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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Matthew 19:1-2

We have here an account of Christ's removal. Observe, 1. He left Galilee. There he had been brought up, and had spent the greatest part of his life in that remote despicable part of the country; it was only upon occasion of the feasts, that he came up to Jerusalem, and manifested himself there; and, we may suppose, that, having no constant residence there when he did come, his preaching and miracles were the more observable and acceptable. But it was an instance of his humiliation, and in... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 19:1-9

19:1-9 When Jesus had finished these words, he left Galilee, and came into the districts of Judaea which are on the far side of the Jordan. Many crowds followed him, and he healed them there. Pharisees came to him, trying to test him. "It is lawful," they said, "for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?" He answered, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female, and he said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 19:1-9

One of the great problems of Jewish divorce lies within the Mosaic enactment. That enactment states that a man may divorce his wife, "if she finds no favour in his eyes, because he has found some indecency in her." The question is--how is the phrase some indecency to be interpreted? On this point the Jewish Rabbis were violently divided, and it was here that Jesus' questioners wished to involve him. The school of Shammai were quite clear that a matter of indecency meant fornication, and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 19:1-9

In effect, the Pharisees were asking Jesus whether he favoured the strict view of Shammai or the laxer view of Hillel; and thereby seeking to involve him in controversy. Jesus' answer was to take things back to the very beginning, back to the ideal of creation. In the beginning, he said, God created Adam and Eve, man and woman. Inevitably, in the very circumstances of the creation story, Adam and Eve were created for each other and for no one else; their union was necessarily complete and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Matthew 19:1-9

Let us now go on to see the high ideal of the married state which Jesus sets before those who are willing to accept his commands. We will see that the Jewish ideal gives us the basis of the Christian ideal. The Jewish term for marriage was Kiddushin. Kiddushin meant sanctification or consecration. It was used to describe something which was dedicated to God as his exclusive and peculiar possession. Anything totally surrendered to God was kiddushin. This meant that in marriage the husband was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:1

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings ,.... Concerning humility, avoiding offences, the methods to be taken in reproving offenders, and the forgiveness that is to be exercised towards them: he departed from Galilee ; where he had chiefly preached and wrought his miracles, no more to return thither till after his resurrection: and came into the coasts of Judea beyond Jordan ; that is, to that country which was called "beyond Jordan", and bordered on Judea;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 19:1

Beyond Jordan - Or, by the side of Jordan. Matthew begins here to give an account of Christ's journey (the only one he mentions) to Jerusalem, a little before the passover, at which he was crucified. See Mark 10:1 ; Luke 9:51 . Jesus came from Galilee (which lay to the north of Judea) into the coasts of Judea; and from thence, in his way to Jerusalem, he went through Jericho, ( Matthew 20:17 , Matthew 20:29 ;), which lay at the distance of sixty furlongs, or seven miles and a half... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 19:1

When Jesus had finished these sayings. This is the beginning of a new section of the history, commencing, as usual, with the formulary, And it came to pass. "These sayings" must refer to what was recorded in Matthew 18:1-35 . But St. Matthew's narrative omits many events that happened in the interval between the account of the Galilaean ministry and the history of these last days, that is, from the autumn of one year to the spring of the next. The transactions of this time, which are... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 19:1-12

The beginning of the last journey to Jerusalem . The question concerning divorce . ( Mark 10:1-12 .) read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 19:1-12

The sanctity of marriage. I. CONVERSATION WITH THE PHARISEES . 1 . Work in Peraea . The Lord hath now finally left Galilee; the restless hostility of the Pharisees had driven him from the province in which at first he had met with such great success, and which was regarded as his own country. Judaea, too, was now unsafe for him. His hour was almost come; he would work while it was day; but he would not expose himself to unnecessary danger before the time appointed. Peraea... read more

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