The Complete Sayings of Jesus

Divorce Denounced: Jesus Answers Pharisees.

A.D. 30. Age 33 Perea.

Mark 10, 1-12: Matthew 19, 1-12.

INTO the coasts of Judea by the farther side of Jordan, multitudes followed Jesus: and the people resort unto him; and, as he was wont, he taught them.

The Pharisees also came, and tempting him asked Jesus, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?¹ He answered, What did Moses command you? They said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. Jesus answered, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you his precept. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife. Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? So then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement and to put her away? He saith, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. In the house his disciples asked Jesus again of the same matter. He saith, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. The disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But Jesus answered, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.

Footnotes:

¹The account of this episode in Mark 10 gains interest by comparison with that in Matthew 19. See also Matthew 5, 31-32; and Luke 16, 18.