Verse 2
This teaching grew out of the Pharisees’ attempt to trap Jesus. The incident occurred in Perea, Herod Antipas’ territory. Perhaps the Pharisees wanted to get Jesus to explain His view of divorce because they suspected it was the same as John the Baptist’s. John had lost his head literally because of his views on marriage. Probably Jesus’ critics hoped that He would also antagonize the Roman ruler with His views. The form of their question implied they thought that Jesus was against divorce for any reason.
The Pharisees all believed that the Old Testament permitted Jewish men to divorce their wives and to remarry (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). They disagreed among themselves on the grounds for divorce. Followers of Rabbi Shammai believed Moses meant the only ground was fornication, sexual sin. Rabbi Hillel’s disciples held that anything a wife did that displeased her husband constituted legitimate grounds for divorce.
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