Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G110 The Lord Jesus Teaches about Divorce
Matthew 19:1–12; Mark 10:1–12

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All New Testament verses quoted in this article are from the English Majority Text Version, and Old Testament verses are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Matthew 19:1-12

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, that He with from Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

2 And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’

5 and He said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what *God has joined together, let not man separate.”

7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been thus.

9 And I say to you, that whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marrying a divorcee commits adultery.”

10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but it is for those to whom it has been given:

12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

Mark 10:1-12

1 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And again crowds came together to Him, and as He was accustomed, He was teaching them.

2 And some Pharisees approached and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a husband to put away his wife?” testing Him.

3 But answering He said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.”

5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “In view of your hardheartedness he wrote this commandment for you.

6 But from the beginning of the creation, *God ‘made them male and female.’

7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8 ‘and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9 Therefore what *God has united together, let not man separate.”

10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again concerning the same matter.

11 So He said to them, “Whoever should put away his wife and marry another commits adultery against her.

12 And if a wife should put away her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery.”

In this lesson, we will study the words the Lord Jesus spoke concerning divorce. Matthew and Mark both record these teachings, with some differing details that complement each other.

Matthew 19:1-2

1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, that He with from Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

2 And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them there.

Mark 10:1

1 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And again crowds came together to Him, and as He was accustomed, He was teaching them.

The teachings of the Lord Jesus on divorce, as recorded by Matthew and Mark, were spoken around the middle of His journey from Galilee back to Jerusalem. According to historical records, this was around the early spring of the year 27. It is very likely that, at that time, the Lord Jesus and His disciples had arrived at the village of Bethany, east of the Jordan River, near the place where John the Baptist had baptized Him. This Bethany was about 27 kilometers from the village of Bethany near Jerusalem, where the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary was located.

As often happened, large crowds from various places gathered and followed the Lord. As was His custom, the Lord Jesus took the opportunity to teach them and heal their sicknesses.

Matthew 19:3

3 The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

Mark 10:2

2 And some Pharisees approached and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a husband to put away his wife?” testing Him.

Among the large crowds were also Pharisees who followed to examine the teaching of the Lord Jesus. They often allied with the scribes, and at times with the Sadducees, to test the Lord. This time, they tested Him with a question about divorcing one’s wife.

The question was whether it was lawful for a husband to divorce his wife for any reason. Matthew recorded the question in full, while Mark recorded only the main idea. The term “lawful” implied being in accordance with the law in the Old Testament. The law in the Old Testament was also briefly called ″the Law of Moses″ because it was written by Moses from the direct words of the God, as well as from what the God spoke through angels to be delivered to the people of Israel. We can understand that the Ten Commandments were directly spoken by the God and engraved by Him on two stone tablets, while the remaining laws were conveyed by angels to Moses.

Mark 10:3-5

3 But answering He said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away.”

5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “In view of your hardheartedness he wrote this commandment for you.

Matthew did not record the details that Mark recorded above, except that Matthew 19:8 appears to be the Lord Jesus repeating what He had said in Mark 10:5.

Before answering the Pharisees, the Lord Jesus asked them what Moses had commanded them. The answer was that Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce to put away his wife. This is recorded in 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.”

In the sermon ″Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage According to God’s Word,″ we explained the meaning of Deuteronomy 24:1, which we quote below:

[Quote:]

When a man takes a woman and marries her, the two become husband and wife.

The wife not finding favor in her husband’s eyes means the husband no longer delights in her.

The reason the husband no longer delights in his wife is because he has found some shamefulness in her. The noun ″uncleanness″ (H6172) used in this verse literally means nakedness, something disgraceful; figuratively, it refers to the exposure of a bad character trait or a defect that is disgraceful.

If understood literally, it could mean that the wife has a higher sexual desire than her husband, often being nude, seductive, and sexually stimulating toward him, while the husband is unable to respond.

If understood figuratively, it could mean that the wife displays a bad character trait, a defect, or a lack of homemaking ability, such as being lazy in housework, gossiping, being greedy, deceitful, or disobedient to her husband. It also cannot be excluded that the wife may have become sick, weak, old and unattractive, or unable to meet her husband’s sexual needs.

