And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
Parallel translations
- WEB If a woman herself divorces her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery.”
- BSB And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”
- NKJV And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
- NASB and if she herself divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”
- NLT And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
If a woman divorces her husband and remarries, she likewise commits adultery. Jesus holds both husband and wife to the same standard of faithfulness.
Overview
Mark, likely writing for a Greco-Roman audience where women could initiate divorce, records Jesus applying the principle equally to wives. This even-handed standard underscores the mutual covenant nature of marriage. It dignifies women as moral agents and partners, not mere property, within God's design.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- 1 Cor 7:11But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
- 1 Cor 7:13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 10:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.