Matthew 19:8

He said to them, “It was because your ancestors stubbornly wanted their own way that Moses allowed them to divorce their wives, and you are no different from them. But when God first [MTY] created a man and a woman, he did not intend for them to separate.

Translation for Translators

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

7The Pharisees then said to him, “If that is true, why did Moses command that a man who wanted to divorce his wife should give her a paper stating his reason for divorcing her, and then send her away?”

9I am telling you emphatically that because God considers that a marriage lasts until either the husband or the wife dies, he considers that any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery, unless his first wife has committed adultery.”

Read all of Matthew 19

Cross References

Genesis 2:24The first woman was taken from the man’s body, so that is why when a man and a woman marry, they must leave their parents. The man will join very closely to his wife, so that the two of them will be as though they are one person.

1 Samuel 25:43David had previously married Ahinoam, a woman from Jezreel town near Carmel. So both Abigail and Ahinoam were now David’s wives.

Jeremiah 6:16This is also what Yahweh said to the Israeli people: “Stand at the crossroads and look at the people who pass by. Ask them what was the good behavior that their ancestors had long ago. And when they tell you, behave that way. If you do that, you will find rest for your souls.” But you replied, ‘We do not want to do that!’

Malachi 2:13This is another thing that you do: You cover Yahweh’s altar with your tears. You wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings; but he is not pleased with them.

Matthew 8:31So the demons begged Jesus, saying, “You are going to cast us out of the men, so send us into the herd of pigs!”

1 Corinthians 7:6I am telling you these things to say that God allows you to get married, but he does not say that you must get married.

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 →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Matthew 19:8