Matthew 19:8

Mace New Testament

he answer'd them, 'twas because of your perverse temper that Moses suffered you to repudiate your wives: but from the beginning this was not in practice.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He told them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness of your hearts, but it was not like that from the beginning.

King James Version (1611)
Hee saith vnto them, Moses, because of the hardnesse of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wiues: but from the beginning it was not so.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

New American Standard Bible
He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

New Century Version
Jesus answered, "Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you refused to accept God's teaching, but divorce was not allowed in the beginning.

Amplified Bible
He said to them, "Because your hearts were hard and stubborn Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

Geneva Bible (1587)
He sayd vnto them, Moses, because of the hardnes of your heart, suffered you to put away your wiues: but from the beginning it was not so.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

Legacy Standard Bible
He *said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus replied, "It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but it was not this way from the beginning.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus replied, "You are so heartless! That's why Moses allowed you to divorce your wife. But from the beginning God did not intend it to be that way.

Complete Jewish Bible
He answered, "Moshe allowed you to divorce your wives because your hearts are so hardened. But this is not how it was at the beginning.

Darby Translation
He says to them, Moses, in view of your hardheartedness, allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not thus.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "Moses allowed you to divorce your wives because you refused to accept God's teaching. But divorce was not allowed in the beginning.

George Lamsa Translation
He said to them, Moses, considering the hardness of your heart, gave you permission to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation.

Lexham English Bible
He said to them, "Moses, with reference to your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not like this.

Literal Translation
He said to them, In view of your hardheartedness, Moses allowed you to put away your wives. But from the beginning it was not so.

American Standard Version
He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so.

Bible in Basic English
He says to them, Moses, because of your hard hearts, let you put away your wives: but it has not been so from the first.

Hebrew Names Version
He said to them, "Moshe, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so.

International Standard Version
He said to them, "It was because of your hardness of heart that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not this way.

Etheridge Translation
He said to them, Musha, on account of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to send away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.

Murdock Translation
He said to them: Moses, on account of the hardness of your heart, permitted you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
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.

English Revised Version
He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so.

World English Bible
He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
He saith to them, Because of the hardness of your hearts, Moses suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Moses," He replied, "in consideration of the hardness of your nature permitted you to put away your wives, but it has not been so from the beginning.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to hem, For Moises, for the hardnesse of youre herte, suffride you leeue youre wyues; but fro the bigynnyng it was not so.

Update Bible Version
He says to them, Moses for your hardness of heart allowed you to divorce your wives: but from the beginning it has not been so.

Webster's Bible Translation
He saith to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

New English Translation
Jesus said to them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way.

New King James Version
He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, "Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended.

New Life Bible
Jesus said to them, "Because of your hard hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives. It was not like that from the beginning.

New Revised Standard
He said to them, "It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He saith unto them - Moses, in view of your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives; From the beginning however, hath it not been done, thus.

Douay-Rheims Bible
He saith to them: Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

Revised Standard Version
He said to them, "For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
He sayde vnto them: Moses because of the hardnes of youre hertes suffred you to put awaye youre wyfes: But from ye beginnynge it was not so.

Young's Literal Translation
He saith to them -- `Moses for your stiffness of heart did suffer you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it hath not been so.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He sayde vnto the: Moses (because of ye hardnes of yor hertes) suffred you to put awaye youre wyues: Neuertheles fro the begynnynge it hath not bene so.

THE MESSAGE
Jesus said, "Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God's original plan. I'm holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery."

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus told 'em, "He said y'all could divorce because you are a foolish bunch of people, but that's not the way my Dad planned it.

Contextual Overview

³ The Pharisees likewise came to him, and maliciously propos'd this question, may a man lawfully put away his wife at discretion? ⁴ and he answered them, have ye not read, that when the creator, at the beginning, made male and female, ⁵ he said, "for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and be attach'd to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh?" ⁶ so that they are not now two, but one. what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. ⁷ why then, said they, did Moses permit to give a writ of divorce to repudiate the wife? ⁸ he answer'd them, 'twas because of your perverse temper that Moses suffered you to repudiate your wives: but from the beginning this was not in practice. ⁹ and I tell you, that whoever shall put away his wife, except it be for adultery, and shall marry another, he committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her that is put away, causeth her to commit adultery. ¹⁰ thereupon his disciples said, if the case between man and wife be such, it is best not to marry. ¹¹ but he reply'd, 'tis not everyman can live single, but only such as have the gift of continency. ¹² as there are some eunuchs, who were such from their very birth: and others who were made such by men: so there are some who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of religion. he that can bear the state of celibacy, let him bear it.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

because: Psalms 95:8, Zechariah 7:12, Malachi 2:13, Malachi 2:14, Mark 10:5

suffered: Matthew 3:15, Matthew 8:31, 1 Corinthians 7:6

but: Genesis 2:24, Genesis 7:7, Jeremiah 6:16

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:19 - two wives Deuteronomy 22:19 - he may not put 1 Samuel 1:2 - two 1 Samuel 25:43 - both 1 Chronicles 14:3 - took Matthew 5:32 - whosoever John 5:45 - in

Cross-References

Mark 9:6
for he knew not what he said, they were all so frightned.

