This is the second dive into one of the touchiest topics in Scripture—divorce and remarriage. Last week we saw the Old Testament allows divorce (Deut 24) and that the marriage bond can be broken. This week we zoom in on Matthew 5 & 19, the famous “except for porneia” clause, and why Mark & Luke don’t contradict—they just give less context.
1. The Big Question the Pharisees Asked
Matthew 19:3 – “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
That phrase—“any cause”—is the exact debate that is happening in 1st-century Judaism.
There are two major rabbinic schools:
| School | Divorce Allowed For… |
|---|---|
| Hillel (liberal, still dominant today) | ANY reason – burnt dinner, got ugly, “I just don’t like her anymore.” |
| Shammai (strict) | ONLY sexual indecency (adultery). |
Yeshua sides closer to Shammai—but takes the understanding much deeper.
2. Yeshua’s Answer in Matthew 19:4–9
- “Haven’t you read?” → Genesis 2:24 – one man, one woman, one flesh.
→ Knocks out polygamy and flippant divorce. - “Let no one separate” does not equal “cannot be separated.”
→ It’s a command, not an impossibility. - “Moses permitted… because of your hardness of heart.”
→ Greek: sklērokardia = stubbornness.
→ Same word used in Jeremiah 4:4 (LXX) where God tells Israel to “circumcise your stubborn hearts” after repeated adultery.
3. The Key Word: Porneia (Not Just “Adultery”)
Matthew 5:32 & 19:9 – “…except for porneia…”
- Porneia = any sexual immorality:
→ adultery, incest, homosexuality, cult prostitution, bestiality, etc. - Adultery (moicheia) is one kind of porneia.
- Yeshua expands Shammai’s rule: any sexual sin can break the covenant.
If divorce is for porneia, it’s legitimate → remarriage is not adultery.
4. Why Mark & Luke Don’t Mention the Exception
- Mark 10 & Luke 16 aren’t answering “Can you divorce for any reason?”
- They’re saying: “Stop treating marriage like a revolving door.”
- Matthew was written so his readers would know the Hillel/Shammai debate.
- Mark/Luke were written to those who most likely understood the context and would instinctively add the phrase “for any reason/cause.”
Many times Matthew gives us more information that Mark and Luke, here is one example:
Mark 8:12 – “No sign will be given…”
Matthew 12:39 – “…except the sign of Jonah.”
Matthew adds context, but he doesn’t contradict.
Scholars have noted that Mark is written for a more oratory style, meaning that it is meant to be read aloud compared to Matthew which is more technical.
5. Deuteronomy 24:1 – The Word That Started the Fight
“…because he found some indecency (ervat davar) in her…”
| School | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Shammai | Indecent matter → sexual sin only. |
| Hillel | Matter of indecency → ANY matter (even bad cooking). |
Yeshua: “Only porneia.”
→ Rejects Hillel’s loopholes.
→ Expands Shammai to all sexual covenant-breaking.
6. God Himself Divorced Israel—But Took Her Back
Jeremiah 3:1, 8 (LXX) – “I sent her away… I gave her a certificate of divorce.”
Jeremiah 3:14 – “Return, faithless children…”
- Divorce was allowed (not commanded).
- Forgiveness was always the goal.
- Same with human marriage: Stay if possible. Forgive if they repent.
- This aligns with Messiah’s teaching about forgiveness in Luke 17:3-4
7. Bottom Line
- Marriage is for life – one man, one woman, one family.
- Divorce is allowed (not mandatory) for porneia.
- Remarriage after a legitimate divorce is not adultery.
- Forgiveness is greater than divorce when there are fruits of repentance.
Next week: Paul, Romans 7, 1 Corinthians 7 – spoiler: they’re NOT about divorce/remarriage.
Recommended Reading:
Divorce & Remarriage in the Bible – David Instone-Brewer (2002, Eerdmans)
Many Blessings,
Javier Holguin
Word of Truth Fellowship 
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