# Matthew 19.8

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 6. <span class="rl-speech">So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put her away?</span>
>
> **8. He saith unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so.</span>**
>
> 9. <span class="rl-speech">And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">The disciples say unto him, If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.</span> (Matthew 19:6-10, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 6. <span class="rl-speech">So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”</span> 7. They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?”
>
> **8. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so.</span>**
>
> 9. <span class="rl-speech">I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery.”</span> 10. His disciples said to him, “If this is the case of the man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” (Matthew 19:6-10, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 6. <span class="rl-speech">Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?</span>
>
> **8. He saith unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.</span>**
>
> 9. <span class="rl-speech">And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.</span> (Matthew 19:6-10, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 6. <span class="rl-speech">so that they are no more two, but one flesh; what therefore God did join together, let no man put asunder.'</span> 7. <span class="rl-speech">They say to him, 'Why then did Moses command to give a roll of divorce, and to put her away?'</span>
>
> **8. He saith to them, <span class="rl-speech">'Moses for your stiffness of heart did suffer you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it hath not been so.</span>**
>
> 9. <span class="rl-speech">'And I say to you, that, whoever may put away his wife, if not for whoredom, and may marry another, doth commit adultery; and he who did marry her that hath been put away, doth commit adultery.'</span> 10. His disciples say to him, 'If the case of the man with the woman is so, it is not good to marry.' (Matthew 19:6-10, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Matthew (traditionally) the tax-collector-apostle / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** Jewish-Christian audience (heavy OT-fulfillment emphasis)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Antioch (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 4 BC, AD 30/33; composed c. AD 60-80

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G0746 - arche](/codex/g0746-arche/), *arche* (Strong's G746). Also appears in: [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/), [Luke 1.1-4](/codex/luke-1-1-4/), [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/).
- [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai* (Strong's G1096). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 5.17-18](/codex/matthew-5-17-18/), [Matthew 8.16](/codex/matthew-8-16/).
- [G4314 - pros](/codex/g4314-pros/), *pros* (Strong's G4314). Also appears in: [Matthew 3.13](/codex/matthew-3-13/), [Matthew 5.28](/codex/matthew-5-28/), [Matthew 11.28](/codex/matthew-11-28/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Deuteronomy 21 Captive Bride Objection Defeater](/codex/deuteronomy-21-captive-bride-objection-defeater/)
- [Israelite Slavery Possession-vs-Ownership Defeater](/codex/israelite-slavery-possession-vs-ownership-defeater/)
- [OT Polygamy Objection Defeater](/codex/ot-polygamy-objection-defeater/)
- [Ritual Purity Laws Objection Defeater](/codex/ritual-purity-laws-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 19.8-9](/codex/matthew-19-8-9/)

**Concepts:**

- [Divorce](/codex/divorce/)
- [Ethical Trajectory Hermeneutic](/codex/ethical-trajectory-hermeneutic/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/)
- [Lesson 4.3, Old Testament Difficulties](/codex/lesson-4-3-old-testament-difficulties/)
- [Marriage](/codex/marriage/)
- [OT Sexual-Violence Laws](/codex/ot-sexual-violence-laws/)

**Passages:**

- [Acts 11](/codex/acts-11/)
- [Colossians 2.10-14](/codex/colossians-2-10-14/)
- [Colossians 2.9-10](/codex/colossians-2-9-10/)
- [Ephesians 6](/codex/ephesians-6/)
- [Ephesians 6.10-18](/codex/ephesians-6-10-18/)
- [Hebrews 1](/codex/hebrews-1/)
- [Hebrews 1.1-14](/codex/hebrews-1-1-14/)
- [Hebrews 1.8-10](/codex/hebrews-1-8-10/)
- [Hebrews 1.8-12](/codex/hebrews-1-8-12/)
- [Hebrews 5.12-14](/codex/hebrews-5-12-14/)
- [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/)
- [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/)
- [John 2.11](/codex/john-2-11/)
- [John 6.63-64](/codex/john-6-63-64/)
- [John 8.23-29](/codex/john-8-23-29/)
- [John 8.25](/codex/john-8-25/)
- [Jude 1](/codex/jude-1/)
- [Jude 1.6](/codex/jude-1-6/)
- [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/)
- [Revelation 1.7-8](/codex/revelation-1-7-8/)
- [Revelation 21.6-7](/codex/revelation-21-6-7/)
- [Revelation 22.13](/codex/revelation-22-13/)
- [Romans 8](/codex/romans-8/)

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