Matthew 19:6-13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:7

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,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:8

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:9

And I say unto you ,.... To his disciples, when they were with him alone in the house, and asked him more particularly about the subject, concerning which he had been discoursing with the Pharisees, as Mark observes, Mark 10:10 when he said to them much the same things, he had delivered before in Matthew 5:32 whosoever shall put away in his wife ; separate her from his person, house and bed, and dismiss her as his wife, no more to be considered in that relation to him, except it... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:10

His disciples say unto him ,.... Being surprised at this account of things, it being quite contrary to what they had been taught, and very different from the general practice and usage of their nation: if the case of a man be so with his wife ; if they are so closely joined together in marriage; if they are, as it were, one flesh, or one body, that a man's wife is himself: that the bond between them is so inviolable, that it is not to be dissolved, but in case of adultery; that if a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:11

But he said unto them ,.... With respect to the inference or conclusion, the disciples formed from what he had asserted: all men cannot receive this saying ; of their's, that it is not good to marry, but it is more proper and expedient to live a single life! every man, as the Syriac version renders it, is not ספק לה , "sufficient", or "fit", for this thing; everyone has not the gift of continency, and indeed very few; and therefore it is expedient for such to marry; for what the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:12

For there are some eunuchs ,.... Our Lord here distinguishes the various sorts of persons, that can and do live in a single state with content: some by nature, and others by violence offered to them, are rendered incapable of entering into a marriage state; and others, through the gift of God, and under the influence of his grace, abstain from marriage cheerfully and contentedly, in order to be more useful in the interest of religion; but the number of either of these is but few, in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 19:13

Then were there brought unto him little children ,.... It does not appear that they were new born babes; the words used by either of the evangelists do not always signify such, but are sometimes used of such as are capable of going alone; yea, of receiving instructions, of understanding the Scriptures, and even of one of twelve years of age, Matthew 18:2 nor is it probable that infants just born, or within a month, should be had abroad. Moreover, these were such as Christ called unto him, ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 19:6

What therefore God hath joined together - Συνεζευξεν , yoked together, as oxen in the plough, where each must pull equally, in order to bring it on. Among the ancients, when persons were newly married, they put a yoke upon their necks, or chains upon their arms, to show that they were to be one, closely united, and pulling equally together in all the concerns of life. See Kypke in loco. The finest allegorical representation of the marriage union I have met with, is that antique gem... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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... read more

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