What did Jesus say about divorce?

Jesus taught that God's original design for marriage was permanent, quoting Genesis that a man and wife become "one flesh" and that man should not separate what God has joined (Matthew 19:4-6). He permitted an exception for sexual immorality (Matthew 19:9), and noted Moses allowed divorce only "because of the hardness of your hearts."

In Matthew 19:3-9 (paralleled in Mark 10:2-12), the Pharisees test Jesus by asking whether divorce is lawful "for every cause." Jesus responds by pointing back past the Mosaic law to God's original creation intent, quoting Genesis 2:24: a man leaves his parents and is joined to his wife, and "they twain shall be one flesh... What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." When the Pharisees press him on why Moses permitted a certificate of divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4), Jesus answers that Moses allowed it only as a concession "because of the hardness of your hearts," but that it was not so "from the beginning." Jesus then states that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality ("fornication"), and marries another commits adultery. Paul later addresses related pastoral questions in 1 Corinthians 7, including guidance for believers married to unbelievers. Because of the weight of this teaching, Christian traditions have differed over the centuries on exactly how to apply the "exception clause" and related passages in real pastoral situations, but Jesus's core teaching - marriage as a lifelong, God-ordained union not to be lightly dissolved - is consistent across all the Gospel accounts.

Key Passages

One flesh, and not to be put asunder

Matthew 19:4-6

⁴ And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? ⁶ Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

The exception clause

Matthew 19:8-9

⁸ He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. ⁹ 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.