Bible Strands
Mark 10:2
Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus stands in the region of Judea beyond the Jordan after teaching the crowds. Some Pharisees approach Him to test Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
The words — ἐπηρώτων (epērōtōn) means “were questioning,” and ἔξεστιν (exestin) translates literally to “it is lawful.” The Greek syntax frames the inquiry as a direct legal challenge regarding marital separation.
The thread — The conflict over marital law resurfaces in 1 Corinthians 7:10, where the Lord commands a wife not to separate from her husband. The hostile questioning dynamic continues in Luke 11:53, as scribes and Pharisees ply Jesus with questions to oppose Him.
Why it lands — The text records a direct legal challenge to Jesus, requiring a reader to examine how divine authority addresses human marital regulations. It demands a clear assessment of scriptural command over cultural tradition.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 7:10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
- Matthew 23:13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
- Luke 11:53 As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things,
- John 8:6 They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.
- Matthew 15:12 Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
- Matthew 16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.
- Matthew 19:3 Then some Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
- Matthew 22:35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:
- Mark 8:11 Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.
- Mark 8:15 “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”