Mark 10

10:1-12 Wherever Jesus was, the people flocked after him in crowds, and he taught them. Preaching was Christ's constant practice. He here shows that the reason why Moses' law allowed divorce, was such that they ought not to use the permission; it was only for the hardness of their hearts. God himself joined man and wife together; he has fitted them to be comforts and helps for each other. The bond which God has tied, is not to be lightly untied. Let those who are for putting away their wives consider what would become of themselves, if God should deal with them in like manner.

"\nAnd the: Pharisees came unto him,.... As they every where did; not to be instructed by him, but to ensnare him;\n\nand asked him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? that is, as Matthew adds, "for every cause", [See comments on Mt 19:3]: for, a divorce might be lawfully made for a cause, or reason, namely, adultery, but not for any, or every cause; which is the sense of this question of the Pharisees; and, which they put, not for information, but\n\ntempting him; trying to entangle him by opposing the authority of Moses, should he deny the lawfulness of divorces, or by objecting his former doctrine, Mt 5:32, and so expose him as an inconsistent preacher, should he allow them to be lawful for every reason. This clause is placed in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions before the question.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd he answered and said unto them,.... Very prudently and wisely,\n\nwhat did Moses command you? according to Matthew, he put another question to them; see Mt 19:4; no doubt but both were put, and this after they had urged the authority and law of Moses: and therefore be very pertinently asks them, what Moses had said about divorces, what law he had left; and puts them upon producing and repeating it, that the sense of it might be examined, and it be considered, upon what account it was given.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they said,.... By way of reply,\n\nMoses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away, Moses did not command them to divorce their wives, only suffered them to do so: and gave orders that if they could not bear that they should live with them, but would divorce them, that they should give them a bill, which should certify, they were so divorced, and then send them out of their houses, free to marry other men; this law, or permission, is in De 24:1, of the form of a bill of divorcement,\n[See comments on Mt 5:31].\n\n\n "

"\nAnd Jesus answered and said unto them,.... With respect to this command, or sufferance of Moses, which they urged:\n\nfor the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept; it was, not because it was right in its own nature, or according to the original will of God; but, because the Jews were such cruel, and hard hearted men, that if this had not been permitted, some of them, that had wives not so agreeable to them, would have used them in a very inhuman manner, if not murdered them; and therefore to prevent further, and greater mischief, Moses indulged them with such a precept; [See comments on Mt 19:8].\n\n\n "

"\nBut from the beginning of the creation,.... Of the world, or of man: \u05de\u05ea\u05d7\u05dc\u05ea \u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5 \u05e9\u05dc \u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd, "from the beginning of the creation of the world", is a way of speaking often used by the Jews {r}: the phrase "of the creation" is left out in the Syriac and Persic versions; and so it was in Beza's most ancient copy, and it is only read, "from the beginning", as in Mt 19:4,8, [See comments on Mt 19:4],\n[See comments on Mt 19:8].\n\nGod made them male and female; the first that were created, Adam and Eve, the first parents of mankind, the first couple that came together were one male and one female; so that there could be no polygamy or divorce: Adam could not have more wives than one: nor could he put away Eve, and marry another; no provision was made for any such usages and practices; [See comments on Mt 19:4]. In the Complutensian edition, it is added, "and said", the following words.\n\n{r} Bereshit Rabba, sect. 3. fol. 2. 3. & sect. 4. fol. 4. 1.\n\n\n "

"\nFor this cause shall a man leave his father and mother,.... The Persic version adds, "and brethren and sisters", though without any foundation in the original text, in Ge 2:24, from whence this passage is cited; or in any copy of the evangelist:\n\nand cleave to his wife; [See comments on Mt 19:5].\n\n\n "

10:6 From the beginning of the creation - Therefore Moses in the first of Genesis gives us an account of things from the beginning of the creation. Does it not clearly follow, that there was no creation previous to that which Moses describes? God made them male and female - Therefore Adam did not at first contain both sexes in himself: but God made Adam, when first created, male only; and Eve female only. And this man and woman he joined together, in a state of innocence, as husband and wife.

"\nAnd the twain shall be one flesh,.... This is the remaining part of the citation out of Ge 2:24;\n[See comments on Mt 19:5];\n\nso then they are no more twain; but one flesh; as Adam and Eve were both by creation and marriage: and so two persons, a man and woman, being lawfully married together, become one flesh, or "one body", as the Arabic and Persic versions render the phrase; and therefore the wife is to be loved by the husband as his own body, and from whom there should be no separation, until death, but in case of adultery;\n[See comments on Mt 19:6].\n\n "

"\nWhat therefore God hath joined together,....\n[See comments on Mt 19:6].\n\n "

"\nAnd in the house,....