Mark 10:11
in Mark 10So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her:
KJV
And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
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This verse in Mark 10
Commentary
15 notes on this verseThis declaration of the Lord applies equally to man and woman. It prohibits departing from marriage except in the case of fornication.
This site's exposition
the disciples asked Jesus about this matter
on Mark 10:10-12
The clause if a woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery meets a case Jewish law hardly allowed. Roman law, familiar to Mark's Gentile readers, did allow it, and husband and wife stand equally bound.
This site's exposition
commits adultery against her
Matthew Henry explains the words against her. The wrong is done to the wife put away, a breach of his contract with her. John Gill reads the saying with Matthew 5:32 and 19:9, which name unfaithfulness to the marriage bed as the one exception.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"For a woman is bound, as long as her husband is alive." As a consequence, therefore, the husband is also bound, as long as his wife is alive. This bond renders any further union impossible without the implication of adultery. Hence, four adulterers are produced of necessity from the two marriages, if the wife remarries and the husband marries an adulteress. However, a more infamous adultery is imputed to the one who remarries after the dismissal of his wife for other than the cause of fornication. Matthew spoke of this type of adultery. Such a one is not the only one who commits adultery, but, as we read in Mark: "Whoever puts away his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if the wife puts away her husband, and marries another, she commits adultery."
God created marriage. As the union is from God, so divorce is from the devil. But one is allowed to divorce a wife in case of fornication for the precise reason that one never originally wished to have a wife who has not preserved conjugal fidelity to her husband.
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) The Lord calls by the name of adultery cohabitation with her who is not a man's wife; she is not, however, a wife, whom a man has taken to him, after quitting his first; and for this reason he commits adultery upon her, that is, upon the second, whom he brings in. And the same thing is true in the case of the woman; wherefore it goes on, And if a woman shall put away her husband, and marry another, she committeth adultery; for she cannot be joined to another as her own husband, if she leave him who is really her own husband. The law indeed forbade what was plainly adultery; but the Saviour forbids this, which was neither plain, nor known to all, though it was contrary to nature.
We hold that a man should either remain as he is born or else marry only once. For a second marriage is a veiled adultery.
In us it is not only the spirit which ought to be sanctified, but also our behaviour, manner of life, and our body. What does the apostle Paul mean when he says that the wife is sanctified by the husband and the husband by the wife? And what is the meaning of the Lord's words to those who asked concerning divorce whether it is lawful to put away one's wife as Moses commanded? "Because of the hardness of your hearts," he says, "Moses wrote this; but have you not read that God said to the first man, You two shall be one flesh? Therefore he who divorces his wife except for fornication makes her an adulteress." But "after the resurrection," he says, "they neither marry nor are given in marriage."
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
(ubi sup.) In Matthew it is more fully expressed, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication. (Matt. 19:9.) The only carnal cause then is fornication; the only spiritual cause is the fear of God, that a man should put away his wife to enter into religiono, as we read that many have done. But there is no cause allowed by the law of God for marrying another, during the lifetime of her who is quitted.
(non occ.) For a repetition of a saying of the Word, produces not weariness, but thirst and hunger; (Ecclus. 24:29) wherefore it is said, They that eat me shall yet be hungry, and they that drink me shall yet be thirsty; for the tasting of the honied words of wisdom yields all manner of savour to them who love her. Wherefore the Lord instructs His disciples over again; for it goes on, And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery upon her.
The Lord answered them: whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery with this second wife; likewise a wife who has left her husband and joined with another becomes an adulteress.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And he saith unto them,.... The same things as in Mat 5:32, 19:9; See Gill on Mat 5:32, See Gill on Mat 19:9, whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another; when there is no uncleanness in the case; when his former wile has not injured him by violating the marriage bed: committeth adultery against her; to the injury of his lawful wife; or "upon her", or "with her", with the person he marries. The Syriac and Persic versions leave out the phrase, "against her".