At that time, the husband was permitted to divorce his wife by writing her a certificate of divorce, giving it to her, and sending her out of the house.

Some think that the noun ″uncleanness″ refers to the wife committing adultery or engaging in other forms of sexual immorality. However, the law for the sin of adultery was that both the man and the woman who committed the sin were to be put to death:

″And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.″ (Leviticus 20:10).

The law for committing other forms of sexual immorality also prescribed the death penalty, as listed in Leviticus 20:11–16 and Deuteronomy 22:21–25. The only exception was when two unmarried people committed sexual immorality with each other—they were required to marry, as recorded in Exodus 22:16 and Deuteronomy 22:28–29.

The original Hebrew Scriptures have two words to refer to sexual immorality: “זָנָה” (zānâ – H2181) /zaw-naw’/ and adultery: “נָאַף” (nā’ap̄ – H5003) /na-ép/.

Numbers 25:1 ″And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom (H2181) with the daughters of Moab.″

Leviticus 20:10 ″And the man that committeth adultery (H5003) with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery (H5003) with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer (H5003) and the adulteress (H5003) shall surely be put to death.″

God’s Word is very clear, word by word and sentence by sentence. No one can interpret it according to their own ideas.

Every explanation of the meaning of a word in the Bible must agree with the meaning that word has in other places in the Bible. A word in the Bible can only be understood according to the meaning used by the Bible itself, regardless of how that word is used in the world, and it must be understood according to the context of the verse in its original language. If a certain meaning is never used in the Bible for that word, then we are not allowed to assign that meaning to the word in the Bible.

Among the 54 times the noun “עֶרְוָה” (ʿervâ – H6172) /er-vaw’/ is used in the Bible, not once is it used with the meaning of sexual immorality or adultery. It is only used with meanings such as nakedness, bare, unclean, impure, shameful, or disgraceful [1].

Furthermore, it is impossible for the Lord to command both the death penalty and also allow divorce and remarriage for the same sin.

[End of quote.]

The Lord Jesus explained why Moses wrote the law in Deuteronomy 24:1–4. It was because of the hardness of heart of the men of Israel.

The phrase ″in view of your hardheartedness″ refers to the hearts of husbands lacking love, who do not know how to respect, sympathize with, and have mercy on their wives, which led to the law in Moses’ time including a provision allowing a man to divorce his wife. Because if a man no longer loves his wife but the wife is forced to remain with him, it would be a torment for the wife. The husband would treat his wife cruelly.

The provision allowing divorce in the Old Testament shows the God’s concern for women who were treated unjustly by their husbands. It is also for this reason that divorced wives had the right to remarry.

Matthew 19:4-6

4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’

5 and He said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what *God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Mark 10:6-9

6 But from the beginning of the creation, *God ‘made them male and female.’

7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8 ‘and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9 Therefore what *God has united together, let not man separate.”

Matthew uses the phrase ″He who made,″ which can be translated as ″the Creator,″ and the phrase ″at the beginning.″ Mark uses the title ″*God″ and the phrase ″from the beginning of the creation.″ Although the wording is different, the meaning is exactly the same. We can understand that Matthew recorded more closely the Lord’s exact words because he was a direct witness.

The Lord Jesus reminded us that humanity was created and joined as husband and wife, as recorded in Genesis. He emphasized that the meaning of marriage is that a man and a woman become one flesh and live independently from their parents and that this is the will of the God.

The joining of one man and one woman to become one flesh and become husband and wife is also a union ordained by the God, because it is His will. Whether the couple knows and believes in the Lord or not, their union is still the God’s will for humanity. Therefore, people should not divorce. Only death can end the marriage relationship.

However, if one of the two commits adultery, the other is permitted to divorce. Even so, if the one who commits adultery sincerely repents, the other should forgive and not divorce.

As for God’s people, they may divorce a husband or wife who does not believe in the Lord, according to the teaching in 2 Corinthians 6:14–18. But if the unbelieving husband or wife wants to continue living with them and does not hinder their faith, they may choose not to divorce, according to the teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:12–16.

