1 And G2532 it came to pass, G1096 that when G3753 Jesus G2424 had finished G5055 these G5128 sayings, G3056 he departed G3332 from G575 Galilee, G1056 and G2532 came G2064 into G1519 the coasts G3725 of Judaea G2449 beyond G4008 Jordan; G2446
2 And G2532 great G4183 multitudes G3793 followed G190 him; G846 and G2532 he healed G2323 them G846 there. G1563
3 The Pharisees G5330 also G2532 came G4334 unto him, G846 tempting G3985 him, G846 and G2532 saying G3004 unto him, G846 Is it lawful G1487 G1832 for a man G444 to put away G630 his G846 wife G1135 for G2596 every G3956 cause? G156
4 And G1161 he answered G611 and said G2036 unto them, G846 Have ye G314 not G3756 read, G314 that G3754 he which G3588 made G4160 them at G575 the beginning G746 made G4160 them G846 male G730 and G2532 female, G2338
5 And G2532 said, G2036 For this G5127 cause G1752 shall a man G444 leave G2641 father G3962 and G2532 mother, G3384 and G2532 shall cleave G4347 to his G846 wife: G1135 and G2532 they twain G1417 shall be G2071 G1519 one G3391 flesh? G4561
6 Wherefore G5620 they are G1526 no more G3765 twain, G1417 but G235 one G3391 flesh. G4561 What G3739 therefore G3767 God G2316 hath joined together, G4801 let G5563 not G3361 man G444 put asunder. G5563
7 They say G3004 unto him, G846 Why G5101 did Moses G3475 then G3767 command G1781 to give G1325 a writing G975 of divorcement, G647 and G2532 to put G630 her G846 away? G630
8 He saith G3004 unto them, G846 G3754 Moses G3475 because of G4314 the hardness G4641 of your G5216 hearts G4641 suffered G2010 you G5213 to put away G630 your G5216 wives: G1135 but G1161 from G575 the beginning G746 it was G1096 not G3756 so. G3779
9 And G1161 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 G3754 Whosoever G3739 G302 shall put away G630 his G846 wife, G1135 except G1508 it be for G1909 fornication, G4202 and G2532 shall marry G1060 another, G243 committeth adultery: G3429 and G2532 whoso marrieth G1060 her which G3588 is put away G630 doth commit adultery. G3429
10 His G846 disciples G3101 say G3004 unto him, G846 If G1487 the case G156 of the man G444 be G2076 so G3779 with G3326 his wife, G1135 it is G4851 not G3756 good G4851 to marry. G1060
11 But G1161 he said G2036 unto them, G846 All G3956 men cannot G3756 receive G5562 this G5126 saying, G3056 save G235 they to whom G3739 it is given. G1325
12 For G1063 there are G1526 some eunuchs, G2135 which G3748 were so G3779 born G1080 from G1537 their mother's G3384 womb: G2836 and G2532 there are G1526 some eunuchs, G2135 which G3748 were made eunuchs G2134 of G5259 men: G444 and G2532 there be G1526 eunuchs, G2135 which G3748 have made G2134 themselves G1438 eunuchs G2134 for G1223 the kingdom G932 of heaven's sake. G3772 He that is able G1410 to receive G5562 it, let him receive G5562 it.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Matthew 19
Commentary on Matthew 19 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 19
Mt 19:1-12. Final Departure from Galilee—Divorce. ( = Mr 10:1-12; Lu 9:51).
Farewell to Galilee (Mt 19:1, 2).
1. And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee—This marks a very solemn period in our Lord's public ministry. So slightly is it touched here, and in the corresponding passage of Mark (Mr 10:1), that few readers probably note it as the Redeemer's Farewell to Galilee, which however it was. See on the sublime statement of Luke (Lu 9:51), which relates to the same transition stage in the progress of our Lord's work.
and came into the coasts—or, boundaries
of Judea beyond Jordan—that is, to the further, or east side of the Jordan, into Perea, the dominions of Herod Antipas. But though one might conclude from our Evangelist that our Lord went straight from the one region to the other, we know from the other Gospels that a considerable time elapsed between the departure from the one and the arrival at the other, during which many of the most important events in our Lord's public life occurred—probably a large part of what is recorded in Lu 9:51, onward to Lu 18:15, and part of Joh 7:2-11:54.
2. And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there—Mark says further (Mr 10:1), that "as He was wont, He taught them there." What we now have on the subject of divorce is some of that teaching.
Divorce (Mt 19:3-12).
3. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?—Two rival schools (as we saw on Mt 5:31) were divided on this question—a delicate one, as De Wette pertinently remarks, in the dominions of Herod Antipas.
4. And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female—or better, perhaps, "He that made them made them from the beginning a male and a female."
5. And said, For this cause—to follow out this divine appointment.
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?—Jesus here sends them back to the original constitution of man as one pair, a male and a female; to their marriage, as such, by divine appointment; and to the purpose of God, expressed by the sacred historian, that in all time one man and one woman should by marriage become one flesh—so to continue as long as both are in the flesh. This being God's constitution, let not man break it up by causeless divorces.
7. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8. 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 audience the temporary and purely civil character of this Mosaic relaxation.
9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except, &c.—See on Mt 5:32.
10. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry—that is, "In this view of marriage, surely it must prove a snare rather than a blessing, and had better be avoided altogether."
11. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given—that is, "That the unmarried state is better, is a saying not for everyone, and indeed only for such as it is divinely intended for." But who are these? they would naturally ask; and this our Lord proceeds to tell them in three particulars.
12. For there are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb—persons constitutionally either incapable of or indisposed to marriage.
and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men—persons rendered incapable by others.
and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake—persons who, to do God's work better, deliberately choose this state. Such was Paul (1Co 7:7).
He that is able to receive it, let him receive it—"He who feels this to be his proper vocation, let him embrace it"; which, of course, is as much as to say—"he only." Thus, all are left free in this matter.
Mt 19:13-15. Little Children Brought to Christ. ( = Mr 10:13-16; Lu 18:15-17).
For the exposition, see on Lu 18:15-17.
Mt 19:16-30. The Rich Young Ruler. ( = Mr 10:17-31; Lu 18:18-30).
For the exposition, see on Lu 18:18-30.