Matthew 5:32
Encyclopedia
Matthew 5:32 is the thirty-second verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
and is part of the Sermon on the Mount
. This much scrutinized verse contains part of Jesus
' teachings on the issue of divorce
.
, according to Westcott and Hort
, reads:
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The New International Version
translates the passage as:
The New American Bible
translates this passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 5:32
Divorce is discussed in several other parts of the Bible. Malachi
2:16 has God disapproving of divorce, but Deuteronomy
24:1–4 makes clear that it is acceptable under certain circumstances (see Christian views on divorce). A very similar pronouncement on divorce is made by Jesus at Luke
16:18 and Mark
10:11, however neither of those two make an exception for /porneia. Paul of Tarsus
quotes Jesus ("not I but the Lord") in 1 Corinthians 7:10–11 with no exceptions granted although he ("I and not the Lord") goes on to give exceptions
. Matthew
19:9 discusses the same issue, and does include the same exception as this verse.
word in the exception is /porneia, and it literally translates as sexual immorality (which some interpret to mean fornication
). One view is that it should be more specifically translated as adultery
or marital unfaithfulness. Instone-Brewer rejects this translation arguing that contemporary sources make clear porneia meant more than just adultery, he does not agree with the most liberal translations that have the word also refer to things such as spousal abuse.
At the time of first century Iudaea Province
, Pharisaic Judaism
was divided between two major groups. The dominant teaching was that of Hillel
, who taught that divorce could be granted on a wide array of grounds, even because a wife burnt a dinner. Shammai
took a more conservative opinion, arguing that only adultery was valid grounds for divorce.
Current mainstream theories of the Synoptic Gospels
of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are that they are based upon a single writer whose original verse is that of Mark, with Matthew being the most intended to communicate with the Jewish community. Some scholars feel that in Matthew 5:32 Jesus is endorsing the view of Shammai over Hillel, and arguing for the adultery only rule. Protestant churches have traditionally read /porneia as adultery. The main argument against this translation is that Matthew has just been discussing adultery in the previous antithesis, and there used the specific term /moicheia, rejecting the vaguer /porneia. Catholics have thus traditionally translated /porneia as fornication or even as invalid marriage.
Following their reading of the verse, Protestant churches give prominence to the Gospel of Matthew over Mark and Luke and accepted adultery as a valid grounds for divorce. They also often believe that an innocent divorcee can freely remarry afterwards. For many centuries there was debate over this issue in the Roman Catholic Church
, with major thinkers such as St. Augustine
supporting adultery as a valid reason for divorce. However, at the Council of Trent
in 1563 the indissolubility of marriage was added to the canon law
. Since that day Catholic doctrine has been that divorce is unacceptable, but the separation of spouses can be permitted.
The official Catholic position remains that there are no valid reasons for divorce, and a number of methods for reconciling this with Matthew's exception have been proposed. One is that the exception is a later addition to the text, and is not actually the word of God. Mark and Luke have this same pronouncement without the exception, and there are other parts of the Sermon on the Mount, such as Matthew 5:22
, where the radical statements of Jesus have been watered down to make them more palatable. The same could have been done with this verse. Alternatively, that the other synoptics do not mention the exception could be because it only refers to very obscure circumstances. Some read it as referring specifically to marriages that, while permissible under pagan religions, such as those between blood relations, were illegal under Jewish and Christian law. According to Bruce Metzger
's Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, commentary on the Apostolic Decree of the Council of Jerusalem
: "it is possible ... (fornication means) marriage within the prohibited Levitical degrees (Lv 18.6-18), which the rabbis described as "forbidden for porneia," or mixed marriages with pagans (Nu 25.1; also compare 2 Cor 6.14), or participation in pagan worship which had long been described by Old Testament prophets as spiritual adultery and which, in fact, offered opportunity in many temples for religious prostitution". Another reading is that the exception refers to the rules surrounding the Jewish betrothal ritual, linking this to Matthew 1:19
, and has no relevance to the modern world.
Other scholars take the opposite view, arguing that the exception was not mentioned in the other Gospels because it was so obvious as to be implicit to contemporary readers. Leviticus 20:10 makes clear the punishment for adultery is death, so to Jesus' Jewish audience is would be assumed that adultery meant that the marriage would be over. While at the time of Jesus, and in modern societies, capital punishment is not imposed for adultery several scholars still feel the death sentence is important. Martin Luther
argued that since in the eyes of God an adulterer was dead, their spouse was free to remarry. More evidence for this view comes from Genesis 2:24, which makes clear that the sexual act permanently joins two individuals, so adultery can be understood to have created a new bond erasing the old one.
