Matthew 19:8

Matthew 19:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Context of Matthew 19:8

6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 7“Why then,” they asked him, “did Moses command us to give divorce papers and to send her away?” He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but it was not like that from the beginning. 9I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” 10His disciples said to him, “If the relationship of a man with his wife is like this, it’s better not to marry.”

Matthew 19:8 word by word

Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὅτι Μωϋσῆς πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἐπέτρεψεν ὑμῖν ἀπολῦσαι τὰς γυναῖκας ὑμῶν· ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς δὲ οὐ γέγονεν οὕτως.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• He saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• becauseπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• of the hardness ofὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• of the hardness ofσκληροκαρδίαsklērokardia · hardness of heartG4641
• yourσύsu · youG4771
• sufferedἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
• to put awayἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
• wivesγυνήgunē · woman: wifeG1135
• butδέde · thenG1161
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the beginningἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
• it wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• notοὐou · noG3756
• soοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779

Cross-references for Matthew 19:8

• Psalms 95:8Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as on that day at Massah in the wilderness
• Zechariah 7:12They made their hearts like a rock so as not to obey the law or the words that the Lord of Armies had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore intense anger came from the Lord of Armies.
• Malachi 2:13This is another thing you do. You are covering the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning, because he no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.
• Mark 10:5But Jesus told them, “He wrote this command for you because of the hardness of your hearts.
• Matthew 3:15Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.
• Matthew 8:31“If you drive us out,” the demons begged him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”
• 1 Corinthians 7:6I say this as a concession, not as a command.
• Genesis 2:24This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.
• Genesis 7:7So Noah, his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives entered the ark because of the floodwaters.
• Jeremiah 6:16This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths, “Which is the way to what is good?” Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, “We won’t!”

Commentaries on Matthew 19:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts - It is dangerous to tolerate the least evil, though prudence itself may require it: because toleration, in this case, raises itself insensibly into permission, and permission soon sets up for command. Moses perceived that if divorce were not permitted, in many cases, the women would be exposed to great hardships through the cruelty of their husbands: for so the word , is understood in this place by some…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8He saith unto them … - Jesus admits that this was allowed, but still he contends that this was not the original design of marriage. It was only a temporary expedient growing out of a special state of things, and not designed to be perpetual. It was on account of the hardness of their hearts. Moses found the custom in use. He found a hard-hearted and rebellious people. In this state of things he did not deem it prudent to forbid a practice so universal…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-12Verses 3-12 The Pharisees were desirous of drawing something from Jesus which they might represent as contrary to the law of Moses. Cases about marriage have been numerous, and sometimes perplexed; made so, not by the law of God, but by the lusts and follies of men; and often people fix what they will do, before they ask for advice. Jesus replied by asking whether they had not read the account of the creation, and the first example of marriage; thus…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8Why … did Moses order: The Pharisees believed Jesus contradicted a command in the law (see Deuteronomy 24:1–4). But Moses allowed divorce only because of people's stubbornness. Jesus introduced the radical idea that what God permits is not always what he desires (see 1 Corinthians 6:12). Divorce is never what God desires (Malachi 2:14–16). It shows the brokenness of human sin.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 19:8

• Divorce
• God Continued...
• Jesus, the Christ
• Marriage

In the dictionaries

• Moses
• Concubine
• Deuteronomy
• Divorce
• Eternal
• Impossible
• Join
• Marry
• Pentateuch
• Possession

Commentaries on Matthew 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings