9 And G1161 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 Whosoever G3739 G302 shall put away G630 his G846 wife, G1135 except G1508 it be for G1909 fornication, G4202 and G2532 shall marry G1060 another, G243 committeth adultery: G3429 and G2532 whoso marrieth G1060 her which G3588 is put away G630 doth commit adultery. G3429
And G1161 unto the married G1060 I command, G3853 yet not G3756 I, G1473 but G235 the Lord, G2962 Let G5563 not G3361 the wife G1135 depart G5563 from G575 her husband: G435 But G1161 and G2532 if G1437 she depart, G5563 let her remain G3306 unmarried, G22 or G2228 be reconciled G2644 to her husband: G435 and G2532 let G863 not G3361 the husband G435 put away G863 his wife. G1135 But G1161 to the rest G3062 speak G3004 I, G1473 not G3756 the Lord: G2962 If any G1536 brother G80 hath G2192 a wife G1135 that believeth not, G571 and G2532 she G846 be pleased G4909 to dwell G3611 with G3326 him, G846 let him G863 not G3361 put G863 her G846 away. G863 And G2532 the woman G1135 which G3748 hath G2192 an husband G435 that believeth not, G571 and G2532 if he G846 be pleased G4909 to dwell G3611 with G3326 her, G846 let her G863 not G3361 leave G863 him. G846
And Pharaoh H6547 called H7121 Abram, H87 and said, H559 What is this that thou hast done H6213 unto me? why didst thou not tell H5046 me that she was thy wife? H802 Why saidst thou, H559 She is my sister? H269 so I might have taken H3947 her to me to wife: H802 now therefore behold thy wife, H802 take H3947 her, and go thy way. H3212
And G2532 he saith G3004 unto them, G846 Whosoever G3739 G1437 shall put away G630 his G846 wife, G1135 and G2532 marry G1060 another, G243 committeth adultery G3429 against G1909 her. G846 And G2532 if G1437 a woman G1135 shall put away G630 her G846 husband, G435 and G2532 be married G1060 to another, G243 she committeth adultery. G3429
For G1063 the woman G1135 which hath an husband G5220 is bound G1210 by the law G3551 to her husband G435 so long as he liveth; G2198 but G1161 if G1437 the husband G435 be dead, G599 she is loosed G2673 from G575 the law G3551 of her husband. G435 So then G686 G3767 if, G1437 while her husband G435 liveth, G2198 she be married G1096 to another G2087 man, G435 she shall be called G5537 an adulteress: G3428 but G1161 if G1437 her husband G435 be dead, G599 she is G2076 free G1658 from G575 that law; G3551 so that she G846 is G1511 no G3361 adulteress, G3428 though she be married G1096 to another G2087 man. G435
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Matthew 19
Commentary on Matthew 19 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 19
Mt 19:1-12. Final Departure from Galilee—Divorce. ( = Mr 10:1-12; Lu 9:51).
Farewell to Galilee (Mt 19:1, 2).
1. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee—This marks a very solemn period in our Lord's public ministry. So slightly is it touched here, and in the corresponding passage of Mark (Mr 10:1), that few readers probably note it as the Redeemer's Farewell to Galilee, which however it was. See on the sublime statement of Luke (Lu 9:51), which relates to the same transition stage in the progress of our Lord's work.
and came into the coasts—or, boundaries
of Judea beyond Jordan—that is, to the further, or east side of the Jordan, into Perea, the dominions of Herod Antipas. But though one might conclude from our Evangelist that our Lord went straight from the one region to the other, we know from the other Gospels that a considerable time elapsed between the departure from the one and the arrival at the other, during which many of the most important events in our Lord's public life occurred—probably a large part of what is recorded in Lu 9:51, onward to Lu 18:15, and part of Joh 7:2-11:54.
2. And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there—Mark says further (Mr 10:1), that "as He was wont, He taught them there." What we now have on the subject of divorce is some of that teaching.
Divorce (Mt 19:3-12).
3. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?—Two rival schools (as we saw on Mt 5:31) were divided on this question—a delicate one, as De Wette pertinently remarks, in the dominions of Herod Antipas.
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—or better, perhaps, "He that made them made them from the beginning a male and a female."
5. And said, For this cause—to follow out this divine appointment.
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?—Jesus here sends them back to the original constitution of man as one pair, a male and a female; to their marriage, as such, by divine appointment; and to the purpose of God, expressed by the sacred historian, that in all time one man and one woman should by marriage become one flesh—so to continue as long as both are in the flesh. This being God's constitution, let not man break it up by causeless divorces.
7. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8. He saith unto them, Moses—as a civil lawgiver.
because of—or "having respect to."
the hardness of your hearts—looking to your low moral state, and your inability to endure the strictness of the original law.
suffered you to put away your wives—tolerated a relaxation of the strictness of the marriage bond—not as approving of it, but to prevent still greater evils.
But from the beginning it was not so—This is repeated, in order to impress upon His audience the temporary and purely civil character of this Mosaic relaxation.
9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except, &c.—See on Mt 5:32.
10. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry—that is, "In this view of marriage, surely it must prove a snare rather than a blessing, and had better be avoided altogether."
11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given—that is, "That the unmarried state is better, is a saying not for everyone, and indeed only for such as it is divinely intended for." But who are these? they would naturally ask; and this our Lord proceeds to tell them in three particulars.
12. For there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb—persons constitutionally either incapable of or indisposed to marriage.
and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men—persons rendered incapable by others.
and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake—persons who, to do God's work better, deliberately choose this state. Such was Paul (1Co 7:7).
He that is able to receive it, let him receive it—"He who feels this to be his proper vocation, let him embrace it"; which, of course, is as much as to say—"he only." Thus, all are left free in this matter.
Mt 19:13-15. Little Children Brought to Christ. ( = Mr 10:13-16; Lu 18:15-17).
For the exposition, see on Lu 18:15-17.
Mt 19:16-30. The Rich Young Ruler. ( = Mr 10:17-31; Lu 18:18-30).
For the exposition, see on Lu 18:18-30.