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Explanation for:
Matthew
19
:
8
He saith to them: Because Moses by reason of the hardness of your heart permitted you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
10
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He states, \\"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives due to your stubbornness, yet this was not the original intention.\\" This raises the question, \\"Can God act in contradiction, issuing one directive and then nullifying it with another?\\" Such reasoning is flawed; rather, when Moses observed that the desire for other spouses—be they wealthier, younger, or more attractive—was leading to the destruction of first wives or causing them to live in misery, he chose to ease the situation. He aimed to prevent ongoing hatred and murder (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Furthermore, pay attention to what He did not articulate: It is not stated that God commanded this in response to your hard-heartedness; rather, it is said, \\"Moses, so that,\\" as the Apostle mentions (1 Cor. 7:25), \\"this is human counsel and not divine command.\\""},{"author-name":"Ephraem the Syrian","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88b589fc3e99eb7bb1839_Ephraem%20the%20Syrian.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"It becomes apparent from this singular commandment that it was essential to invalidate the statutes established by Moses due to the obstinacy of the people, as those who were hard-hearted had been succeeded by a community that embraced the faith of Abraham. This also applies to the prior declarations, such as “thou shalt not kill... Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Matt. 19:18), which were acknowledged even before the Law was enacted. In the Law, all such principles were proclaimed, and they found their fulfillment through the Gospel. The commandments of the Law, which were given to them for specific reasons and were set in place, did not come to an end in a way that obliterated the old; rather, they were fulfilled so that the new could be established."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The Savior does not permit Moses to be criticized, as He Himself provided him with the law. Instead, He absolves him from judgment and directs all scrutiny toward the Pharisees, as He has done on other occasions. For instance, when they accused the disciples of harvesting grain, He made it clear that they were equally guilty; when they labeled eating with unwashed hands as an offense, He pointed out that they were in the wrong as well. This approach was applied to discussions about the Sabbath and was consistent in all His teachings. His words were a direct rebuke to them, leading Him to reference the original law by stating, \\"But in the beginning it was not so,\\" indicating that God had provided a different law initially to prevent them from claiming, \\"How can we know that Moses established this due to our stubbornness?\\" Here, He effectively silences their objections. If this law had been beneficial and existed from the start, then God, who made humanity, would not have created them as a union of one man and one woman, and Christ would not have observed, \\"I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery\\" (Matt. 19:9). After demonstrating their errors, He, as the Lord, reaffirms the law, just as He did while discussing food and the Sabbath. After clarifying their misconceptions about dietary laws, He communicated to the people that it is not what goes into a mouth that defiles a person (Matt. 15:11); following His reproof regarding the Sabbath, He affirmed that it is good to do good on that holy day, and He applies the same principle in this instance.\\n\\nMoses did not establish such a law without justification; rather, he was compelled to accommodate the weaknesses of the people to whom he delivered it. They were quick to commit murder and stained their homes with blood, showing no mercy toward anyone, including their own kin. To prevent a greater evil—namely, the murder of wives deemed burdensome—he permitted divorce. The prophets reveal their violent tendencies, as illustrated when they proclaim, \\"They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity\\" (Micah 3:10); again, \\"Blood touches blood\\" (Hos. 4:2); and \\"Your hands are full of blood\\" (Isa. 1:15). This brutality was not limited to strangers, but extended to their own kin, as highlighted when the prophet states, \\"And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons\\" (Psalms 105:37). Those who would not spare their children would likewise not spare their wives. To avert this, Moses allowed for divorce. Therefore, when the Jews questioned Him, \\"Why did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and dismiss her?\\" Christ clarified that Moses permitted this because of their hard-heartedness, but stated, \\"But from the beginning it was not so,\\" and referenced, \\"He who created them from the beginning made them male and female\\" (Matt. 19:4-7). Had this arrangement been ideal, God would have created multiple wives for Adam, but instead, He instituted the law that I now affirm. This law—the principle that a man should hold onto his first wife—predates both Moses and the institution itself. I am not introducing a novel commandment or unfamiliar teaching, but one that is far older than Moses. It is also worthwhile to consider Moses' own statute concerning marriage: \\"If a man takes a wife and finds displeasure in her, he must write her a certificate of divorce, and give it to her, sending her away from his house\\" (Deut. 24:1). Notice he does not state \\"let him write and let him give,\\" but rather, \\"He shall write her a certificate of divorce and give it to her.\\" This distinction is significant; the former implies a command process, while the latter indicates a description of events rather than a law from his own authority. Further, he states that if a man sends away his wife and she marries another husband, and that husband rejects her and sends her away, her first husband cannot take her back as his wife, demonstrating that such actions are viewed as defilement, not as legitimate marriage. Therefore, it is essential to note that after her defilement, returning to the first husband would signal God's disapproval. As Moses articulates, \\"for the Lord detests divorce.\\" The prophet Malachi conveys this message even more clearly, echoing sentiments from God through his prophetic voice, stating that God no longer accepts offerings or sacrifices. He declares, \\"The Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have acted treacherously.\\" To emphasize the gravity of this transgression and render the offender defenseless, he asserts, \\"She is your companion and the wife of your covenant.\\" \\"Did not one God create you? Yet, both have He made and established a spirit of fidelity\\" (Mal. 2:14-15). Here, Malachi articulates multiple rights: first, the importance of the enduring bonds formed in youth; second, the critical role of companionship in marriage; and third, God’s intention at creation, affirming that His design involved commitment and fidelity."},{"author-name":"Ambrose of Milan","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88871ceef8c96e0998cd0_Ambrose%20of%20Milan.