Mark 10:2-12

Context

While Jesus is teaching in the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan (Mark 10:1), the Pharisees come to him, "tempting him," and ask whether it is lawful for a man to put away his wife. Jesus asks them in turn what Moses commanded, and they reply that Moses permitted a man to write a bill of divorcement and send her away (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Jesus says that this provision was given because of "the hardness of your heart," that is, a stubborn and obstinate heart. He then cites Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 to present marriage as an order established from the beginning of creation. Afterward, in the house, he tells his disciples that whoever puts away a spouse and marries another commits adultery, whether husband or wife.

The region beyond the Jordan was ruled by Herod Antipas. John the Baptist had been executed for criticizing Herod's marriage (Mark 6:17-18). For this reason, some interpreters see a political trap in the Pharisees' question.

Interpretation

• Reading centered on the creation order: This view holds that the Mosaic provision was a concession intended to restrict divorces that were already taking place, and that God's original intention is lifelong monogamous marriage. It is a starting point widely shared across denominations.
• Reading alongside the exception passages: Many Protestant traditions read this passage together with the phrase "except it be for fornication" in Matthew 19:3-9 and with 1 Corinthians 7:10-15, which addresses the departure of an unbelieving spouse. The Westminster Confession of Faith (chapter 24), a doctrinal standard of Presbyterianism, recognizes as grounds for divorce both adultery and willful desertion that can in no way be remedied by the church or the civil magistrate.
• Reading without exceptions: On the grounds that Mark contains no exception clause, this view holds that marriage cannot be dissolved while a spouse is living. The Catholic Church teaches the indissolubility of marriage, and some Protestants likewise hold positions that strictly limit remarriage.
• Reading attentive to historical background: This view holds that verse 12, which addresses a wife putting away her husband, reflects the setting of Roman law rather than contemporary Jewish custom. It interprets the statement in verse 11 that a husband also commits adultery "against her" as a check on male-centered divorce practices.

Debates and Issues

• Mark and Luke 16:18 contain no exception clause, whereas Matthew does. Depending on which text is taken as the standard, denominations and congregations reach different conclusions on practical questions such as whether remarriage is permitted and whether divorced or remarried members may be ordained (Divorce and Remarriage).
• The phrase "and cleave to his wife" in verse 7 is absent from some early manuscripts. Consequently, translations variously include it, omit it, or place it in brackets.
• The words "male and female" in verse 6 are cited as grounds for opposing same-sex marriage. Others counter that the subject of this passage is divorce, so it is difficult to apply it directly to that question (Homosexuality and the Church).

In the Korean Church

At a wedding service, the officiant frequently quotes verse 9 (or Matthew 19:6), "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder," when pronouncing the couple married.

Related Passages

• Matthew 19:3-9
• Deuteronomy 24:1-4
• Genesis 2:24
• 1 Corinthians 7:10-15
• Malachi 2:14-16