New English Translation
Matthew 19:7
7They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”
Matthew 19:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
- New International Version (NIV)“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
Context of Matthew 19:7
5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” 8Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way. 9Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.”
Read all of Matthew 19Matthew 19:7 word by word
Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· τί οὖν Μωϋσῆς ἐνετείλατο δοῦναι βιβλίον ἀποστασίου καὶ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτήν;¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- They sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Whyτίςtis · which?G5101
- didἐντέλλωentellomai · to orderG1781
- MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
- thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- to giveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- a writingβιβλίονbiblion · scrollG975
- of divorcementἀποστάσιονapostasion · divorceG647
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- to putἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
- awayἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
Cross-references for Matthew 19:7
- Matthew 5:31“It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’
- Deuteronomy 24:1If a man marries a woman and she does not please him because he has found something offensive in her, then he may draw up a divorce document, give it to her, and evict her from his house.
- Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s divorce certificate by which I divorced her? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold because of your sins; because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother.
- Jeremiah 3:8She also saw that I gave wayward Israel her divorce papers and sent her away because of her adulterous worship of other gods. Even after her unfaithful sister Judah had seen this, she still was not afraid, and she too went and gave herself like a prostitute to other gods.
- Mark 10:4They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.”
- Matthew 1:19Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately.
- Malachi 2:16“I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel, “and the one who is guilty of violence,” says the Lord who rules over all. “Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful.”
Commentaries on Matthew 19:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement? - It is not an unusual case for the impure and unholy to seek for a justification of their conduct from the law of God itself, and to wrest Scripture to their own destruction. I knew a gentleman, so called, who professed deep reverence for the sacred writings, and, strange as it may appear, was outwardly irreproachable in every respect but one; that was, he kept more women than his wife. This…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Why did Moses - To this they objected that Moses had allowed such divorces Deuteronomy 24:1; and if he had allowed them, they inferred that they could not be unlawful. See the notes at Matthew 5:31.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. 77. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 19:7
In the dictionaries
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
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