# Matthew 19.9

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 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> 11. But he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Not all men can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given.</span> (Matthew 19:7-11, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 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.” 11. But he said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“Not all men can receive this saying, but those to whom it is given.</span> (Matthew 19:7-11, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 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> 11. But he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.</span> (Matthew 19:7-11, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 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.' 11. And he said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'All do not receive this word, but those to whom it hath been given;</span> (Matthew 19:7-11, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [OT Polygamy Objection Defeater](/codex/ot-polygamy-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 19.4-9](/codex/matthew-19-4-9/)
- [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/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 19](/codex/matthew-19/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## 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.