Romans 3:8
and why may we not do evil, that good may come?" which is slanderously reported to be our maxim, by some, whose condemnation is just.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He saith unto them,.... In answer to their objection;

Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: in which may be observed, that, though it was by direction that Moses, in his system of laws, allowed of divorces; yet not God, but he is said to do it, because it was a branch of the political and judicial laws, by which the people of the Jews were governed under Moses, and whilst the Mosaic economy continued, and did not concern other people, and other times; and therefore it is said "you" and "your" wives, you Jews, and you only, and not the Gentiles. And so the Jews say m, that the Gentiles have no divorces: for thus they represent God, saying;

"in Israel I have granted divorces, I have not granted divorces among the nations of the world. R. Chananiah, in the name of R. Phineas, observed, that in every other section it is written, the Lord of hosts, but here it is written, the God of Israel; to teach thee, that the holy, blessed God does not join his name to divorces, but in Israel only. R. Chayah Rabbah says, גוים אין להן גירושין, "the Gentiles have no divorces."''

Besides, this was a direct positive command to the Jews, as the Pharisees suggest in their objection; it was only a sufferance, a permission in some cases, and not in everyone; and that because of the hardness of their hearts; they being such a stubborn and inflexible people, that when they were once displeased there was no reconciling them; and so malicious and revengeful, that if this had not been granted, would have used their wives, that displeased them, in a most cruel, and barbarous manner, if not have murdered them: so that this grant was made, not to indulge their lusts, but to prevent greater evils; and not so much as a privilege and liberty to the men, as in favour of the women; who, when they could not live peaceably and comfortably with a man, might be dismissed and marry another:

but from the beginning it was not so; from the beginning of time, or of the creation, or of the world, or at the first institution of marriage, and in the first ages of the world, there was no such permission, nor any such practice. This was not the declared will of God at first, nor was it ever done by any good men before the times of Moses; we never read that Adam, or Seth, or Noah, or Abraham, put away their wives, upon any consideration; though in the latter there might have been some appearance of reason for so doing, on account of sterility, but this he did not; nor Isaac, nor Jacob, nor any of the "patriarchs".

m T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 58. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He saith unto them ... - Jesus admits that this was allowed, but still he contends that this was not the original design of marriage. It was only a temporary expedient growing out of a special state of things, and not designed to be perpetual. It was on account of the hardness of their hearts. Moses found the custom in use. He found a hard-hearted and rebellious people. In this state of things he did not deem it prudent to forbid a practice so universal; but it might be regulated; and, instead of suffering the husband to divorce his wife in a passion, he required him, in order that he might take time to consider the matter, and thus make it probable that divorces would be less frequent, to give her a writing; to sit down deliberately to look at the matter, and probably, also, to bring the case before some scribe or learned man, to write a divorce in the legal form. Thus doing, there might be an opportunity for the matter to be reconciled, and the man to be persuaded not to divorce his wife. This, says our Saviour, was a permission growing out of a particular state of things, and designed to remedy a prevailing evil; but at first it was not so. God intended that marriage should be between one man and one woman, and that they were only to be separated, in the case specified, by him who had formed the union.

Hardness of your hearts - He speaks here of his hearers as a part of the nation. The hardness of you Jews; as when we say, we fought with England and gained our independence; that is, we, the American people, though it was done by our fathers. He does not mean to say, therefore, that this was done on account of the people whom he addressed, but of the national hardness of heart - the stubbornness of the Jewish people as a people.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 19:8. Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts — It is dangerous to tolerate the least evil, though prudence itself may require it: because toleration, in this case, raises itself insensibly into permission, and permission soon sets up for command. Moses perceived that if divorce were not permitted, in many cases, the women would be exposed to great hardships through the cruelty of their husbands: for so the word σκληροκαρδια, is understood in this place by some learned men.

From the beginning it was not so — The Jews named the books of the law from the first word in each. Genesis they always term Bereshith, בראשית, which is the first word in it, and signifies, In the beginning. It is probable that our Lord speaks in this way here, In Bereshith it was not so, intimating that the account given in Genesis is widely different. There was no divorce between Eve and Adam; nor did he or his family practise polygamy. But our Lord, by the beginning, may mean the original intention or design.