Matthew 19:9 kjv
And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Matthew 19:9 nkjv
And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery."
Matthew 19:9 niv
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."
Matthew 19:9 esv
And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery."
Matthew 19:9 nlt
And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery ? unless his wife has been unfaithful. "
Matthew 19 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:27 | So God created man in his own image... male and female created he them. | God's creation of male and female. |
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. | The foundational "one flesh" principle. |
| Deut 24:1 | When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her... | Mosaic law allowing divorce. |
| Mal 2:14-16 | Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously... For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away... | God's hatred of divorce. |
| Mt 5:31-32 | It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery... | Parallel teaching of Jesus on divorce. |
| Mk 10:2-12 | And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. ... And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. | Mark's account of Jesus' teaching on divorce, without the "exception clause." |
| Lk 16:18 | Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. | Luke's account, also without the exception. |
| Rom 7:2-3 | For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress... | Marriage bond until death. |
| 1 Cor 7:10-11 | And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. | Paul reiterates Jesus' command. |
| 1 Cor 7:15 | But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. | The "Pauline privilege" exception. |
| Ex 20:14 | Thou shalt not commit adultery. | The seventh commandment. |
| Deut 5:18 | Neither shalt thou commit adultery. | Restatement of the commandment. |
| Lev 18:20 | Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. | Old Testament definition of adultery. |
| Lev 20:10 | And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. | OT penalty for adultery. |
| Pro 6:32 | But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. | Warnings against adultery. |
| Heb 13:4 | Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. | God's judgment on sexual sin. |
| Mt 19:3 | 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? | Pharisees' liberal view contrasted. |
| Mt 19:8 | 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. | Jesus highlights original design vs. concession. |
| Acts 15:20 | But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. | "Fornication" (porneia) in a council context, possibly referring to unlawful unions. |
| 1 Cor 6:9 | Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind... | List of those who will not inherit God's kingdom. |
Matthew 19 verses
Matthew 19 9 Meaning
Jesus proclaims that marriage, by God's original design, is a permanent union. Therefore, putting away one's wife and marrying another constitutes adultery, with the single exception being "fornication." This exception, highly debated among scholars, refers to severe sexual immorality or illicit unions, making remarriage permissible only under that specific circumstance; otherwise, both the one initiating the unbiblical divorce and the one marrying a person so divorced are committing adultery against the sanctity of marriage.
Matthew 19 9 Context
Matthew 19:9 is part of a broader discourse where Pharisees challenge Jesus regarding the legality of divorce. Their question in Matthew 19:3 ("Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?") reflects a rabbinic debate, primarily between the liberal school of Hillel (allowing divorce for almost any reason) and the stricter school of Shammai (allowing divorce only for serious "indecency" or sexual immorality). Jesus, in Matthew 19:4-6, sidesteps the rabbinic debate by going back to creation (Genesis 1:27, 2:24), emphasizing marriage as God's unbreakable "one flesh" union. He then addresses the Mosaic permission for divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) in Matthew 19:7-8, explaining it was a concession due to human "hardness of heart," not God's original intent. Verse 9 then serves as Jesus' authoritative pronouncement, contrasting human legal allowance with God's ultimate moral standard, declaring remarriage after an unbiblical divorce to be adultery, thus reinforcing the sanctity and permanence of the marriage covenant.
Matthew 19 9 Word analysis
- And I say unto you: This phrase signifies Jesus' authoritative pronouncement, establishing His teaching above human traditions and interpretations of the law, including the rabbinic disputes of the time. It highlights a divine truth revealed directly by Him.
- Whosoever: Indicates a universal principle applicable to all individuals, irrespective of their social standing or religious background. There are no exemptions based on personal preference or interpretation.
- shall put away: Greek: apolyo (ἀπολύω). Meaning "to dismiss," "send away," "release," or "divorce." It refers to the legal act of dissolving a marriage in that culture, typically initiated by the husband.
- his wife: Reflects the societal context where divorce was predominantly a male prerogative, though Jesus elsewhere implicitly applies the principle to both genders (Mk 10:12).
- except it be for fornication: Greek: ei mē epi porneia (εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ). This is the pivotal "exception clause."
