Mark 10:4

Mark 10:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away."
• New King James Version (NKJV)They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“Well, he permitted it,” they replied. “He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away.”

Context of Mark 10:4

2Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3“What did Moses command you?” he replied. They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.” 5“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. 6“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’

Mark 10:4 word by word

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· ἐπέτρεψεν Μωϋσῆς βιβλίον ἀποστασίου γράψαι καὶ ἀπολῦσαι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• they saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• sufferedἐπιτρέπωepitrepō · to permitG2010
• to writeγράφωgraphō · to writeG1125
• a billβιβλίονbiblion · scrollG975
• of divorcementἀποστάσιονapostasion · divorceG647
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• to putἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630
• awayἀπολύωapoluō · to release: divorceG630

Cross-references for Mark 10:4

• Deuteronomy 24:1If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house,
• Isaiah 50:1This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.
• Jeremiah 3:1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him and marries another man, should he return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled? But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers— would you now return to me?” declares the Lord.
• Matthew 1:19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
• Matthew 5:31“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
• Matthew 19:7“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Commentaries on Mark 10:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-12Verses 1-12 See this question about divorce explained in the notes at Matthew 19:1-12. Mark 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband - It would seem, from this, that a woman, among the Jews, had the power of separating herself from her husband, yet this right is not given her by the law of Moses. There is not, however, any positive evidence that females often claimed or exercised this right. Cases had occurred, indeed, in which it had been done…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The Pharisees quoted what Moses permitted. There was much debate among rabbis as to what constituted the "some indecency" that made divorce permissible (see Deuteronomy 24:1). Rabbi Shammai allowed divorce only on the basis of sexual immorality. Rabbi Hillel permitted divorce even if a woman burned her husband’s dinner or was less attractive than someone else (Mishnah Gittin 9:10).Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 10:4

• Jesus, the Christ
• Marriage
• Polygamy

In the dictionaries

• Moses
• Bill of Divorcement
• Deuteronomy
• Divorce
• Lordship
• Mock
• Ransom
• Resort
• Divorce in the New Testament
• Divorce in the Old Testament

Commentaries on Mark 10

• 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