KJV King James Version
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Matthew 19:7
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
WEB World English Bible
They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?”
ASV American Standard Version
They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
They say to him, ‘Why then did Moses command to give a roll of divorce, and to put her away?’
Surrounding context — Matthew 19
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,
5 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?
6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
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 because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 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.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his] wife, it is not good to marry.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
ΛέγουσινG3004 · legōto sayαὐτῷ·G846 · autosit/s/heτίG5101 · tiswhich?οὖνG3767 · ountherefore/thenΜωϋσῆςG3475 · Mōusēs, MōsēsMosesἐνετείλατοG1781 · entellōto orderδοῦναιG1325 · didōmito giveβιβλίονG975 · biblionscrollἀποστασίουG647 · apostasiondivorceκαὶG2532 · kaiandἀπολῦσαιG630 · apoluōto release: releaseαὐτήν;¶G846 · autosit/s/he
Cross-references
Deuteronomy 24:1-4When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give [it] in her hand, and send her out of his house.Matthew 5:31It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:Mark 10:4And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put [her] away.Malachi 2:16For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for [one] covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.Jeremiah 3:8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.Isaiah 50:1Thus saith the LORD, Where [is] the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors [is it] to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.Matthew 1:19Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Compare classic commentaries on Matthew 19:7
Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.
Compare commentaries →