And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Pharisees came to him testing him, and asked him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
- BSB Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.
- NKJV The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
- NASB And some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began questioning Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife.
- NLT Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: “Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?”
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
Pharisees test Jesus by asking whether divorce is lawful. Their aim is to trap him, but it opens the way for his teaching on marriage.
Overview
The question is a snare, perhaps hoping to entangle Jesus in the rabbinic debate over lawful grounds for divorce or even in the politics that cost John the Baptist his life. Rather than taking a side in the controversy, Jesus will lift the discussion to God's original design. The episode shows his wisdom in turning hostile questions toward deeper truth.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- 1 Cor 7:10–11And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
- Matt 23:13But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
- John 8:6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
- Luke 11:53–54And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
- Luke 6:7And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.
- Matt 19:3The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
- John 7:48Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
- John 11:57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.
- John 7:32The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
- Luke 5:30But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
- Matt 16:1The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.
- 1 Cor 10:9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
- Luke 11:39And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
- Mark 8:11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
- Luke 16:14And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.
- Mark 8:15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
- Matt 15:12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
- John 11:47Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
- Matt 22:35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
- Luke 7:30But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
- Mal 2:16For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
- Matt 5:31–32It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
- Matt 9:34But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
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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 10:2 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
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