Matthew 19:8

“Moses, owing to the hardness of your hearts,” answered Jesus, “permitted you to divorce your wives, but that was not so at the beginning.

Open English Bible (US)

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

7“Why, then,” they said, “did Moses direct that a man should serve his wife with a notice of separation and divorce her?”

9But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of some serious sexual sin, and marries another woman, is guilty of adultery.”

Read all of Matthew 19

Cross References

Genesis 2:24For this reason a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and the two become one flesh.

Malachi 2:13And you also do this: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, because he doesn’t accept the offering any more, doesn’t accept it from your hand.

Matthew 8:31and the foul spirits began begging Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

1 Corinthians 7:6I say this, however, as a concession, not as a command.

Matthew Henry on Matthew 19:4-13

The Law of Divorce. 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? 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, 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? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put… Read the whole commentary →

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