No more is here related of this private conference, that the law Christ laid down in this case--That it is adultery for a man to put away his wife, and marry another; it is adultery against the wife he puts away, it is a wrong to her, a breach of his contract with her,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The opening verse of this passage shows us the patient perseverance of our Lord Jesus Christ as a teacher . We are told that "Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them." Wherever our Lord went, He was always about His Father's business, preaching, teaching, and laboring to do good to souls. He threw away no opportunity. In the whole history of His earthly ministry, we never read of an idle day. Of Him it may be truly said, that He "sowed beside all waters," and that "in the morning He sowed his seed, and in the evening withheld not His hand." (Isaiah 32:20. Eccles. 11:6.) And yet our Lord knew the hearts of all men. He knew perfectly well that the great proportion of His hearers were hardened and unbelieving. He knew, as He spoke, that most of His words fell to the ground uncared for and unheeded, and that so far as concerned the salvation of souls, most of His labor was in vain. He knew all this, and yet He labored on. Let us see in this fact a standing pattern to all who try to do good to others, whatever their office may be. Let it be remembered by every minister and every missionary — by every schoolmaster and every Sunday-school teacher — by every district visitor and every lay agent — by every head of a house who has family prayers — and by every caretaker who has the charge of children. Let all such remember Christ's example, and resolve to do likewise. We are not to give up teaching, because we see no good done. We are not to relax our exertions, because we see no fruit of our toil. We are to work on steadily, keeping before us the great principle, that duty is ours, and results are God's. There must be ploughmen and sowers as well as reapers and binders of sheaves.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The opening verse of this passage shows us the patient perseverance of our Lord Jesus Christ as a teacher . We are told that "Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them." Wherever our Lord went, He was always about His Father's business, preaching, teaching, and laboring to do good to souls. He threw away no opportunity. In the whole history of His earthly ministry, we never read of an idle day.
How the passage was read
On Mark 10:2-12On Mark 10:2-12
The divorce question, translated for Rome
The test question “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?” lands in Perea, Herod Antipas's territory, where John the Baptist had just died for saying Antipas's marriage to Herodias was unlawful. Behind the question stands the recorded dispute of the Pharisaic schools over Deuteronomy 24:1: the house of Shammai allowing divorce only for unchastity, the house of Hillel for far less (“even if she spoiled his dish,” Mishnah Gittin 9:10). This site's Matthew 19 note walks that dispute; Jesus answers from creation, behind Moses.
Mark alone adds: “and if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery” (10:12). Under Jewish law of the period, the get (bill of divorce) ran from husband to wife; a wife initiating divorce was Roman law's provision, and famously what Herodias had done to her first husband. Mark, writing for Roman readers, translates the ruling into their legal world, one more instance of the New Testament doing for its first readers what this layer does for the modern one.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λέγει | legei | He says | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| αὐτοῖς· | autois | to them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὃς | hos | Who[ever] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἂν | an | maybe | G302 → | 165 times |
| ἀπολύσῃ | apoluse | shall divorce | G630 → | 63 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γυναῖκα | gunaika | wife | G1135 → | 211 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γαμήσῃ | gamese | shall marry | G1060 → | 28 times |
| ἄλλην, | allen | another, | G243 → | 155 times |
| μοιχᾶται | moichatai | commits adultery | G3429 → | |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | against | G1909 → | 883 times |
| αὐτήν. | auten | her. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λέγειHe says
legeiG3004 →1325 times
αὐτοῖς·to them;
autoisG846 →5565 times
ὃςWho[ever]
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἂνmaybe
anG302 →165 times
ἀπολύσῃshall divorce
apoluseG630 →63 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
γυναῖκαwife
gunaikaG1135 →211 times
αὐτοῦof him
autouG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γαμήσῃshall marry
gameseG1060 →28 times
ἄλλην,another,
allenG243 →155 times
μοιχᾶταιcommits adultery
moichataiG3429 →
ἐπ᾽against
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
αὐτήν.her.
autenG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 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…
it leads to
- Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.
- Mark 10:6–12
However, from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’
- Exodus 20:14
Through
Matthew 19:9Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”
it leads to
- Matthew 5:32
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 10:11–12
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
- 1 Corinthians 7:39
A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, as long as he belongs to the Lord.
- 1 Corinthians 7:10–13
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
- Matthew 5:32
Through
1 Corinthians 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.
it leads to
- Matthew 19:9
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.”
- Matthew 19:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
On this chapter
About Mark
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Athenagoras of Athens, A PLEA REGARDING CHRISTIANS 33; Augustine of Hippo, ADULTEROUS MARRIAGES 2.9.8; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON JOHN 9.2.2; Basil of Caesarea, LETTER 188, TO AMPHILOCHIUS 9; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 3; Glossa Ordinaria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.