Luke 16 18

Luke 16:18 kjv

Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

Luke 16:18 nkjv

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Luke 16:18 niv

"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Luke 16:18 esv

"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Luke 16:18 nlt

"For example, a man who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery. And anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery."

Luke 16 verses

Luke 16 18 Meaning

Luke 16:18 declares Jesus' absolute teaching on the indissolubility of marriage: any man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. Furthermore, anyone who marries a woman divorced from her husband also commits adultery. This statement establishes that divorce and remarriage, outside of specific, divinely-sanctioned reasons, breaks the sacred bond of marriage, leading to a state of adultery in the sight of God.

Luke 16 18 Context

Luke 16:18 does not appear in isolation but is situated within a broader discourse by Jesus concerning the Law, riches, and faithfulness. Chapter 16 begins with the parable of the dishonest manager, emphasizing wise stewardship of earthly wealth in light of eternal destinies (Lk 16:1-13). Following this, Jesus challenges the Pharisees, who "loved money" and scoffed at His teachings (Lk 16:14). In response, Jesus highlights their self-justification, declaring that what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination before God (Lk 16:15).

Then comes the pivot to the Law: "The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void" (Lk 16:16-17). Directly after affirming the eternal validity of God's Law, Jesus provides a specific and striking application of that enduring Law: His teaching on divorce and remarriage in Luke 16:18. This positioning implies that while rabbinic interpretations had diluted the divorce laws (Dt 24:1), Jesus was re-establishing the original, more stringent divine intent, upholding the sacred nature of marriage as intended from creation, contrary to contemporary liberal practices among some Jewish factions. It is a direct polemic against the relaxed divorce customs of His day that allowed men to divorce for virtually any reason.

Luke 16 18 Word analysis

• Pas (πᾶς): Greek for "everyone" or "whoever."
  • Significance: Emphasizes the universal and unqualified nature of the declaration. This is not limited to a specific group but applies to all. It underscores the absolute demand of the teaching.
• Ho apolysas (ὁ ἀπολύσας): Greek, literally "the one having loosed away," hence "the one who divorces."
  • Significance: This active participle points to the action of the man who initiates the divorce. The focus is on his deliberate act. In the Greco-Roman world and among some Jewish schools, a man could easily "send away" his wife. Jesus addresses this common practice.
• Tēn gynaika autou (τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ): Greek for "his wife."
  • Significance: Confirms the specific relationship being discussed: a covenantal bond of marriage, not just any female companion. The term "gynaik" can mean woman or wife, here context confirms wife.
• Kai gamēsas (καὶ γαμήσας): Greek for "and having married."
  • Significance: Indicates a second marriage following the divorce. The act of entering into a new marital union after a previous, undissolved one is critical to the understanding of the sin.
• Heteran (ἑτέραν): Greek for "another" (woman/wife).
  • Significance: Not merely separation but entering into a new relationship, replacing the prior one. It implies a disregard for the original bond.
• Moichatai (μοιχεύει): Greek for "commits adultery" or "adulterates."
  • Significance: This is the core declaration. It means more than simply breaking a rule; it is an act of unfaithfulness to a spouse and to God's covenant design for marriage, seen as illicit sexual union with someone who is still bound in a prior covenant in God's eyes. It highlights the gravity of the offense. It implies that in God's sight, the original marriage bond persists despite the legal divorce certificate.
• Kai ho apolelymenēn (καὶ ὁ ἀπολελυμένην): Greek, "and the one who (marries) the divorced one." The Greek is a passive participle "having been loosed/put away."
  • Significance: This addresses the person who marries a woman who has been divorced. It implies culpability for the second party entering into such a union. It’s not just the initiator of the divorce who is implicated, but anyone who participates in the remarriage.
• Apo andra gamēsas (ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς γαμήσας): Greek, "from a man (her husband) having married."
  • Significance: Specifically, a woman who has been divorced from her husband. The prior marital status of the woman is key. The phrasing suggests she is still considered "belonging" to the previous bond in God's eyes.
• Moichatai (μοιχεύει): Again, "commits adultery."
  • Significance: Reiterates the sin for the second scenario. Both actions — the divorcing man remarrying and the person marrying a divorced woman — result in adultery. This shows the mutual implications of such an act.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery": This first part identifies the initiator of the divorce (the man) and his subsequent remarriage as the act of adultery. The focus is on the male agent and his responsibility. It confronts the common rabbinic view that a certificate of divorce legitimized a subsequent marriage. Jesus reveals that a civil divorce does not dissolve a spiritual covenant in God's eyes, and subsequent unions are therefore adulterous.
• "And he who marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery": This second part broadens the culpability. It implies that not only the man initiating the divorce and remarriage but also any third party entering into marriage with a previously divorced woman is guilty of adultery. This powerfully communicates the lasting nature of the original marital bond in God's design. It underlines that one cannot legitimately marry a person who, in God’s sight, is still bound to a previous covenant, irrespective of human legal certificates. This absolute statement challenged societal norms where divorced women, often without recourse, were expected to remarry.

