Matthew 19
A question about divorce
And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there.
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 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. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Jesus leaves Galilee for Judea beyond the Jordan. Pharisees test him: may a man divorce his wife for any reason? Jesus points back to creation, where God made them male and female and joined them as one flesh; Moses permitted divorce because of hardness of heart. When the disciples say it would be better not to marry, Jesus speaks of those who renounce marriage for the sake of the kingdom.
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Scripture connection · Quotation
Matthew 19:4–5 quotes Genesis 1:27 · Genesis 2:24
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:27 · KJV Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24 · KJV Asked about divorce, Jesus goes back to the creation accounts rather than to the debate over Deuteronomy 24.
What does this mean?
A 'eunuch' was a castrated man, often employed at royal courts. Jesus uses the word in three senses: those born unable to marry, those made so by others, and those who choose not to marry 'for the kingdom', a figure of speech for voluntary celibacy.
Historical context
The question 'for any reason' reflects the debate among Jewish teachers over the grounds for divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1 (see 5:31–32). The region beyond the Jordan, Perea, was ruled by Herod Antipas, whose own divorce and remarriage John the Baptist had condemned (14:3–4).
Why does it matter?
Christian churches differ in how they apply this teaching, including its exception clause, to divorce and remarriage.
Editorial notes, not scripture.