Another view is that the exception is not a part of Jesus' teaching, but rather a comment indicating that adultery automatically led to divorce under the law of the time, and that Jesus may very well have disagreed with this law. Instone-Brewer sees no evidence that this is how the law worked in that era, however.
That adultery is a valid reason for divorce is the standard Protestant position, though some churches disagree. This interpretation was first advanced by Erasmus, and received the backing of Luther, John Calvin
, and most other major Protestant thinkers. Some Protestants took and even broader view. Zwingli and Bullinger
both read porneia as referring to all manner of martial immorality, including spousal abuse and abandonment. British Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
, who served under Henry VIII
, listed a considerable number of valid reasons for divorce, but this never became standard Anglican doctrine. The Church of England instead took a far more restrictive view, and adultery was one of the only legal reasons for divorce in Britain up to the twentieth century. The same was true in many parts of the British Empire and the United States.
Eastern Orthodox churches have also accepted this verse as allowing for divorce for adultery and more reasons. The Orthodox faith has also generally allowed remarriage after a divorce.
In modern times both Protestants and Roman Catholics have moved away from their traditional positions. Many mainstream Protestants churches have accepted a broader translation of porneia than just adultery, and now support a wide array of valid reasons for divorce. One modern view is that since throughout the Sermon on the Mount Jesus condemns the excessive legalism
of his day, that delineating specific views of divorce from the exact wording of a piece of scripture should be rejected. Several major churches today believe that rules for divorce should be set to best advance Jesus' overarching goals of love and justice, rather than a legalistic interpretation of his words. The Catholic Church maintains that divorce is wrong, but has long accepted that invalid marriages can be annulled
, and that in these cases a civil divorce can be recognized. In recent years, partially based on a broader reading of this verse, the grounds for annulment have been greatly expanded. During this same period many of the most staunchly Christian nations have legalized divorce.
The reasons Jesus imposed these new rules have also been much discussed. Some scholars feel that under the liberal divorce policy of Hillel men had been marrying woman and then casually divorcing them after they lost interest, deeply injuring the women. As mentioned a divorce could endanger a woman's very survival. Thus some have read Jesus' teachings here as a defence of the rights of the downtrodden wives. Feminist scholar Levine rejects this view. She notes that in this era elaborate prenuptial agreement
s were negotiated prior to every marriage, and that they invariably included steep financial penalties, known as ketubah
, paid by the husband in case of divorce, guaranteeing the wife financial well being even in case of divorce.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
and is part of the Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of sayings and teachings of Jesus, which emphasizes his moral teaching found in the Gospel of Matthew...
. This much scrutinized verse contains part of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' teachings on the issue of divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
.
Text
The original Koine GreekKoine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
, according to Westcott and Hort
The New Testament in the Original Greek
The New Testament in the Original Greek is the name of a Greek language version of the New Testament published in 1881. It is also known as the Westcott and Hort text, after its editors Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort...
, reads:
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving
- for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and
- whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
The New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
translates the passage as:
- But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
- marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and
- anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
The New American Bible
New American Bible
The New American Bible is a Catholic Bible translation first published in 1970. It had its beginnings in the Confraternity Bible, which began to be translated from the original languages in 1948....
translates this passage as:
- But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the
- marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery,
- and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 5:32
Divorce is discussed in several other parts of the Bible. Malachi
Book of Malachi
Malachi is a book of the Hebrew Bible, the last of the twelve minor prophets and the final book of the Neviim...
2:16 has God disapproving of divorce, but Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
24:1–4 makes clear that it is acceptable under certain circumstances (see Christian views on divorce). A very similar pronouncement on divorce is made by Jesus at Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
16:18 and Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
10:11, however neither of those two make an exception for /porneia. Paul of Tarsus
Paul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
quotes Jesus ("not I but the Lord") in 1 Corinthians 7:10–11 with no exceptions granted although he ("I and not the Lord") goes on to give exceptions
Pauline privilege
The Pauline Privilege is a Christian concept drawn from the apostle Paul's instructions in theFirst Epistle to the Corinthians.-Origin:In Paul's epistle it states:...
. Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
19:9 discusses the same issue, and does include the same exception as this verse.
