Matthew 19:3 kjv
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?
Matthew 19:3 nkjv
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?"
Matthew 19:3 niv
Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
Matthew 19:3 esv
And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?"
Matthew 19:3 nlt
Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: "Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife for just any reason?"
Matthew 19 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:27 | So God created man in His own image... male and female He created them. | God's design for humanity (two sexes). |
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife... | Institution of marriage as a permanent union. |
| Deut 24:1 | If a man marries a woman... and she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her... | Mosaic law on writing a certificate of divorce. |
| Mal 2:14-16 | "For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce..." | God's condemnation of divorce. |
| Matt 5:31-32 | "It has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife...'" | Jesus' earlier teaching on divorce in the Sermon on the Mount. |
| Matt 12:38 | Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." | Pharisees' repeated attempts to test Jesus. |
| Matt 16:1 | Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came... testing Him, asked that He would show them a sign... | Another instance of Pharisees testing Jesus. |
| Matt 19:4-6 | "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning..." | Jesus' immediate response to the Pharisees' question. |
| Matt 22:15 | Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. | Pharisees' consistent intent to trap Jesus. |
| Matt 22:35 | Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying... | A lawyer's test, similar to the Pharisees'. |
| Mark 8:11 | Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking a sign... | More examples of the Pharisees seeking to trap or discredit Jesus. |
| Mark 10:2-12 | The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" | Parallel account in Mark's Gospel. |
| Luke 11:16 | Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. | Testing Jesus for signs. |
| Luke 16:18 | "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery..." | Luke's account of Jesus' teaching on divorce. |
| Luke 20:20-22 | So they watched Him... that they might seize on His words... | Opponents seeking to trap Jesus with words. |
| John 8:6 | This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. | Religious leaders testing Jesus. |
| 1 Cor 7:10-11 | Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife must not depart from her husband. | Pauline teaching echoing Jesus' view on divorce. |
| Eph 5:31 | "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother..." | Paul's reaffirmation of marriage's foundation. |
| Heb 13:4 | Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled... | Upholding the sanctity of marriage. |
Matthew 19 verses
Matthew 19 3 Meaning
Matthew 19:3 describes the confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees in Perea concerning the lawfulness of divorce. The Pharisees approached Jesus with a question about the grounds for divorce, specifically if it was permissible "for just any reason." This query was designed to test Him and trap Him within the prevailing legal debates of their time regarding the interpretation of Mosaic law concerning marriage and divorce.
Matthew 19 3 Context
Matthew 19 initiates a new section of Jesus' ministry, often called the Peraean Ministry. After concluding His Galilee ministry (Matt 13-18), Jesus is now traveling towards Jerusalem through Perea, east of the Jordan River. This journey signifies the approach of His passion. As Jesus teaches, the Pharisees approach Him with a direct challenge on a deeply contentious issue of their time: divorce. Their aim was not honest inquiry, but to test and entrap Jesus, either by making Him contradict Moses (Deut 24:1) or by aligning Him with one of the competing Rabbinic schools (Hillel, who allowed divorce for many reasons, vs. Shammai, who restricted it mainly to sexual immorality). This public debate sets the stage for Jesus' profound teachings on marriage, the value of children, the nature of true discipleship, and the dangers of wealth in the following verses.
Matthew 19 3 Word analysis
- The Pharisees (Greek: Pharisaioi): A prominent Jewish religious and political sect. They were meticulous observers of the Mosaic Law and oral tradition, but often criticized by Jesus for their hypocrisy and legalistic interpretation. They frequently sought to challenge or discredit Jesus, seeing Him as a threat to their authority and doctrines. Their presence here signifies a deliberate attempt to trap Jesus.
- also came to Him: Implies a concerted action, not a casual encounter. They sought Him out.
- testing Him (Greek: peirazontes): This word signifies more than merely questioning. It means to examine with intent to discover fault, to tempt, or to prove whether one will succumb to temptation. It was an antagonistic approach, aiming to trap Jesus into a theological, social, or political dilemma. They desired to find a basis for accusation or to diminish His public appeal by forcing Him to take an unpopular stance.
- and saying to Him: Indicating their direct challenge.
- Is it lawful (Greek: exestin): Refers to what is permissible according to the Law, especially Mosaic Law. This frames the question strictly within the legalistic understanding dominant among the Pharisees. It emphasizes the letter of the law over its spirit or original intent.
- for a man: Denoting the male as the one with agency in initiating divorce, reflecting the cultural context of the time.
- to divorce (Greek: apolysai): To release, send away, or dissolve a marriage. In Jewish law, it involved providing a writ of divorce (get) to the woman.
- his wife: Highlighting the specific relationship and commitment being challenged.
- for just any reason? (Greek: kata pasan aitian): This is the crux of their specific legal challenge. It literally translates to "according to every cause" or "for every reason." This phrase directly alludes to the ongoing debate between the Hillel and Shammai schools regarding the interpretation of "some indecency" (ervat davar in Deut 24:1). The Hillel school interpreted this broadly (e.g., burning dinner, public immodesty, or anything displeasing), while the Shammai school held a much stricter view, limiting grounds for divorce to sexual immorality (ervat davar understood as a euphemism for nakedness or adultery). The Pharisees' question pushes Jesus to align with one of these schools, potentially alienating Him from the other faction or from the general populace.
Matthew 19 3 Bonus section
The question posed by the Pharisees was deeply rooted in the historical legal and social context of first-century Judaism. The common practice allowed men to initiate divorce quite readily, and the interpretation of Mosaic law varied greatly, allowing much latitude for personal preference. By challenging Jesus on this point, the Pharisees not only tried to corner Him legally but also gauge His stance against their prevailing religious traditions, which had drifted far from God's original design for marriage. Jesus’ response (beginning in Matthew 19:4) redirects the entire discussion away from man-made exceptions and back to the foundational principle of creation, establishing a high and holy standard for marriage that reflects the union Christ has with His Church. The "testing" also highlights the deep divide between the worldly wisdom and the divine wisdom that Jesus embodies.
Matthew 19 3 Commentary
Matthew 19:3 presents a pivotal encounter where the Pharisees, with ulterior motives, challenge Jesus on a contentious issue of His day: divorce. Their question, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?", was not a genuine search for truth, but a trap designed to discredit Him. By using the phrase "for just any reason," they intentionally framed the question to force Jesus into the existing legal dispute between the strict Shammai school and the lenient Hillel school, regarding the interpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1. Had Jesus sided with Hillel, He would have been seen as endorsing loose divorce, contradicting Moses in the view of many. Had He sided with Shammai, He would have likely become unpopular with the common people who desired easier divorce.
Jesus, however, consistently transcended such legalistic debates, refocusing on God's original design and intention rather than man's permissive clauses. His subsequent answer (in the following verses) appeals to creation (Gen 1:27, 2:24) to establish the permanent and sacred nature of marriage, thus exposing the Pharisees' flawed understanding of God's will and their legalistic manipulation of the law. This verse underscores the spiritual battle Jesus faced against those who upheld human tradition over divine truth and sought to twist scripture for self-serving purposes. It sets the stage for a profound re-establishment of marriage's sacred bond in the kingdom of God.