Matthew 19:7-8

7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been thus.

Perhaps after the Lord Jesus reiterated the God’s will that humanity should not break the marriage relationship, the Pharisees questioned the law recorded by Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1. They understood that the laws recorded by Moses and passed down to the people of Israel came from the God. Therefore, the law of divorce must also come from the God.

The Lord Jesus answered them with a statement similar to His earlier saying recorded by Mark in Mark 10:5. The allowance Moses gave to Israel to divorce was also the God’s permission to prevent wives who were no longer loved by their husbands from suffering unjust treatment.

There are many things the God permits to happen because of the weakness or hardness of human hearts—similar to how He permitted Israel to have kings and likewise permitted many religious organizations bearing the Lord’s name and claiming to be His Church to form and exist.

Matthew 19:9

9 And I say to you, that whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marrying a divorcee commits adultery.”

Mark 10:10-12

10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again concerning the same matter.

11 So He said to them, “Whoever should put away his wife and marry another commits adultery against her.

12 And if a wife should put away her husband and be married to another, she commits adultery.”

Mark records in more detail than Matthew, stating that after entering the house, the disciples asked the Lord further about divorce. The Lord Jesus affirmed that a man can only divorce his wife if she commits sexual immorality.

The New Testament uses two words, πορνεύω (porneuō – G4203) /porn-yoo’-o/ and μοιχάω (moichaō – G3429) /moy-khah’-o/, to refer to the acts of sexual immorality and adultery.

Sexual immorality refers to any sexual act that satisfies sexual desires outside of marriage, including adultery. Adultery is committing sexual immorality when already married, or when a single person commits sexual immorality with someone who is married.

According to the Lord Jesus’ teaching, if anyone divorces his wife only to marry another, not because she committed sexual immorality, then that person commits adultery, because such a divorce is not lawful before the God. Conversely, if a wife divorces her husband only to marry another, she also commits adultery.

Anyone who marries a person who has not committed sexual immorality but has been divorced also commits adultery.

In other words, in cases of divorce solely to marry someone else, that divorce is not lawful before the God. In such cases, the two parties remain husband and wife. Therefore, both the one who divorces and the one who is divorced commit adultery if they marry another person. Their new husbands and wives also commit adultery.

The exceptions are divorcing an unbelieving husband or wife or divorcing a believing husband or wife who has sinned and not repented. In these two cases, God’s people are permitted to divorce according to the spirit of the teaching in 2 Corinthians 6:14–18.

Matthew 19:10-12

10 His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but it is for those to whom it has been given:

12 For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

Until that time, the men of Israel still abused Deuteronomy 24:1 to divorce their wives at will and then marry others. The disciples’ words to the Lord in verse 10 imply that if a husband is only allowed to divorce his wife when she commits sexual immorality and for no other reason, then it would be better for a man not to marry. Perhaps the disciples thought that it was better to remain single than to marry a wife who, though not guilty of sexual immorality, might have many bad traits such as greed, disrespect toward her husband, laziness in managing the household, or gossiping—and yet could not be divorced. Not marrying means living as a single person.

The Lord Jesus’ statement in verse 11 implies that only those who receive the gift from the God can accept what He will say next in verse 12.

The noun “εὐνοῦχος” (eunouchos – G2135) /yoo-noo’-khos/, depending on the context, includes the following meaning:

1. Eunuch, a servant attending the king and his wives.

2. A person with a defect in the reproductive organs, unable to marry or have children.

3. A person who voluntarily lives a single life.

Therefore, the Lord Jesus’ statement in verse 12 means:

1. There are those who are born with a defect in their reproductive organs and, because of this defect, are unable to marry.

2. There are those who have been physically castrated to become eunuchs serving in the palace.

3. There are those who voluntarily live a single life to serve God.

A prime example of someone who voluntarily lived a single life to serve God is the Apostle Paul. According to the Lord Jesus’ teaching, only those who receive the gift from the God can choose to live a single life voluntarily.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
06/14/2025

Notes:

[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6172/kjv/wlc/0-1/

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.