But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Parallel translations
- WEB but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
- KJV But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
- NKJV But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
- NASB but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
- NLT But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also 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
Jesus teaches that divorce except for sexual immorality leads to adultery. It upholds the seriousness and permanence of the marriage bond.
Overview
Against the lax divorce practices of His day, Jesus reaffirms God's design for lifelong marriage, naming sexual immorality as the recognized exception. Faithful Christians differ on the precise scope of the exception and on remarriage, and these matters deserve careful, charitable study elsewhere in Scripture. The clear thrust is that marriage is sacred and not to be broken lightly.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rom 7:3So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man.
- Luke 16:18Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
- 1 Cor 7:10–11To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
- 1 Cor 7:4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife.
- Matt 19:8–9Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning.
- Mark 10:5–12But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.
- Mal 2:14–16Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
- Matt 5:28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
- Luke 9:35And a voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him!”
- Luke 9:30Suddenly two men, Moses and Elijah, began talking with Jesus.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 5:32 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.