasn't God's ideal, but a concession made 'because of your hardness of heart.' The allowance for divorce under the Law was a way to manage sin and prevent worse outcomes in a fallen world, not an endorsement of it.
Jesus allows for one specific exception to the rule against divorce. But even with this allowance, the consequences of divorce and remarriage are severe.
Jesus provides a crucial, yet narrow, exception, highlighting the seriousness of the marriage covenant.
The Sole Exception: Sexual Immorality
Jesus states, 'except for sexual immorality' (or 'fornication'). This refers to a fundamental violation of the marital covenant that breaks the 'one flesh' union at its core. The Greek word used here (porneia) can encompass various forms of sexual sin, but in the context of marriage, it points to a breach of sexual fidelity within the marriage bond.
Understand the original words
porneia · Greek Noun
General term for sexual activity outside the bonds of marriage. It refers to any illicit sexual behavior, including adultery, fornication, or incest, which violates the covenantal sanctity of marriage.
moichatai · Greek Verb
The act of sexual relations with someone other than one's spouse. Biblically, it is a severe moral failure that breaks the covenantal faithfulness and exclusivity required in marriage.
Jesus' teaching in Matthew 19:9 directly addresses a contentious issue in his day. The differing interpretations of the Mosaic Law by Jewish schools like Hillel and Shammai created a lax environment for divorce. Jesus, by appealing to the original creation ordinance, restores a stricter, God-honoring standard for marriage, limiting permissible divorce to the gravest sexual sin.
c. 1445 BC
Law of Moses Promulgated
The Pentateuch, including the laws on divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), is given to Israel through Moses. This law allowed a man to divorce his wife by giving her a certificate of divorce, though the specific grounds were debated among Jewish leaders.
c. 450 BC
Malachi Condemns Divorce
The prophet Malachi speaks against the Israelites' unfaithfulness to their wives, linking it to betrayal of God. He emphasizes God's hatred for divorce, stating 'the Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates putting away.'
1st Century BC - 1st Century AD
Debate on Divorce Grounds
Jewish society held differing views on divorce. The more liberal Shammai school permitted divorce for almost any cause, while the stricter Hillel school allowed it only for severe misconduct.
c. AD 28— this verse
Jesus Confronts Pharisees on Divorce
Jesus himself quotes this foundational verse to establish God's original design for marriage as a lifelong union between one man and one woman, highlighting that their becoming 'one flesh' implies an unbreakable bond.
Malachi 2:14-16This passage condemns divorce, speaking of God hating it and warning against faithlessness in marriage, which strongly echoes Jesus's emphasis on the sanctity of the marriage covenant and the seriousness of its dissolution.
1 Corinthians 7:10-11Paul, under the inspiration of the Spirit, echoes Jesus's teaching, stating that a wife should not separate from her husband, and if she does, she must remain unmarried, reinforcing the idea that divorce does not break the marital bond except in specific, sin-related circumstances.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4This Old Testament passage outlines the 'letter of divorcement' that the Pharisees use to question Jesus; Jesus's response clarifies that Moses permitted this due to the 'hardness of their hearts,' not as God's ideal, thus setting his teaching as a return to God's original, stricter standard.
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 is shifting the conversation from the Pharisees' "any cause" mentality to God's original design, emphasizing that "except for sexual immorality" isn't just a loophole, but a recognition of a fundamental break in the sacred union. This exception highlights that the marriage bond, when violated by unfaithfulness, is already fundamentally fractured.
The Pharisees are testing Jesus by asking about the permissibility of divorce under Jewish law. Jesus responds by first pointing to God's original design for marriage at creation, emphasizing its intended lifelong and unified nature. He then addresses the Pharisees' question about Moses' law, explaining that divorce was permitted due to human hardness of heart, not because it was God's ideal.
The Pharisees are testing Jesus by asking about the permissibility of divorce under Jewish law. Jesus responds by first pointing to God's original design for marriage at creation, emphasizing its intended lifelong and unified nature. He then addresses the Pharisees' question about Moses' law, explaining that divorce was permitted due to human hardness of heart, not because it was God's ideal.
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Adultery as the Consequence
The gravity of unlawful divorce is underscored by Jesus' pronouncement: 'whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.' This isn't just a civil matter; it's a spiritual and moral one. Remarrying after an unlawful divorce means entering into a union that God declares adulterous.
Mutual Responsibility
The verse also implies that the prohibition and consequences apply mutually. While Matthew focuses on the husband's actions, the underlying principle of the covenant means that both partners are bound, and the sin of adultery affects both the one who divorces improperly and the one who remarries.
Pharisees, testing Jesus, ask if it is lawful to divorce a wife for any cause. Jesus responds by appealing to the creation ordinance and stating that Moses permitted divorce only due to the people's hardness of heart.
c. AD 30
Jesus Teaches Divorce Exception
Jesus clarifies his teaching on divorce, stating that remarriage after divorce, except for sexual immorality, constitutes adultery. This sets a higher standard than the prevailing interpretations of the Law.
"And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”" — Jesus is shifting the conversation from the Pharisees' "any cause" mentality to God's original design, emphasizing that "except for sexual immorality" isn't just a loophole, but a recognition of a fu…