Luke 16 18 Bonus section

The positioning of Luke 16:18, immediately following the affirmation of the enduring Law (Lk 16:17), suggests that Jesus considered the purity and permanence of marriage to be a fundamental and immutable aspect of God's unchanging standard, akin to how serious one's commitment to God's financial principles (as shown in the earlier parables) should be. It critiques the Pharisees' hypocrisy not just in their love for money but also in their loose interpretation of God's Law regarding marital sanctity, which mirrored their self-serving religious practices. In essence, Jesus' teaching on marriage here highlights the continuity of God's moral law from the Old Testament into the New Covenant era, rejecting human attempts to water down divine commands for convenience or self-justification. It reinforces that Kingdom values demand a higher standard of righteousness than mere adherence to outward legalism or traditions.

Luke 16 18 Commentary

Luke 16:18 presents one of Jesus' most radical and uncompromised teachings on marriage, reflecting its sacred, lifelong nature as established by God in creation. This single verse serves as a direct challenge to the prevalent divorce practices of His time, which had become exceedingly lenient, particularly under the interpretive school of Hillel, allowing divorce for almost any trivial reason (as implied in Dt 24:1's "some indecency"). Jesus transcends the Mosaic concession, which was given "because of your hardness of heart" (Mt 19:8), by reverting to God's original intention of a one-flesh union (Gen 2:24) that humans are not to separate (Mt 19:6).

Unlike Matthew's accounts (Mt 5:32, 19:9) which include an "exception clause" related to porneia (often translated as "sexual immorality" or "unchastity"), Luke presents the prohibition against divorce and remarriage as absolute. This highlights the severity of the issue, leaving no apparent allowance for remarriage in Luke's narrative. Some scholars suggest Luke emphasizes the divinely instituted standard for all, while Matthew addresses the complexities within a specific Jewish context dealing with matters like infidelity. Nevertheless, Luke's unqualified statement stresses that human laws of divorce do not negate God's fundamental law for marriage. To God, a true marital bond can only be legitimately dissolved by death (Rom 7:2, 1 Cor 7:39).

Thus, Jesus unequivocally states that any divorce not recognized as dissolving the marital bond by God (which for Him meant practically none, outside perhaps of gross unchastity as a breach of the covenant, as per Matthew's specific inclusion) renders subsequent marriage an act of adultery. This elevates marriage beyond a legal contract to a sacred, covenantal institution before God, implying that its breach carries eternal consequences. This teaching would have been startling and profoundly challenging to both His disciples and the Jewish leaders of the day, demanding a commitment to marital fidelity far beyond contemporary norms.

• Example for practical usage: A Christian couple facing marital challenges should seek reconciliation and God's wisdom, understanding that divorce is against God's deepest design, rather than seeking a new partner or justification for ending their current covenant.
• Example for practical usage: This verse encourages profound commitment to vows, prayer for one's marriage, and forgiveness within the marital bond, knowing its eternal weight.