Mark 10:11

10:11-12 Whoever divorces . . . and marries someone else commits adultery: The parallel in Luke 16:18 agrees with Mark and mentions no exceptions to this prohibition of divorce, while Matthew’s parallel account allows an exception in cases of infidelity (Matt 19:9; see also Matt 5:32). Paul also allows an exception if an unbelieving partner deserts the marriage (1 Cor 7:15). Mark’s account focuses on the core principles—God hates divorce (Mal 2:16), marriage is meant to be for life, and divorce betrays the divine purpose of marriage.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 10:11. Ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, against her).

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11. μοιχᾶται ἐπʼ αὐτήν. Committeth adultery against her. In answering the Pharisees it sufficed to point out that, from a higher point of view than that of the Mosaic Law, divorce was a falling away from the ideal of marriage set before mankind at the Creation, an ideal which ought to be restored. In answering His disciples He goes further and declares that marrying another after divorce is adultery, which implies that divorce is no real dissolution of the marriage tie. Gould holds that the exception in Mat 19:9 is implied here, “because adultery is the real dissolution of the marriage tie. Formal divorce does not break the marriage tie, adultery does break it.” Μοιχάομαι in N.T. occurs only in the passages in Mk (Mar 10:11-12) and Mt. (Mat 5:32, Mat 19:9) which treat of divorce; the usual verb is μοιχεύω (Mar 10:19), act. of the husband, pass. of the wife.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whom he putteth away, for he is an adulterer by keeping company with another.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

And if a woman shall put away her husband,.... Not that there was the same law, or the same sufferance by the law of Moses, for a woman to put away her husband, as for the husband to put away the wife; nor was it practised among the Jews, unless it came to be in use about this time, in their declining state, having taken it from the Gentiles; of whom they say (s), that

"they divorce one another: says R. Jochanan, , "his wife divorces him", and gives him the dowry.''

So Salome, the sister of Herod the Great, sent a bill of divorce to her husband Costobarus; and in this she was followed by Herodias, the daughter of Aristobulus, as Josephus (t) relates; and which his own wife also did. And by such examples the practice might prevail among the Jews: and we have a story told (u) us of a holy man, and a holy yeoman, who were married, and had no children, , "and they divorced one another"; and the one went and married a wicked woman, and she made him wicked; and the other went and married a wicked man, and she made him righteous but I do not find that this practice was approved, or established by any rule, or canon. They allow (w) indeed a woman to write her husband's divorce of her, with proper witnesses; and they also oblige one, that was espoused in her minority, and refuses her husband, when adult, to write a bill of refusal; the form of that, and the rules about it, take as follow (x):

"they do not allow one to marry a minor; he that marries a minor that is fatherless, and she is not pleased with her husband, lo! she may refuse, and go away, and she has no need of a divorce from him, because the espousals of a minor are not perfect espousals, as we have explained: and so a minor, whom her father marries, and she becomes a widow, or is divorced whilst she is a minor, lo! she is as one fatherless, in, her father's life time; and if she marries whilst she is a minor, she may refuse--how does she refuse? she says before two witnesses, I do not like such an one my husband; or I do not like the espousals with which my father, or my brother, espoused me; and such like words.--The two, before whom the minor refuses, write for her; on such a day, such an one, the daughter of such an one, refused, before us, such an one her husband; and they seal, and give it to her: and this is the body, or substance of a bill of refusal--in such a week, on such a day of the month, in such a year, such an one, the daughter of such an one, refused before us, and said, that my mother, or my brother, forced me, and married me, or espoused me, and I, a minor, to such an one, the son of such an one; and now I reveal my mind before you, that I do not like him, and I will not abide with him: and we have searched such an one; and this is manifest to us, that she is yet a minor, and we have written, and sealed, and have given this to her, for her justification, and a clear proof;''

"Such an one, the son of such an one, witness. Such an one, the son of such an one, witness.''

And such a writing was called, , "a bill of refusal", and sometimes , "letters of refusal" (y), but a bill of divorcement given by a married woman to her husband, I have not met with. Justin Martyr speaks (z) of a Christian woman that, "gave a bill of divorce" to her husband: such things, therefore, have been done, and might be done in Christ's time, to which he refers; and concerning which he says, that if a woman do so,

and be married to another, she committeth adultery; with the man she marries, and against, and to the injury of her former husband, unjustly left by her.

(s) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 18. fol. 15. 3. (t) Antiqu. l. 15. c. 11. & 18. 7. (u) Bercshit Rabba, sect. 17. fol. 14. 4. (w) Misn. Edict. c, 2. sect. 3. (x) Maimon. Hilch. Gerushim, c. 11. sect. 1, 8, 9, 11. (y) Misn. Bava Metzta, c. 1. sect. 8. (z) Apolog. 1. p 42. Yid. Euscb. Eccl. Hist. l. 4. c. 17.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

Ver. 11. Whosoever shall put away his wife] Annon columnae Germanae, atque imprimis Lutheras, putidissime errarunt et turpissime se dederunt, cum illud sanctissimum scilicet consilium dederunt fortissimo illi et optimo Principi Philippo Landgravio, ut vivente adhuc priore legitima nimirum uxore, duceret alteram, hoc est adulteram? saith Zanchy: Luther and his fellow divines were shamefully out in licensing the Landgrave to put away his lawful wife, and marry another.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Committeth adultery against her (moicatai ep authn). This must surely mean the wife that has been put away. The adultery is against her, against her rights and interests.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All polygamy is here totally condemned.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

11. Ὃς ἄν ἀπολύσῃ—Whosoever puts away his wife.

ἄν, instead of ἐὰν, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BCDL Δ.

Jesus states now what takes place in case of a second marriage following a mere formal divorce. It is to be inferred from the previous statement of the indissolubility of the marriage bond. Any formal sundering of the tie leaves it really whole; the union being of this natural, physical kind, not accomplished by any formal procedure, but in the sexual act uniting man and woman, no formal procedure can break it, but simply leaves it as it was. And so, if any man divorces his wife and marries another, the second marriage goes for naught and the connection is an adulterous one, simply because the divorce is nil; it does nothing towards dissolving the marriage.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.