Matthew 19:3
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
The Pharisees also came to him, tempting him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
American King James Version (AKJV)
The Pharisees also came to him, tempting him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
American Standard Version (ASV)
And there came unto him Pharisees, trying him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And certain Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, Is it right for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Webster's Revision
The Pharisees also came to him, tempting him, and saying to him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
World English Bible
Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"
English Revised Version (ERV)
And there came unto him Pharisees, tempting him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Clarke's Matthew 19:3 Bible Commentary
Tempting him - Trying what answer he would give to a question, which, however decided by him, would expose him to censure.
Is it lawful - for every cause? - Instead of αιτιαν, fault, cause, reason, three MSS. and the Coptic version read αμαρτιαν, sin or transgression: this was probably the original reading - the first syllable being lost, αρτιαν alone would remain, which a subsequent transcriber would suppose to be a mistake for αιτιαν, and so wrote it; hence this various reading. What made our Lord's situation at present so critical in respect to this question was: At this time there were two famous divinity and philosophical schools among the Jews, that of Shammai, and that of Hillel. On the question of divorce, the school of Shammai maintained, that a man could not legally put away his wife, except for whoredom. The school of Hillel taught that a man might put away his wife for a multitude of other causes, and when she did not find grace in his sight; i.e. when he saw any other woman that pleased him better. See the case of Josephus, mentioned in the note on Matthew 5:31 (note), and Calmet's Comment, vol. i. part ii. p. 379. By answering the question, not from Shammai or Hillel, but from Moses, our blessed Lord defeated their malice, and confounded their devices.
Barnes's Matthew 19:3 Bible Commentary
The Pharisees came - See the notes at Matthew 3:7.
Tempting him - This means, to get him, if possible, to express an opinion that should involve him in difficulty.
Is it lawful ... - There was the more art in the captious question which they proposed, as at that time the people were very much divided on the subject. A part, following the opinions of Hillel, said that a man might divorce his wife for any offence, or any dislike he might have of her. See the notes at Matthew 5:31. Others, of the school of Shammai, maintained that divorce was unlawful except in case of adultery. Whatever opinion, therefore, Christ expressed, they expected that he would involve himself in difficulty with one of their parties.
Wesley's Matthew 19:3 Bible Commentary
19:3 The Pharisees came tempting him - Trying to make him contradict Moses. For every cause - That is, for any thing which he dislikes in her. This the scribes allowed.