Jesus’ Teaching about Divorce

10 (A)Setting out from there, Jesus *went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; crowds *gathered to Him again, and, (B)as He was accustomed, He once more began to teach them.

And some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began questioning Him whether it was lawful for a man to [a]divorce his wife. And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “(C)Moses permitted a man to write a [b]certificate of divorce and [c]send his wife away.” But Jesus said to them, [d](D)Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But (E)from the beginning of creation, God (F)created them male and female. (G)For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother[e], (H)and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no person is to separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples again began questioning Him about this. 11 And He *said to them, (I)Whoever [f]divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; 12 and (J)if she herself [g]divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 10:2 Lit send away, the Heb term for divorce
  2. Mark 10:4 Permitting her to remarry
  3. Mark 10:4 Or divorce her
  4. Mark 10:5 Or With reference to
  5. Mark 10:7 Many late mss add and shall cling to his wife
  6. Mark 10:11 Or sends away
  7. Mark 10:12 Or sends away

Jesus’ Teaching about Divorce

10 Getting up, He left there (Capernaum) and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan; and crowds gathered around Him again and accompanied Him, and as was His custom, He once more began to teach them.

Pharisees came to Jesus to test Him [intending to trick Him into saying something wrong], and asked Him, “Is it lawful [according to Scripture] for a man to divorce his wife and send her away?” He replied to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”(A) But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of hearts [your callousness and insensitivity toward your wives and the [a]provision of God] he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.(B) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother [to establish a home with his wife],(C) and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but [are united as] one flesh.(D) Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce].”

10 In the house the disciples began questioning Him again about this. 11 And He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; 12 and if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 10:5 God provided for divorce under certain circumstances, but the Pharisees expanded the reasons for divorce and abused God’s provision.

Teaching About Divorce

10 (A)And he left there and went (B)to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

And Pharisees came up and in order (C)to test him asked, (D)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, (E)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your (F)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But (G)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them (H)male and female.’ (I)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,[a] and (J)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. (K)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, (L)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and (M)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 10:7 Some manuscripts omit and hold fast to his wife

10 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

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