(5) And said, For this cause.—In Genesis 2:24 the words appear as spoken by Adam; but words so uttered, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and stamped with the divine sanction, might well be looked on as an oracle from God, the expression of a law of His appointment. read more
(6) What therefore God hath joined.—Strictly interpreted, the words go further than those of Matthew 5:32, and appear to forbid divorce under all circumstances. They are, however, rather the expression of the principle that should underlie laws, than the formulated law itself, and, as such, they assert the true ideal of marriage without making provision (such as was made before) for that which violates and annuls the ideal. It is remarkable that the essence of the marriage is made to depend,... read more
Matthew 19:2 Goethe describes, in his autobiography, how Marie Antoinette passed through Strasburg on her way to Paris: 'Before the Queen's arrival, the very rational regulation was made that no deformed persons, cripples, or disgusting invalids, should show themselves on her route. People jested about this precaution, and I made a little poem in French upon the subject, in which I contrasted the advent of Christ, who seemed to wander through the world for the special sake of the sick and lame,... read more
Chapter 15Last Days in Peraea - Matthew 19:1-30 - Matthew 20:1-16THERE were two main roads from Galilee to Jerusalem. One passed through Samaria, on the west of the Jordan, the other through Peraea, east of it. It was by the former that our Lord went northward from Judea to begin His work in Galilee; it is by the other that He now goes southward to complete His sacrifice in Jerusalem. As "He must needs go through Samaria" then, so He must needs go through Peraea now. The main thought in His... read more
7. Departure from Galilee. Concerning Divorce. Little Children Blessed and the Rich Young Man. CHAPTER 19 1. The Departure from Galilee. (Matthew 19:1-2 .) 2. Concerning Divorce. (Matthew 19:3-12 .) 3. The Blessing of Little Children. (Matthew 19:13-15 .) 4. The Rich Young Man. (Matthew 19:16-26 .) 5. The Rewards in the Kingdom. (Matthew 19:27-30 .) In the first part of the nineteenth chapter we find a continuation of teachings concerning the kingdom. This, we repeat, is not the same... read more
19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall {c} cleave to his wife: and they {d} twain shall be one flesh?(c) The Greek word conveys "to be glued unto", by which it signifies the union by marriage, which is between man and wife, as though they were glued together.(d) They who were two become one as it were: and this word "flesh" is figuratively taken for the whole man, or the body, after the manner of the Hebrews. read more
19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath {e} joined together, let not man put asunder.(e) Has made them yokefellows, as the marriage itself is called a yoke, by a borrowed kind of speech. read more
The setting now is changed from Galilee to Judea, with great crowds following Him, finding healing from their illnesses. But since the Lord Jesus has been announcing a kingdom of a different character than anything preceding it, then matters of fundamental character arise. He has frequently said, "But I say unto you," thereby setting aside what others have said or inferred. What of the question of marriage? The Pharisees raise this with ulterior motives, for they think they can trap Him. They... read more
SECOND STATEMENT OF DEATH The first announcement of His death and resurrection by our Lord in the last lesson, connected His suffering with the act of His own nation, while this predicts the part played in it by one of His own band (Matthew 17:22-23 ). It furnishes a starting point for a new lesson as in the other case. The incident concluding chapter 17, is full of suggestive teaching. It is the temple tribute that is in mind, about sixty cents of our money, and Peter in saying “Yes,” has... read more
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Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Matthew 19:4
(4) Have ye not read . . .?—The answer to the question is found not in the words of a code of laws, but in the original facts of creation. That represented the idea of man and woman as created for a permanent relationship to each other, not as left to unite and separate as appetite or caprice might prompt. read more