Matthew 19:3-9
19:3 a There were two divergent views on when one was allowed to divorce one’s wife. One group of Pharisees, following Rabbi Shammai, argued that divorce was allowed only in the case of adultery or other grave sin, while the other group, following Rabbi Hillel, contended that a man could divorce his wife for any reason, such as if she burned his dinner.Summary for Matt 19:4-5: 19:4-5 b The Pharisees were not considering all of God’s word. The Creator had made marriage as a permanent union (see Gen 2:18-25 c; see also 1 Cor 7:10-16 d).
19:6 e Since God made marriage a union, humans do not have the right to break that union. Jesus affirmed the indissolubility of marriage.
Summary for Matt 19:7-8: 19:7-8 f why did Moses say (literally command): The Pharisees thought Jesus had contradicted a command of the law (see Deut 24:1-4 g), but Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to their hard hearts. Jesus introduced the revolutionary principle that God’s permission is not necessarily his desire (see 1 Cor 6:12 h). Divorce is never God’s desire (Mal 2:14-16 i); it is an expression of human sin.
19:9 j Jesus permits only one legitimate reason for a man to divorce: if his wife has been unfaithful (see 5:32 k). In the face of those who thought divorce could be taken lightly, Jesus affirms God’s created order: Marriage was designed to be permanent (see Mark 10:11-12 l).
• commits adultery: This speaks only of the man who divorces his wife unlawfully. In such a case, his remarriage is adulterous. Jesus’ motivation is to reestablish the permanency of marriage.
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