Matthew 5:31-32

MATTHEW—NOTE ON Matthew 5:31 This passage reflects the fact that divorce and remarriage were widely practiced in the first century. A certificate of divorce gave a woman the right to remarry. But I say to you. God’s rule upheld marriage and protected women from being divorced for no reason. (See notes on Deut. 24:1–4; Matthew 19:8.) Here and in Matthew 19:3, Jesus bases his teaching on God’s original intention that marriage should be a permanent union of a man and woman as “one flesh” (Mark 10:8). Sexual immorality can refer to adultery, prostitution, incest, or other types of sex outside of marriage. Scripture prohibits any kind of sexual intercourse outside of marriage (thus forbidding the practice of homosexuality and bestiality as well). Except on the ground of sexual immorality. This implies that when a divorce is obtained because of the sexual immorality of one’s spouse, then such a divorce is not morally wrong. But when a man unjustly divorces his wife (that is, when his wife has not been sexually immoral), the husband thus makes her commit adultery when she remarries. Jesus places primary blame on the husband in such cases. (See also note on Matt. 19:9.) Whoever marries a divorced woman means, “whoever marries such a wrongly divorced woman commits adultery.” See also notes on 19:3–9; Mark 10:4; Mark 10:10; Mark 10:12; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:15.