Mark 10:3
New International Version
“What did Moses command you?” he replied.

New Living Translation
Jesus answered them with a question: “What did Moses say in the law about divorce?”

English Standard Version
He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”

Berean Standard Bible
“What did Moses command you?” He replied.

Berean Literal Bible
And He answering said to them, "What did Moses command you?"

King James Bible
And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

New King James Version
And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

New American Standard Bible
And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

NASB 1995
And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

NASB 1977
And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

Amplified Bible
He replied to them, “What did Moses command you?”

Christian Standard Bible
He replied to them, “What did Moses command you? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He replied to them, “What did Moses command you?”

American Standard Version
And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

Contemporary English Version
Jesus asked them, "What does the Law of Moses say about this?"

English Revised Version
And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus answered them, "What command did Moses give you?"

Good News Translation
Jesus answered with a question, "What law did Moses give you?"

International Standard Version
"What did Moses command you?" he responded.

Majority Standard Bible
?What did Moses command you?? He replied.

NET Bible
He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"

New Heart English Bible
He answered, "What did Moses command you?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?

Weymouth New Testament
"What rule did Moses lay down for you?" He answered.

World English Bible
He answered, “What did Moses command you?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and He answering said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

Berean Literal Bible
And He answering said to them, "What did Moses command you?"

Young's Literal Translation
and he answering said to them, 'What did Moses command you?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he, having answered, said to them, What did Moses command you?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he answering, saith to them: What did Moses command you?

Catholic Public Domain Version
But in response, he said to them, “What did Moses instruct you?”

New American Bible
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”

New Revised Standard Version
He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He said to them, What did Moses command you?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He said to them, “What has Moses commanded you?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
He answered and said to them: What commandment did Moses give you?

Godbey New Testament
And He responding said to them, What did Moses command you?

Haweis New Testament
He answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

Mace New Testament
to which he answered, what direction did Moses give you?

Weymouth New Testament
"What rule did Moses lay down for you?" He answered.

Worrell New Testament
And He, answering, said to them, "What did Moses command you?"

Worsley New Testament
And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Teachings about Divorce
2Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired. 3“What did Moses command you?” He replied. 4They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.”…

Cross References
Matthew 19:4-8
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ / and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? / So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” ...

Deuteronomy 24:1-4
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. / If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, / and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, ...

Matthew 5:31-32
It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ / 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.

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. / But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.

Malachi 2:14-16
Yet 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. / Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. / “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

Ephesians 5:31-33
“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” / This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church. / Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Luke 16:18
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Romans 7:2-3
For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. / So 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 if she marries another man.

1 Corinthians 6:16
Or don’t you know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”

Genesis 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.

1 Timothy 4:1-3
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. / They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Hebrews 13:4
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.

Jeremiah 3:1
“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you?

What.

Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Luke 10:25
And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

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Command Lay Moses Rule
Mark 10
1. Jesus disputes with the Pharisees concerning divorce;
13. blesses the children that are brought unto him;
17. resolves a rich man how he may inherit everlasting life;
23. tells his disciples of the danger of riches;
28. promises rewards to those who forsake all for the gospel;
32. foretells his death and resurrection;
35. bids the two ambitious suitors to think rather of suffering with him;
46. and restores to Bartimaeus his sight.














“What did Moses command you?”
This question is posed by Jesus in response to the Pharisees' inquiry about divorce. It reflects Jesus' method of engaging with the religious leaders by directing them back to the Scriptures, specifically the Mosaic Law. The reference to Moses is significant because Moses is a central figure in Jewish tradition, representing the Law given by God. This question challenges the Pharisees to consider the original intent and spirit of the Law rather than their interpretations or traditions. It also highlights the authority of Scripture in addressing moral and ethical issues.

He replied.
Jesus' response is direct and authoritative, emphasizing His role as a teacher and interpreter of the Law. By engaging the Pharisees in this manner, Jesus demonstrates His deep understanding of the Scriptures and His ability to reveal their true meaning. This interaction also sets the stage for Jesus to teach about the sanctity of marriage and God's original design for it, as He will later reference the creation account in Genesis. This approach underscores the importance of returning to the foundational truths of Scripture when addressing complex issues.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees' question about divorce. He is the authoritative teacher and interpreter of the Law.

2. Pharisees
A religious group in Judaism known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses. They approach Jesus to test Him with a question about the legality of divorce.

3. Moses
Although not directly present in the scene, Moses is referenced by Jesus as the one who provided the law concerning divorce in the Old Testament.
Teaching Points
Understanding the Law's Purpose
Jesus points back to Moses to show that the law was given due to the hardness of human hearts, not as an endorsement of divorce. This teaches us to seek the spirit of the law rather than just the letter.

God's Original Design for Marriage
Jesus emphasizes that marriage was intended to be a lifelong union. This calls Christians to honor and uphold the sanctity of marriage.

Testing Jesus
The Pharisees' question was a test, revealing their focus on legalism rather than understanding God's heart. We should be wary of approaching God's Word with a similar mindset.

The Authority of Jesus
Jesus' response demonstrates His authority to interpret and fulfill the Law. As followers, we should look to Jesus as the ultimate authority in our lives.Verses 3, 4. - And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? They professed much reverence for Moses; he therefore appeals to their great lawgiver. And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. If we now turn to St. Matthew (Matthew 21:4, 5). He we shall find that our Lord then appeals to the original institution of marriage. "Have ye not read, that he which made them from the beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the twain shall become one flesh? So that they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." He thus reminds them that marriage is a Divine institution; that as Adam and Eve were united by him in a union which was indissoluble, therefore he intended that the marriage bond should remain ever, so that the wife ought never to be separated from her husband, since she becomes by marriage a very part of her husband. To this purpose St. Augustine says ('City of God,' bk. 14:22). He "It was not of the spirit which commands and the body which obeys, nor of the rational soul which rules and the irrational desire which is ruled, nor of the contemplative virtue which is supreme, and the active which is subject, nor of the understanding of the mind and the sense of the body; but plainly of the matrimonial union, by which the sexes are mutually bound together, that our Lord, when asked whether it were lawful for any cause to put away one's wife, answered as in St. Matthew (Matthew 21:4, 5). It is certain, then, that from the first men were created as we see and know them to be now, of two sexes - male and female - and that they are called one, either on account of the matrimonial union, or on account of the origin of the woman, who was created from out of the side of the man."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“What
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

{did} Moses
Μωϋσῆς (Mōusēs)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3475: Or Moses, or Mouses of Hebrew origin; Moseus, Moses, or Mouses, the Hebrew lawgiver.

command
ἐνετείλατο (eneteilato)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1781: To give orders (injunctions, instructions, commands). From en and the base of telos; to enjoin.

you?”
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

He replied.
ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.


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