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Thursday, July 31st, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Matthew 19:7

They say vnto hym: why did Moyses then commaunde to geue a writyng of diuorcement, and to put her away?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Divorce;   Jesus, the Christ;   Marriage;   Scofield Reference Index - Kingdom;   Thompson Chain Reference - Divorce;   Foes of the Home;   Home;   The Topic Concordance - Divorce;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Husbands;   Marriage;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Woman;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Divorce;   Ethics;   Government;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Divorce;   Hardening, Hardness of Heart;   Homosexuality;   Marriage;   Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Marriage;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Concubine;   Deuteronomy;   Divorce;   Wife;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Law;   Matthew, the Gospel According to;   Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Apostasy;   Divorce;   History;   Marriage;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Christianity;   Law;   Moses;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Asceticism (2);   Bill;   Celibacy (2);   Character;   Common Life;   Discourse;   Divorce (2);   Eunuch ;   Example;   Home (2);   Law of God;   Moses ;   Questions and Answers;   Searching;   Supremacy;   Womanliness;   Writing;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Divorce;   Marriage;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Concubine;   Lamech;   Marriage;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Deuteronomy;   Law of Moses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Pharisees;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Garden of Eden;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divorce in Old Testament;   Divorce in New Testament;   Family;   Law in the New Testament;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Divorce;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Why then,” they asked him, “did Moses command us to give divorce papers and to send her away?”
King James Version (1611)
They say vnto him, Why did Moses then command to giue a writing of diuorcement, and to put her away?
King James Version
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
English Standard Version
They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?"
New American Standard Bible
They said to Him, "Why, then, did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?"
New Century Version
The Pharisees asked, "Why then did Moses give a command for a man to divorce his wife by giving her divorce papers?"
Amplified Bible
The Pharisees said to Him, "Why then did Moses command us to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND HER AWAY?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
They said to him, Why did then Moses commaund to giue a bill of diuorcement, and to put her away?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY?"
Legacy Standard Bible
They *said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Berean Standard Bible
"Why then," they asked, "did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
Contemporary English Version
The Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why did Moses say that a man could write out divorce papers and send his wife away?"
Complete Jewish Bible
They said to him, "Then why did Moshe give the commandment that a man should hand his wife a get and divorce her?"
Darby Translation
They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and to send [her] away?
Easy-to-Read Version
The Pharisees asked, "Then why did Moses give a command allowing a man to divorce his wife by writing a certificate of divorce?"
George Lamsa Translation
They said to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of separation and then divorce her?
Good News Translation
The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?"
Lexham English Bible
They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a document—a certificate of divorce—and to divorce her?"
Literal Translation
They said to Him, Why then did Moses command to "give a bill of divorce," "and to put her away"? Deut. 24:1
American Standard Version
They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?
Bible in Basic English
They say to him, Why then did Moses give orders that a husband might give her a statement in writing and be free from her?
Hebrew Names Version
They asked him, "Why then did Moshe command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?"
International Standard Version
They asked him, "Why, then, did Moses order us 'to give a certificate of divorce and divorce her'?"Deuteronomy 24:1,3">[fn]Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 5:31;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
They said to him, Why then did Musha direct that he should give a writing of dismissal and send her away?
Murdock Translation
They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put her away?
English Revised Version
They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?
World English Bible
They asked him, "Why then did Moses command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?"
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorce and put her away?
Weymouth's New Testament
"Why then," said they, "did Moses command the husband to give her `a written notice of divorce,' and so put her away?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei seien to hym, What thanne comaundide Moises, to yyue a libel of forsakyng, and to leeue of?
Update Bible Version
They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to divorce her?
Webster's Bible Translation
They say to him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
New English Translation
They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?"
New King James Version
They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
New Living Translation
"Then why did Moses say in the law that a man could give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away?" they asked.
New Life Bible
The proud religious law-keepers said to Jesus, "Then why did the Law of Moses allow a man to divorce his wife if he put it down in writing and gave it to her?"
New Revised Standard
They said to him, "Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They say unto him - Why then did, Moses, command, to give a writing of repudiation and to divorce?
Douay-Rheims Bible
They say to him: Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorce, and to put away?
Revised Standard Version
They said to him, "Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?"
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The sayde they to him: why did Moses comaunde to geve a testimoniall of divorsemet and to put hyr awaye?
Young's Literal Translation
They say to him, `Why then did Moses command to give a roll of divorce, and to put her away?'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde they: Why dyd Moses then comaunde to geue a testimonyall of deuorsement, & to put her awaye?
Mace New Testament (1729)
why then, said they, did Moses permit to give a writ of divorce to repudiate the wife?
THE MESSAGE
They shot back in rebuttal, "If that's so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?"
Simplified Cowboy Version
"Why then," they replied, "did Moses say a man could fill out a piece of paper that busted up the wedlock and then he could send her packin'?"

