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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_10:2-9
2Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. 3And He answered and said to them, "What did Moses command you?" 4They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." 5But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, 8and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
Mar_10:2 "Pharisees" See Special Topic: Pharisees at Mar_2:16.
▣ "testing" This word periazô has the connotation of testing with a view toward destruction (cf. Mar_8:11; Mar_10:2; Mar_12:15; Special Topic on terms for "testing" at Mar_1:13). This question was meant to (1) polarize both the people and rabbis over the opinions of the two rabbinical schools of Shammai (conservative) and Hillel (liberal) or (2) arouse Herod Antipas' anger.
▣ "whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife" Notice that the Pharisees' question is about divorce, not remarriage. Also, notice that Jesus is responding to a specific question. Jesus is not discussing this subject in a neutral setting. These Pharisees are trying to trap Him into alienating Himself from (1) the followers of Hillel, who had a liberal attitude toward divorce. Mat_19:3 expands the question to include the "Why" of divorce or (2) Herod Antipas because he was divorced (cf. Mar_6:17-20).
The term "lawful" could refer to the Mosaic Law or the rabbinical traditions (i.e., the Talmud). In response Jesus quotes a passage from Deuteronomy.
Mar_10:4 "to write a certificate of divorce" The quote is from Deu_24:1-4. Moses enacted a legal procedure to protect the wife (cf. Exo_21:1-11). This legal procedure would have several requirements.
1. it took some amount of time
2. it took a priest or Levite to write it
3. it probably required the return of the dowry
Hopefully, these procedures would give the couple a chance to reconcile.
It must also be stated that Deuteronomy 24 assumed the right of remarriage for both the man and woman. However, the Deuteronomy passage in context was not addressing the cultural issue of divorce as much as (1) assuring the virginity and faithfulness of the bride and (2) outlining the specific procedures and limits on the remarriage.
The real problem occurred in the liberal interpretation of this passage by the rabbinical school of Hillel (cf. The Christ of the Gospels by J. W. Shepherd, pp. 451-457). This school picked up on the term "indecency" and extended its original time frame and meaning. The Pharisees were only quoting Moses to trick Jesus. They were not seeking information.
Jesus confirmed the intent of God for marriage as one man, one woman for life. Anything else is not the ideal. The problem comes in how to balance Jesus' words in this context with His words of forgiveness in other contexts. The standard for Kingdom followers is high, but so, too, is the grace of God! In this area a case-by-case approach is better than rigid legal rules.
In the OT YHWH used divorce to describe His actions toward Israel because of their idolatry (cf. Isa_50:1; Jer_3:1-8; Hos_2:2). There are examples in the OT where divorce is required (cf. Gen_21:8-14; Exo_21:10-11; Deu_21:10-14; Ezra 9-10). There is an excellent thought-provoking article in the "Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society" vol. 40 # 4, entitled "Old Testament Perspectives on Divorce and Remarriage" by Joe M. Sprinkle.
Mar_10:5 "'Because of your hardness of heart'" Jesus describes the Israelites as "hard hearted" (cf. Eze_2:4; Eze_3:7). The term "stiff-necked" is a synonymous metaphor (cf. Exo_32:9; Exo_33:3; Exo_33:5; Exo_33:9; Deu_9:6; Deu_9:13). They always wanted to do things their way. This is always fallen mankind's propensity! This attitude was even present in His disciples (cf. Mar_3:5; Mar_6:52).
The subject of divorce is a good example of the problem of proof-texting. We must allow all of the Bible to speak on every subject. This is not the only biblical passage on divorce and remarriage.
This statement of Jesus is distressing to me. How would I know that Deu_24:1-4 was not YHWH's final word on this subject? It is in the Bible. If Jesus had not been confronted with this issue, I probably would never have known its limited relevance. The problem is how many other OT texts are involved in "the hardness of heart" and how many are God's will for mankind? The only comfort comes in a truly systematic approach to theological subjects, taking into account both Testaments and historical situations (e.g., Mar_7:14-23). Modern evangelical Christians are too quick to proof-text absolute truth from isolated, atomized texts.
Theologically, Jesus' rejection of Moses is startling. It was a powerful way of asserting His authority. These Jewish disciples would have been so surprised that Jesus knew why Moses did something and that he had the power and authority from YHWH to overturn it. This section in Mark is theologically parallel to Mat_5:17-48.
Mar_10:6 "from the beginning of creation" See hyperlink following.
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▣ "'God made them male and female'" Marriage was in God's original plan of creation (cf. Gen_1:27). Sex was/is a gift from God to accomplish His purpose of a filled earth (cf. Gen_1:28).
Mar_10:7 "'a man shall leave his father and mother'" This is another quote from Genesis (cf. Mar_2:24). It shows the high status of marriage, even over parental authority. There was a necessary mental separation from parents even if not a physical separation (i.e., several generations lived together).
Mar_10:8 "'and the two shall become one'" This quote is also from Gen_2:24. In marriage, two become one—physically, emotionally, and in every way. This shows the permanency of marriage in God's plan.
Moses lived many years away from the events recorded in Genesis. In the creation section of Genesis he reads the later issue of the priority of marriage back into a setting of the first couple.
Mar_10:9 "'God has joined together'" This is literally "yoked together." Divorce is one of fallen humanity's ways of breaking apart what God has established as a societal norm (i.e., marriage is a pillar for stable society, cf. Deu_5:16; Deu_5:33; Deu_4:40; Deu_32:47, "that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you"). This is a good example of a covenant believer preferring his/her will to God's will.
▣ "'let no man separate'" This is a present active imperative with the negative particle, which usually meant to stop an act already in process. For a good discussion on marriage, family, and divorce see Frank Staff's New Testament Theology, pp. 296-302.