Matthew 5 31

Matthew 5:31 kjv

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

Matthew 5:31 nkjv

"Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'

Matthew 5:31 niv

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'

Matthew 5:31 esv

"It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'

Matthew 5:31 nlt

"You have heard the law that says, 'A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.'

Matthew 5 verses

Matthew 5 31 Meaning

Matthew 5:31 presents a reference to a long-established Jewish legal tradition and Mosaic provision concerning divorce. It serves as a preamble to Jesus' teaching on the sanctity of marriage and the limits of divorce, quoting what was a commonly understood practice of the Law for His audience. This verse simply states that a man divorcing his wife was required to provide her with a legal document, a certificate of divorce, which protected her and allowed her to remarry. Jesus here cites the accepted custom to then challenge its misapplication in the subsequent verses, aiming to re-establish the divine ideal for marriage.

Matthew 5 31 Context

Matthew 5:31 is part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, specifically within the section (Matt 5:21-48) where He reiterates common understandings of the Mosaic Law, prefacing each with "You have heard that it was said..." or "It was also said..." (Matt 5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43), and then deepening or reinterpreting the Law's true intent with "But I say to you..." (Matt 5:22, 28, 34, 39, 44). This specific verse deals with the issue of divorce, immediately following His teaching on lust and adultery (Matt 5:27-30). Jesus is addressing His Jewish audience who were well-versed in the Law, particularly Deut 24:1-4, which formed the basis for their divorce customs. At the time, there were differing interpretations among Jewish rabbinic schools (e.g., the strict school of Shammai vs. the liberal school of Hillel) regarding the "reason for indecency" (ervat davar) that would permit a divorce, with Hillel's school allowing very broad grounds. Jesus is challenging the superficial and often self-serving application of the divorce law, moving the discussion from mere legal adherence to the profound spiritual and moral principles of marriage established by God.

Matthew 5 31 Word analysis

• It was also said (Gk. errhethē): This passive form emphasizes that it was a known and authoritative statement or practice derived from the Law (Deut 24:1). It highlights that this was the prevailing legal custom and understanding within Jewish society, acting as the starting point from which Jesus would provide a deeper, more profound interpretation. It implies an accepted societal norm, not necessarily God's ultimate desire.
• Whoever divorces (Gk. hos an apolysē): This refers to the husband. In the Greco-Roman and Jewish cultures of the time, divorce was primarily a male prerogative, initiated by the husband. The verb apolysē (from apolyō) means "to release," "send away," or "dismiss." It denotes the legal act of dissolving the marriage by sending the wife away from the home.
• His wife (Gk. tēn gynaika autou): Refers to the legally married spouse. The focus is on the impact of the man's action on the woman, who was often left vulnerable economically and socially by such a dissolution, especially if she lacked family support.
• Let him give her (Gk. didotō autē): An imperative, signifying a mandatory legal requirement. The husband was obligated to perform this act to ensure the legality of the divorce.
• A certificate of divorce (Gk. biblion apostasiou):
  • Certificate (biblion): A small written document or scroll. It served as a formal legal deed.
  • Divorce (apostasiou): From apostasion, meaning "a setting away" or "a separation." This term describes the formal document of dissolution that a husband was required to issue to his wife when he divorced her according to Mosaic law (Deut 24:1).
  • The certificate's purpose was multi-faceted: it formally ended the marital covenant, protected the divorced woman from accusations of adultery if she remarried, and granted her the legal right to marry another man. It also provided some form of protection to the wife, affirming her release from the prior marriage, as she would be able to remarry legally, preventing her from becoming a permanent public burden or a pariah in the community. Without this document, she might be considered an adulteress if she remarried, as the first marriage would not be legally dissolved.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’": This complete phrase sets forth the widely acknowledged legal provision for divorce from Deut 24:1. Jesus is not instituting a new law but acknowledging the existing, deeply embedded custom derived from the Mosaic Law. The passage reflects the social reality that men had the legal authority to initiate divorce and that specific documentation was required. This serves as the background for Jesus’ subsequent, more radical teaching in Matthew 5:32, where He asserts the moral consequences of unwarranted divorce beyond the mere legalities. He will expose how this concession was often misused, trivializing the sacred bond of marriage.

Matthew 5 31 Bonus section

• The Jewish understanding of "indecency" (ervat davar in Deut 24:1) was a subject of much debate in Jesus' time. The school of Hillel notoriously interpreted it very loosely, permitting divorce for trivial reasons (e.g., if the wife burned her husband's meal), while the school of Shammai maintained a much stricter view, interpreting it as referring specifically to unchastity or serious marital infidelity. Jesus' subsequent teaching clearly aligns with a much stricter view than the popular Hillelite interpretations.
• By quoting the legal provision for a "certificate of divorce," Jesus implicitly acknowledges the legality of such divorces under the Mosaic covenant, yet He proceeds to interpret them in light of God's perfect and eternal will, which predates and transcends Mosaic concessions given for the "hardness of hearts" (Matt 19:8). His aim is to reveal the spiritual bankruptcy of a superficial legalism that allowed widespread and often cruel dissolution of marriages.
• The emphasis moves from mere outward compliance with the law (giving a certificate) to the internal disposition and spiritual integrity concerning the covenant of marriage. This reflects a consistent theme in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus challenges listeners to righteousness of the heart rather than mere external observance.

Matthew 5 31 Commentary

Matthew 5:31 presents the conventional Jewish understanding of divorce, stemming from Deut 24:1. This verse, presented by Jesus as "It was also said," highlights the prevalent practice of His day, where a husband divorcing his wife was legally obligated to provide a certificate of divorce. This document formally terminated the marriage, granted the woman freedom to remarry without being accused of adultery, and theoretically offered her a degree of protection and social standing. However, as the subsequent verses reveal, Jesus cites this established norm not to endorse the ease or frequency of divorce but to expose its perversion. While the Mosaic Law allowed for divorce due to "indecency" – interpreted broadly by many as any displeasure – Jesus sought to re-establish God's original intention for marriage as a lifelong, unbreakable union, highlighting that frequent or unjustified divorce contradicted God's design (Gen 2:24). The certificate, while a concession for human sinfulness and to protect the woman, was being misused to allow men to cast off their wives on frivolous grounds, turning a safeguard into an easy escape from marital commitment. Jesus, in effect, challenges His audience to look beyond the mere letter of the law to its Spirit and God’s unchanging purpose for covenant marriage.