Contextual Overview

3 The pharisees also came vnto hym, temptyng hym, and saying vnto hym: Is it lawfull for a man to put away his wyfe, for euery cause? 4 He aunswered and sayde vnto them: Haue ye not read, that he which created at the begynnyng, made them male and female, 5 And sayde: For this cause, shall a man leaue father and mother, and shall be knit to his wyfe: and they twayne shall be one fleshe. 6 Wherfore, they are no more twayne, but one fleshe. Let not man therefore put a sunder, that which God hath coupled together. 7 They say vnto hym: why did Moyses then commaunde to geue a writyng of diuorcement, and to put her away? 8 He sayde vnto them: Moyses, because of the hardnes of your heartes, suffred you to put away your wyues: But from the begynnyng it was not so. 9 I say vnto you: whosoeuer putteth away his wyfe, except it be for fornication, and maryeth another, committeth adulterie: And who so maryeth her which is diuorced, doth comit adulterie. 10 His disciples say vnto hym: If the matter be so betwene man and wyfe, [then] is it not good to mary. 11 He sayde vnto them: all men can not receaue this saying, saue they to whom it is geuen. 12 For there are some chaste, which are so borne, out of their mothers wombe: And there are some chaste, which be made chaste of me: And there be chaste, which haue made themselues chaste, for the kyngdome of heauens sake. He that is able to receaue [it], let him receaue [it].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why: Matthew 5:31, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Isaiah 50:1, Jeremiah 3:8, Mark 10:4

and to: Matthew 1:19, Malachi 2:16

Reciprocal: John 5:45 - in

Cross-References

Genesis 19:4
And before they went to rest, the men of the citie [euen] the men of Sodome compassed the house rounde about, both olde and young, all people fro [all] quarters.
Genesis 19:9
And they sayde, stande backe: And they said agayne, he came in as one to soiourne, and wyll he be nowe a iudge? we wyll surely deale worse with thee then with them. And they preassed sore vpon the man [euen] Lot, and came to breake vp the doore.
Genesis 19:11
And the men that were at the doore of the house they smoke with blyndenesse both small and great, so that they were weryed in sekyng the doore.
Genesis 19:23
And the sonne was nowe rysen vpon the earth, and Lot was entred into Soar.
Genesis 19:24
Then the Lorde rayned vpon Sodome and Gomorrhe brymstone and fire, from the Lorde out of heauen:
Leviticus 18:22
Thou shalt not lye with mankynde as with womankynde, for it is abhomination.
Leviticus 20:13
If a man also lye with mankinde after the maner as with women kynde, they haue both committed an abhomination: let them dye, their blood be vpon them.
Deuteronomy 23:17
There shalbe no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor whore keper of the sonnes of Israel.
Judges 19:23
And this man the maister of the house went out, and sayd vnto them: Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly, seyng that this man is come into myne house, do not so vnmeete a thyng.
Acts 17:26
And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all ye face of the earth, & hath determined the tymes before appoynted, and also the boundes of their habitation:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They say unto him,.... That is the Pharisees, who object the law of Moses to him, hoping hereby to ensnare him, and expose him to the resentment of the people, should he reject that, as they supposed he would;

why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and put her away? referring to Deuteronomy 24:1 which they thought to be a contradiction, and what they knew not how to reconcile to the doctrine Christ had delivered, concerning the original institution of marriage, and the close union there is between a man and his wife, by virtue of it, and which is not to be dissolved by men. Concerning a writing of divorcement and the form, and manner of it,

see Gill "Mt 5:31"

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Why did Moses ... - To this they objected that Moses had allowed such divorces Deuteronomy 24:1; and if he had allowed them, they inferred that they could not be unlawful. See the notes at Matthew 5:31.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 19:7. Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement? — It is not an unusual case for the impure and unholy to seek for a justification of their conduct from the law of God itself, and to wrest Scripture to their own destruction. I knew a gentleman, so called, who professed deep reverence for the sacred writings, and, strange as it may appear, was outwardly irreproachable in every respect but one; that was, he kept more women than his wife. This man frequently read the Bible, and was particularly conversant with those places that spoke of or seemed to legalize the polygamy of the patriarchs!

A writing of divorcement — See the form of it in Clarke's note on "Matthew 5:31".


 
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