Matthew 5 · Verse 31

Matthew 5:31

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

Matthew 5:31, King James Version

Matthew 5:31 in other translations

BSB	It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
WEB	“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’
ASV	It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
YLT	‘And it was said, That whoever may put away his wife, let him give to her a writing of divorce;
DARBY	It has been said too, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a letter of divorce.
BBE	Again, it was said, Whoever puts away his wife has to give her a statement in writing for this purpose:
Webster	It hath been said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

What does Matthew 5:31 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

31. It hath been said--This shortened form was perhaps intentional, to mark a transition from the commandments of the Decalogue to a civil enactment on the subject of divorce, quoted from De 24:1. The law of divorce--according to its strictness or laxity--has so intimate a bearing upon purity in the married life, that nothing could be more natural than to pass from the seventh commandment to the loose views on that subject then current. Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement--a legal check upon reckless and tyrannical separation. The one legitimate ground of divorce allowed by the enactment just quoted was "some uncleanness"--in other words, conjugal infidelity. But while one school of interpreters (that of Shammai) explained this quite correctly, as prohibiting divorce in every case save that of adultery, another school (that of Hillel) stretched the expression so far as to include everything in the wife offensive or disagreeable to the husband--a view of the law too well fitted to minister to caprice and depraved inclination not to find extensive favor. And, indeed, to this day the Jews allow divorces on the most frivolous pretexts. It was to meet this that our Lord uttered what follows:

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verses 31,32. It hath been said, etc. That is, by Moses, De 24:1,2. The husband was directed, if he put his wife away, to give her a bill of divorce, that is, a certificate of the fact that she had been his wife, and that he had dissolved the marriage. There was considerable difference of opinion among the Jews for what causes the husband was permitted to do this. One of their famous schools maintained that it might be done for any cause, however trivial. The other, that adultery only could justify it. The truth was, however, that the husband exercised this right at pleasure; that he was judge in the case, and dismissed his wife when, and for what cause, he chose. And this seems to be agreeable to the law in Deuteronomy. Our Saviour, in Mk 10:1-12, says that this was permitted on account of the hardness of their hearts; but in the beginning it was not so. God made a single pair, and ordained marriage for life. But Moses found the people so much hardened, so long accustomed to the practice, and so rebellious, that, as a matter of civil appointment, he thought it best not to attempt any change. Our Saviour brought marriage back to its original institution, and declared that whosoever put away his wife henceforward should be guilty of adultery. But one offence, he declared, could justify divorce. This is now the law of God. This was the original institution. This is the only law that is productive of peace and good morals, and the due respect of a wife and the good of children. Nor has any man, or set of men, a right to interfere, and declare that divorces may be granted for any other cause. Whosoever, therefore, are divorced for any cause except the single one of adultery, if they marry again, are, according to the Scriptures, living in adultery. No earthly laws can trample down the laws of God, or make that right which he has solemnly pronounced wrong.

(x) "divorcement" De 24:1, Jer 3:1, Mk 10:2-9

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 31 Whosoever shall put away his wife - The Jewish doctors gave great license in the matter of divorce. Among them, a man might divorce his wife if she displeased him even in the dressing of his victuals! Rabbi Akiba said, "If any man saw a woman handsomer than his own wife, he might put his wife away; because it is said in the law, If she find not favor in his eyes." Deu 24:1. Josephus, the celebrated Jewish historian, in his Life, tells us, with the utmost coolness and indifference, "About this time I put away my wife, who had borne me three children, not being pleased with her manners." These two cases are sufficient to show to what a scandalous and criminal excess this matter was carried among the Jews. However, it was allowed by the school of Shammai, that no man was to put away his wife unless for adultery. The school of Hillel gave much greater license. A writing of divorcement - The following is the common form of such a writing. See Maimonides and Lightfoot. "On the day of the week A. in the month B. in the year C. from the beginning of the world, according to the common computation in the province of D., I, N. the son of N. by whatever name I am called, of the city E. with entire consent of mind, and without any compulsion, have divorced, dismissed, and expelled thee - thee, I say, M. the daughter of M. by whatever name thou art called, of the city E. who wast heretofore my wife: but now I have dismissed thee - thee, I say, M. the daughter of M. by whatever name thou art called, of the city E. so as to be free, and at thine own disposal, to marry whomsoever thou pleasest, without hinderance from any one, from this day for ever. Thou art therefore free for any man. Let this be thy bill of divorce from me, a writing of separation and expulsion, according to the law of Moses and Israel. Reuben, son of Jacob, Witness. Eliezar, son of Gilead, Witness." God permitted this evil to prevent a greater; and, perhaps, to typify his repudiating the Jews, who were his first spouse.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 5:27-32

Victory over the desires of the heart, must be attended with painful exertions. But it must be done. Every thing is bestowed to save us from our sins, not in them. All our senses and powers must be kept from those things which lead to transgression. Those who lead others into temptation to sin, by dress or in other ways, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be…

Read the full comment on Matthew 5:27-32 →

Matthew 5:31 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἘρρέθηErrethēIt was saidG2046

δέdealsoG1161

ὃςhosWho[ever]G3739

ἂνanmaybeG302

ἀπολύσῃapolusēmay divorceG630

τὴνtēntheG3588

γυναῖκαgunaikawifeG1135

αὐτοῦ,autouof him,G846

δότωdotōhe should giveG1325

αὐτῇautēato herG846

ἀποστάσιον.apostasiona letter of divorce.’G647

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 5:31

Jeremiah 3:1
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
Matthew 19:7
They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
Mark 10:2-9
And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. …
Matthew 19:3
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

whosoever.
19:3,7; De 24:1-4; Jer 3:1; Mr 10:2-9

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Matthew 5:30
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:31
It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
Matthew 5:32
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Read all of Matthew 5

Matthew 5:31 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	También fué dicho: Cualquiera que repudiare á su mujer, déle carta de divorcio:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Il a été dit aussi: « Si quelqu’un répudie sa femme, qu’il lui donne une lettre de divorce ».
German Elberfelder 1871	Es ist aber gesagt: Wer irgend sein Weib entlassen wird, gebe ihr einen Scheidebrief.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Dictum est autem: Quicumque dimiserit uxorem suam, det ei libellum repudii.