Mark 10:4 - They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”
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What does "Mark 10:4" mean?
Mark 10:4 is referencing a debate Jesus is having with the Pharisees about divorce. To understand the verse, you need a little context.
The Setup (Mark 10:2-9): The Pharisees ask Jesus whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife. This is a loaded question, meant to trap Jesus in a controversy.
The Verse (Mark 10:4): "They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”" This is the Pharisees' reply to Jesus' question. They are appealing to the Law of Moses, specifically Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which does permit divorce under certain circumstances (though the exact interpretation of those circumstances was hotly debated among Jewish scholars at the time).
Moses' Law: Deuteronomy 24:1-4 allows a man to divorce his wife if he finds "some indecency" in her. This was a point of major debate.
What the Verse Means:
The verse highlights the Pharisees' reliance on the letter of the Law (specifically, the permission for divorce in Deuteronomy). They are essentially saying: "Look, Moses gave us permission to divorce. It's in the Law!"
Jesus' Response:
Jesus doesn't accept this justification at face value. He goes on to argue (Mark 10:5-9) that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of people's hearts, not because it was God's original intention for marriage. Jesus then emphasizes the ideal of marriage as a sacred and unbreakable union: "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no one separate.”
In summary, Mark 10:4 is about:
The Pharisees using the Law of Moses to justify divorce.
The historical allowance for divorce within Jewish law.
The setup for Jesus' counter-argument, emphasizing the sanctity and permanence of marriage.
Mark 10:4 - They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”
What does "Mark 10:4" mean?
Mark 10:4 is referencing a debate Jesus is having with the Pharisees about divorce. To understand the verse, you need a little context.
The Setup (Mark 10:2-9): The Pharisees ask Jesus whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife. This is a loaded question, meant to trap Jesus in a controversy.
The Verse (Mark 10:4): "They said, “Moses allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her.”" This is the Pharisees' reply to Jesus' question. They are appealing to the Law of Moses, specifically Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which does permit divorce under certain circumstances (though the exact interpretation of those circumstances was hotly debated among Jewish scholars at the time).
Moses' Law: Deuteronomy 24:1-4 allows a man to divorce his wife if he finds "some indecency" in her. This was a point of major debate.
What the Verse Means:
The verse highlights the Pharisees' reliance on the letter of the Law (specifically, the permission for divorce in Deuteronomy). They are essentially saying: "Look, Moses gave us permission to divorce. It's in the Law!"
Jesus' Response:
Jesus doesn't accept this justification at face value. He goes on to argue (Mark 10:5-9) that Moses allowed divorce because of the hardness of people's hearts, not because it was God's original intention for marriage. Jesus then emphasizes the ideal of marriage as a sacred and unbreakable union: "But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no one separate.”
In summary, Mark 10:4 is about:
The Pharisees using the Law of Moses to justify divorce.
The historical allowance for divorce within Jewish law.
The setup for Jesus' counter-argument, emphasizing the sanctity and permanence of marriage.