Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?
| Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.[1] | Matt 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?[1] |
| Mark 10:3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away [2]. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female [3]. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh [4]: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. | Matt 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female [3], 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh [4]? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away [2]? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. |
| Mark 10:10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife [5] , and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. | Matt 19:9 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. |
Matt 19:10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. 11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. 12 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.
[1] See also Matthew 5:31-32.
[2]Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.
[3]Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
[4]Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
[5]Mark's view of divorce agrees with that expressed in Luke 16:18.