- fornication: Greek: porneia (πορνεία). This term is crucial. It is broader than "adultery" (Greek: moicheia), encompassing a wider range of illicit sexual immorality, including premarital unchastity, prostitution, and unlawful sexual unions (e.g., incestuous marriages forbidden by Lev 18). It is not found in the parallel accounts in Mark or Luke when discussing divorce. This has led to major interpretations:
- Some interpret porneia here as sexual unfaithfulness after marriage, making it the only biblically sanctioned ground for divorce allowing remarriage.
- Others suggest porneia refers to pre-marital unchastity discovered during the betrothal period (akin to Joseph's dilemma in Mt 1:19) or marriages that were intrinsically unlawful or incestuous according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 18). In these cases, the "marriage" was never legitimate in God's eyes, and dissolving it is not a true "divorce" in the sense of breaking a valid covenant.
- and shall marry another: This act is where the offense primarily lies. If the divorce was not for the specified porneia, then the previous marriage bond is considered by God to be still valid, making the new union adulterous.
- committeth adultery: Greek: moichaō (μοιχάω). Refers to the act of sexual intercourse with someone to whom one is not lawfully married, thereby violating the sanctity of marriage. Jesus defines that a marriage based on an illegitimate divorce is adultery.
- and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery: This extends the culpability. Not only is the divorcing party who remarries committing adultery, but also anyone who marries a person who has been unbiblically divorced. This underscores the indissolubility of the original, God-ordained marriage in His sight. The "her which is put away" assumes the divorce was illegitimate.
- "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife": Jesus claims absolute authority, contrasting His divine standard with prevailing human customs or debates. He defines the action taken.
- "except it be for fornication, and shall marry another": This specific phrase sets the parameters. Without this narrow exception, the act of "marrying another" is explicitly condemned. It places the burden of proof and righteousness on the person seeking remarriage.
- "committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery": This highlights the fundamental consequence: adultery. It stresses the continuity of the original marriage bond in God's eyes. The condemnation is two-fold: upon the initiating spouse who divorces unrighteously and remarries, and upon any third party who enters a marital union with the wrongfully divorced individual. This shows that in God's eyes, the original marriage remains valid until true Biblical grounds for legitimate divorce or until the death of one of the spouses.
Matthew 19 9 Bonus section
The "exception clause" (εἰ μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ) in Matthew 19:9, missing in the parallel accounts of Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18, suggests a deliberate specificity to Matthew's primarily Jewish audience. This nuance might address specific issues within Jewish law and custom, such as the dissolution of unions considered unlawful from a biblical perspective (e.g., incestuous marriages under Levitical law) or the Jewish understanding of "betrothal" and unchastity found before the actual marriage ceremony, rather than providing a broad general allowance for divorce in all Christian contexts. This makes the precise interpretation of porneia here a key point for understanding Christian ethics on marriage and divorce.
Matthew 19 9 Commentary
Matthew 19:9 represents Jesus' definitive teaching on marriage, divorce, and remarriage, setting God's foundational standard of a lifelong "one flesh" union against the backdrop of Mosaic concessions and rabbinic leniency. While Moses permitted divorce for "hardness of heart," Jesus reveals that such a permission was never God's original perfect will. The verse underscores the sanctity of marriage as divinely instituted and designed for permanence. The contentious "exception for fornication" (πορνεία) in Matthew, uniquely present among the synoptic parallels in this context, highlights specific circumstances under which a marriage might be deemed legitimately dissolved, allowing for remarriage without incurring the sin of adultery. Interpretations of porneia range from literal marital unfaithfulness to illicit sexual unions, reflecting varying degrees of strictness among theologians. Regardless of the precise interpretation, Jesus' core message is that divorce, especially for frivolous reasons leading to remarriage, constitutes adultery in God's sight because the original marriage covenant is upheld by God. This emphasizes that marriage is not merely a legal contract but a sacred covenant before God, with profound spiritual consequences for its dissolution and subsequent relationships. Practically, this calls believers to a high standard of marital faithfulness, urging reconciliation where possible and stressing the gravity of marital dissolution.