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"But perhaps someone may ask how it is that Moses instructed the issuance of a certificate of divorce for a wife. He who poses this question is a Jew, while he who accepts the truth is a Christian. This objection echoes what was presented to the Lord, to which He replied that Moses permitted the giving of a divorce decree due to the hardness of your hearts, but from the beginning it was not intended to be so (Matt. 19:8). It is clear that Moses allowed this, not God mandated it; God’s command has always been clear. What does the divine law state? A man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:5; Mk. 10:7-8; Eph. 5:31). Therefore, when a man divorces his wife, he is tearing apart his own body.\\n\\nThis passage illustrates that what was permitted due to human frailty was not ordained by God. Hence, the apostle states, I do not issue a command, but the Lord commands that the wife is not to separate from her husband (1 Cor. 7:10), but he later adds, To the rest I say, not the Lord: if any brother has an unbelieving wife (1 Cor. 7:12) and she departs... As for a case of unequal yoke, he further states: If an unbeliever chooses to leave, let him leave her (1 Cor. 7:15). At the same time, the Apostle Paul made it clear that no marriage can be unraveled by divine decree, and he did not offer guidance or sanction for the one who initiates the divorce, but he sought to alleviate the burden from the one who remains. This presents a moral understanding."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord, who overturned every charge against Moses, offers His defense, stating that Moses did not act contrary to God in instituting this law. Rather, he established this regulation due to your unyielding hearts, so that in your ethical depravity, with the desire to take additional wives, you would not bring ruin upon your first spouses. In their stubbornness, the people would even go to the extent of putting their wives to death if they were forced to coexist with them. Thus, Moses declared that those wives who were despised by their husbands should be granted a certificate of divorce."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"He reverses their accusation, a tactic He frequently employs. He points out, due to your obstinacy, I permitted you to issue a certificate of divorce—this stems from various reasons cited by those who despised their wives and refused to seek reconciliation. He allowed this to protect them from potential harm. The rationale behind the issuance of divorce decrees is clearly articulated in the previously mentioned fifth chapter. He states that from the very beginning it was not intended to be this way; had God meant it to be so, He would not have created just one man and one woman nor commanded that they become one flesh."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord acknowledges that while the law of Moses does permit divorce, “it was not so at first.” This regulation was later introduced to address a specific and temporary issue, namely the “hard-heartedness” of the people (Deut. 10:16, Sir. 16:10, Acts 7:51, Rom. 2:5), marked by a lack of meekness, patience, and selflessness; “it is lawful to let wives go, lest they be killed” (Eph. Sig.). During the era of Moses, the practice of divorce was already deeply rooted among the Israelites, a people often described by God as hard-hearted and cruel through the prophets. Through Moses, God instituted this law to safeguard the rights of women, mandating that divorce could not be enacted in a moment of rage, but required a formal letter of divorce after one had regained composure and reflected on the situation. Nonetheless, this law did not prohibit divorce entirely due to the people's stubbornness. However, “it was not so at first”: the creation of one man and one woman, along with the original intention for marriage, stands in direct opposition to this practice. Christ does not castigate Moses for this decree, as it was divinely ordained; instead, He clarifies the intent of the ancient law, reiterating that “in the beginning it was not so,” meaning that initially, a law divergent from this one was established by divine act (Chrysostom)."},{"author-name":"Kochomski S.W.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Moses permitted you to divorce your wives due to your hardened hearts, but this was not the divine intention from the beginning. Initially, the Creator, who established marriage, intended that what He had united would remain unbroken; the husband and wife, as one flesh, were to be together for life. However, as men became hard-hearted, they began to mistreat their wives, pushing them towards separation out of disdain and creating an atmosphere of fear and oppression. Recognizing that he could neither heal their obstinacy nor eliminate the wrongdoing, Moses chose instead to introduce a provision for divorce through a legal framework. This allowed a husband who bore animosity towards his wife to send her away, granting her the freedom to choose her own path and the right to remarry. While the sacred law of God remains constant, the challenge of wickedness has become pervasive, leading civil authorities to impose regulations to mitigate its effects. They seek to manage the situation by permitting some forms of lesser evils, tolerating the situation as long as it is visible and does not lead to greater destruction. Thus, there exists a noticeable distinction, yet not a contradiction, between divine law and civil law, with the root cause being the hardness of human hearts."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"HE SPEAKS TO THEM: Moses did not issue a command regarding divorce, as you claim, but merely allowed it. He did so not out of a desire to contradict God, but as a wise legislator. During his time, the best legal framework was not feasible; he recognized your harsh and unyielding nature, thus permitting you to divorce your wives to prevent you from causing destruction to those you wished to leave. These statements from the Lord were highly offensive and shameful to the Pharisees. To mitigate their impact, the Lord quickly refers back to the original, ancient law: It was not this way from the beginning. At the creation of the first humans, a union between one man and one woman established the prohibition against divorce. Had the law allowing divorce been the primary and beneficial statute, it would have been instituted from the outset. Hence, the original divine law of marriage does not permit divorce; this law, as ordained by God the Creator, stands as an eternal decree meant for all time and for all humanity, serving as the ultimate law applicable to everyone. After silencing the Pharisees with this response, the Lord, as the lawgiver of the New Covenant, powerfully reaffirms the foundational law of marriage:"},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Jesus’ discourse regarding marriage, divorce, and celibacy, particularly the theme of virginity, emerged from queries posed by the Pharisees and later by His disciples. This led to Jesus' clarifications concerning the permanence of marriage, emphasizing its unbreakable nature, as well as addressing the conditions surrounding divorce, particularly in cases of infidelity. This teaching is elaborated in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:31-32)."}]}
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