Debate over the exception
One of the most debated issues is over the exception to the ban on divorce, which the KJV translates as "saving for the cause of fornication." The Koine GreekKoine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
word in the exception is /porneia, and it literally translates as sexual immorality (which some interpret to mean fornication
Fornication
Fornication typically refers to consensual sexual intercourse between two people not married to each other. For many people, the term carries a moral or religious association, but the significance of sexual acts to which the term is applied varies between religions, societies and cultures. The...
). One view is that it should be more specifically translated as adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
or marital unfaithfulness. Instone-Brewer rejects this translation arguing that contemporary sources make clear porneia meant more than just adultery, he does not agree with the most liberal translations that have the word also refer to things such as spousal abuse.
At the time of first century Iudaea Province
Iudaea Province
Judaea or Iudaea are terms used by historians to refer to the Roman province that extended over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of Israel...
, Pharisaic Judaism
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
was divided between two major groups. The dominant teaching was that of Hillel
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...
, who taught that divorce could be granted on a wide array of grounds, even because a wife burnt a dinner. Shammai
Shammai
Shammai was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah....
took a more conservative opinion, arguing that only adultery was valid grounds for divorce.
Current mainstream theories of the Synoptic Gospels
Synoptic Gospels
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in the same sequence, and sometimes exactly the same wording. This degree of parallelism in content, narrative arrangement, language, and sentence structures can only be...
of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are that they are based upon a single writer whose original verse is that of Mark, with Matthew being the most intended to communicate with the Jewish community. Some scholars feel that in Matthew 5:32 Jesus is endorsing the view of Shammai over Hillel, and arguing for the adultery only rule. Protestant churches have traditionally read /porneia as adultery. The main argument against this translation is that Matthew has just been discussing adultery in the previous antithesis, and there used the specific term /moicheia, rejecting the vaguer /porneia. Catholics have thus traditionally translated /porneia as fornication or even as invalid marriage.
Following their reading of the verse, Protestant churches give prominence to the Gospel of Matthew over Mark and Luke and accepted adultery as a valid grounds for divorce. They also often believe that an innocent divorcee can freely remarry afterwards. For many centuries there was debate over this issue in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, with major thinkers such as St. Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
supporting adultery as a valid reason for divorce. However, at the Council of Trent
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent was the 16th-century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It is considered to be one of the Church's most important councils. It convened in Trent between December 13, 1545, and December 4, 1563 in twenty-five sessions for three periods...
in 1563 the indissolubility of marriage was added to the canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
. Since that day Catholic doctrine has been that divorce is unacceptable, but the separation of spouses can be permitted.
The official Catholic position remains that there are no valid reasons for divorce, and a number of methods for reconciling this with Matthew's exception have been proposed. One is that the exception is a later addition to the text, and is not actually the word of God. Mark and Luke have this same pronouncement without the exception, and there are other parts of the Sermon on the Mount, such as Matthew 5:22
Matthew 5:22
Matthew 5:22 is the twenty-second verse of the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament and is part of the Sermon on the Mount...
, where the radical statements of Jesus have been watered down to make them more palatable. The same could have been done with this verse. Alternatively, that the other synoptics do not mention the exception could be because it only refers to very obscure circumstances. Some read it as referring specifically to marriages that, while permissible under pagan religions, such as those between blood relations, were illegal under Jewish and Christian law. According to Bruce Metzger
Bruce Metzger
Bruce Manning Metzger was a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and Bible editor who served on the board of the American Bible Society. He was a scholar of Greek, New Testament and Old Testament, and wrote prolifically on these subjects.- Biography :Metzger was born in Middletown,...
's Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, commentary on the Apostolic Decree of the Council of Jerusalem
Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem is a name applied by historians and theologians to an Early Christian council that was held in Jerusalem and dated to around the year 50. It is considered by Catholics and Orthodox to be a prototype and forerunner of the later Ecumenical Councils...
: "it is possible ... (fornication means) marriage within the prohibited Levitical degrees (Lv 18.6-18), which the rabbis described as "forbidden for porneia," or mixed marriages with pagans (Nu 25.1; also compare 2 Cor 6.14), or participation in pagan worship which had long been described by Old Testament prophets as spiritual adultery and which, in fact, offered opportunity in many temples for religious prostitution". Another reading is that the exception refers to the rules surrounding the Jewish betrothal ritual, linking this to Matthew 1:19
Matthew 1:19
Matthew 1:19 is the nineteenth verse of the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. It is part of the description of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus...
, and has no relevance to the modern world.
