Why did Moses permit divorce according to Matthew 19:7? Canonical Setting—Matthew 19:3-9 The Pharisees test Jesus: “Why then,” they ask, “did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” (v. 7). Jesus answers, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart, but it was not this way from the beginning” (v. 8). The contrast between the Genesis ideal (Genesis 2:24) and the Deuteronomic concession (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) forms the backbone of Christ’s reply. The Mosaic Statute: Deuteronomy 24:1-4 Moses never celebrates divorce; he regulates it. The legislation appears in a casuistic (if-then) form, assuming divorce as a reality in a fallen world and limiting its damage. The crucial element is the “sefer kerithuth,” the written certificate formally severing the marital bond, preventing a capriciously discarded wife from being branded an adulteress or reclaimed at the husband’s whim. Ancient Near-Eastern Background Elephantine papyri (5th century BC) and later Judean divorce deeds (Murabba’at, 2nd century AD) confirm that Israel was unique in mandating written documentation, elevating the woman’s legal standing. While neighboring cultures allowed summary dismissal, the Mosaic code insisted on due process—already a mercy amid widespread patriarchy. Permission, Not Prescription The Pharisees misquote: they say “command” (entellomai); Jesus corrects with “permitted” (epitrepō). Moses tolerated divorce; he did not endorse it as moral ideal. The lapse between concession and command underlies Jesus’ entire rebuttal. “Hardness of Heart” (sklērokardia) Scripture uses the term for recalcitrance toward God (Exodus 7:22; Mark 3:5). Israel’s collective obstinacy necessitated civil controls. Divorce was allowed not because it was righteous, but because sinful hearts would otherwise produce greater cruelty—abandonment, abuse, or homicide—without legal recourse. Covenantal Protection of the Vulnerable Malachi 2:14-16 indicts husbands who “deal treacherously” with their wives, calling divorce “violence” against one’s garment. By requiring a certificate, Moses shielded women economically, socially, and ceremonially. Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities 4.253) notes that the document preserved the wife’s freedom to remarry and access dowry funds. Purity of the Covenant Community Deuteronomy 24 forbids the first husband from remarrying the woman if she has wed another. This protects the land from becoming “defiled” (v. 4). The temporary concession thereby prevents marriage from degenerating into serial wife-swapping, upholding a modicum of sanctity. Second-Temple Misreadings By Jesus’ day, two main rabbinic schools had polarized: Shammai restricted divorce to sexual immorality; Hillel allowed it for “any matter” (Mishnah Gittin 9:10). The Pharisees’ question attempts to lure Jesus into that intramural debate, yet He transcends it, returning to Genesis. Restoration to the Edenic Pattern Jesus cites Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 as the normative blueprint: one man, one woman, one lifetime. He thereby reasserts the created order over the post-Fall concession. His authoritative “But I tell you” (Matthew 19:9) reveals kingdom ethics supplanting Old-Covenant allowances, while still recognizing porneia as a breach so grave that it fractures the covenant itself. Harmony with Other New Testament Witnesses Mark 10:2-12 parallels Matthew, omitting the porneia clause to stress permanence. Paul echoes the ideal—“a wife must not separate from her husband” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11)—yet, like Moses, acknowledges brokenness, permitting separation where unbelief or abandonment leaves no alternative (1 Corinthians 7:15). Practical Theology for Today Believers are called to embody Christ’s redemptive intent by preserving marital fidelity. In situations marred by porneia or abandonment, the church must balance grace and truth, offering discipline, pastoral care, and the gospel’s power to restore hardened hearts. Conclusion Moses permitted divorce as a civil concession to human sinfulness, aiming to curb injustice and protect the vulnerable. Jesus re-establishes the creational ideal, revealing that God’s ultimate desire is covenantal permanence—a reality achievable only through hearts transformed by the resurrected Christ. |
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