| Matthew 5:31 | |
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← 5:30 5:32 → | |
 "Sermon on the Mount" by Jožef Pavlin (1875-1914). Pulpit in the parish and pilgrimage church Saint Veit in Brezje, Slovenia. | |
| Book | Gospel of Matthew |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
Matthew 5:31 is the thirty-first verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse opens the brief, but much scrutinized, discussion of the issue of divorce.
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible translates the passage as:
The Novum Testamentum Graece text is:
For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 5:31.
This verse opens with a truncated version of the opening of Matthew 5:27, which is itself a shorter version of the start of Matthew 5:21. Scholars are divided as to whether this is a separate antithesis, or whether it is simply an addendum to the discussion of adultery found in the previous verses. Jesus is here referring to Deuteronomy 24:1 that specifically condones divorce and also makes mention of a certificate that the husband gives to the wife to enact the separation. Divorce was acceptable among the Jewish community of the time, however what was permissible grounds for divorce was debated. As is implied by this verse only a man could initiate a divorce, and there was no need to go to court he simply had to announce his intentions. Instone-Brewer notes that the written certificate was important because it was legal proof that the wife could remarry and escape the poverty of being a single woman. [1]
Keener notes that in Mark's version of this verse at Mark 10:12 Jesus makes reference to the possibility of a woman divorcing her husband. A female initiated divorce was impossible under Jewish law, but was permissible and common under Roman law. Keener feels this difference reflects the separate audiences for the two gospels, Matthew writes for a Jewish audience while Mark writes for a Greco-Roman one. [2]
Glossa Ordinaria: The Lord had taught us above that our neighbour's wife was not to be coveted, He now proceeds to teach that our own wife is not to be put away. [3]
Jerome: For touching Moses's allowance of divorce, the Lord and Saviour more fully explains in conclusion, that it was because of the hardness of the hearts of the husbands, not so much sanctioning discord, as checking bloodshed. [3]
Pseudo-Chrysostom: For when Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, they were indeed Hebrews in race, but Egyptians in manners. And it was caused by the Gentile manners that the husband hated the wife; and if he was not permitted to put her away, he was ready either to kill her or ill-treat her. Moses therefore suffered the bill of divorcement, not because it was a good practice in itself, but was the prevention of a worse evil. [3]
Matthew 1 is the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It contains two distinct sections. The first lists the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to his legal father Joseph, husband of Mary, his mother. The second part, beginning at verse 18, provides an account of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
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Matthew 1:20 is the twentieth verse of the first chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Previously Joseph had found Mary to be pregnant and had considered leaving her. In this verse an angel comes to him in a dream and reassures him.
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Matthew 4:3 is the third verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse opens the section in Matthew dealing with the temptation of Christ by Satan. Jesus has been fasting for forty days and forty nights and in this verse the devil gives Christ his first temptation and encourages him to use his powers to get food.
Matthew 4:14–15 are the fourteenth and fifteenth verses of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. In the previous verses Jesus returned to Galilee after hearing of the arrest of John the Baptist and then left Nazareth for Capernaum. These introduce and then contain the first portion of a quote from the Book of Isaiah showing how these movements were preordained by scripture.
Matthew 5:1 and Matthew 5:2 are the first two verses of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. The verses introduce the Sermon on the Mount that will be recited in the next several chapters. The previous verse mentioned the large crowds "from Galilee, and from the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan" who followed Jesus to witness him healing: these verses present Jesus as seeing the crowds and going up onto a mountain to begin teaching.
Matthew 5 is the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It contains the first portion of the Sermon on the Mount, the other portions of which are contained in chapters 6 and 7. Portions are similar to the Sermon on the Plain in Luke 6, but much of the material is found only in Matthew. It is one of the most discussed and analyzed chapters of the New Testament. Warren Kissinger reports that among Early Christians no chapter was more often cited by early scholars. The same is true in modern scholarship.
Matthew 5:30 is the thirtieth verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Part of the section on adultery, it is very similar to the previous verse, but with the hand mentioned instead of the eye. For a discussion of the radicalism of these verses see Matthew 5:29. Jesus had stated that looking at a woman in lust is equal to the act of adultery itself and in this verse he recommends cutting off one's hand to prevent sinning.
Matthew 5:32 is the thirty-second verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and part of the Sermon on the Mount. This much scrutinized verse contains part of Jesus' teachings on the issue of divorce.
Matthew 5:33 is the thirty-third verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount. This verse is the opening of the fourth antithesis, beginning the discussion of oaths.
Matthew 23 is the twenty-third chapter in the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament section of the Christian Bible and consists almost entirely of the accusations of Jesus against the Pharisees. The chapter is also known as the "Seven Woes" or Woes of the Pharisees. In this chapter, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of hypocrisy.
Matthew 28:1 is the first verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse opens the resurrection narrative as Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" visit Jesus' tomb after the crucifixion.
Matthew 28:3 is the third verse of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse is part of the resurrection narrative and describes the angel who arrived at the tomb of Jesus in the previous verse.
Matthew 27:58 is the fifty-eighth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse describes Joseph of Arimathea meeting with Pontius Pilate to secure the burial of Jesus.
Matthew 7:29 is the twenty-ninth verse in the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It ends a two verse conclusion following the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 10:1 is the first verse of the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. In this verse Jesus gathers his disciples and grants them healing powers in what is known as the commissioning the twelve apostles.
Matthew 27:5 is the fifth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. This verse continues the final story of Judas Iscariot. In the earlier verse Judas had regretted his decision to betray Jesus, but is met with disinterest from the Jewish leaders. In this verse his response is to return the blood money and then commit suicide.
Malachi 2 is the second chapter of the Book of Malachi in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Malachi, and is a part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .| Preceded by Matthew 5:30 | Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 | Succeeded by Matthew 5:32 |
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