Other scholars take the opposite view, arguing that the exception was not mentioned in the other Gospels because it was so obvious as to be implicit to contemporary readers. Leviticus 20:10 makes clear the punishment for adultery is death, so to Jesus' Jewish audience is would be assumed that adultery meant that the marriage would be over. While at the time of Jesus, and in modern societies, capital punishment is not imposed for adultery several scholars still feel the death sentence is important. Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
argued that since in the eyes of God an adulterer was dead, their spouse was free to remarry. More evidence for this view comes from Genesis 2:24, which makes clear that the sexual act permanently joins two individuals, so adultery can be understood to have created a new bond erasing the old one.
Another view is that the exception is not a part of Jesus' teaching, but rather a comment indicating that adultery automatically led to divorce under the law of the time, and that Jesus may very well have disagreed with this law. Instone-Brewer sees no evidence that this is how the law worked in that era, however.
That adultery is a valid reason for divorce is the standard Protestant position, though some churches disagree. This interpretation was first advanced by Erasmus, and received the backing of Luther, John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, and most other major Protestant thinkers. Some Protestants took and even broader view. Zwingli and Bullinger
Bullinger
Bullinger may refer to:* Ethelbert William Bullinger , English clergyman, biblical scholar, and dispensationalist theologian* Heinrich Bullinger , Swiss reformer...
both read porneia as referring to all manner of martial immorality, including spousal abuse and abandonment. British Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
, who served under Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, listed a considerable number of valid reasons for divorce, but this never became standard Anglican doctrine. The Church of England instead took a far more restrictive view, and adultery was one of the only legal reasons for divorce in Britain up to the twentieth century. The same was true in many parts of the British Empire and the United States.
Eastern Orthodox churches have also accepted this verse as allowing for divorce for adultery and more reasons. The Orthodox faith has also generally allowed remarriage after a divorce.
In modern times both Protestants and Roman Catholics have moved away from their traditional positions. Many mainstream Protestants churches have accepted a broader translation of porneia than just adultery, and now support a wide array of valid reasons for divorce. One modern view is that since throughout the Sermon on the Mount Jesus condemns the excessive legalism
Legalism (theology)
Legalism, in Christian theology, is a sometimes-pejorative term referring to an over-emphasis on discipline of conduct, or legal ideas, usually implying an allegation of misguided rigour, pride, superficiality, the neglect of mercy, and ignorance of the grace of God or emphasizing the letter of...
of his day, that delineating specific views of divorce from the exact wording of a piece of scripture should be rejected. Several major churches today believe that rules for divorce should be set to best advance Jesus' overarching goals of love and justice, rather than a legalistic interpretation of his words. The Catholic Church maintains that divorce is wrong, but has long accepted that invalid marriages can be annulled
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
, and that in these cases a civil divorce can be recognized. In recent years, partially based on a broader reading of this verse, the grounds for annulment have been greatly expanded. During this same period many of the most staunchly Christian nations have legalized divorce.
Reasoning against divorce
The verse is important in that it gives a clear argument against divorce. At this time only a man could initiate a divorce. Jesus makes clear that while the divorce may not adversely affect him, it is forbidden because it forces his wife into sin. Some scholars believe that since in this era a woman had few legal rights, she was dependent on her husband for survival. It was thus assumed that a divorced woman would always remarry. Jesus makes clear that the sin of divorce is in the adulterous nature of a future remarriage, and thus in many jurisdictions were divorce was legal restrictions were still placed on remarriage. This verse does not say whether a second marriage for a divorced man would also be adulterous, but Matthew 19:9 makes clear that it is. This reasoning also explains the logic of the exception for adultery. If the reason to stay married is to not force one's wife to engage in an adulterous second marriage, then if she has already engaged in adultery on her own this justification disappears.The reasons Jesus imposed these new rules have also been much discussed. Some scholars feel that under the liberal divorce policy of Hillel men had been marrying woman and then casually divorcing them after they lost interest, deeply injuring the women. As mentioned a divorce could endanger a woman's very survival. Thus some have read Jesus' teachings here as a defence of the rights of the downtrodden wives. Feminist scholar Levine rejects this view. She notes that in this era elaborate prenuptial agreement
Prenuptial agreement
A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement, commonly abbreviated to prenup or prenupt, is a contract entered into prior to marriage, civil union or any other agreement prior to the main agreement by the people intending to marry or contract with each other...
s were negotiated prior to every marriage, and that they invariably included steep financial penalties, known as ketubah
Ketubah
A ketubah is a special type of Jewish prenuptial agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride.-History:...
, paid by the husband in case of divorce, guaranteeing the wife financial well being even in case of divorce.