Bible Strands
Mark 10:5
But Jesus told them, “Moses wrote this commandment for you because of your hardness of heart.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses the Pharisees immediately after they cite Moses’ permission to issue a certificate of divorce. He speaks in the context of their direct challenge regarding marital law.
The words — ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis) means “answering,” marking his direct reply to their question. πρὸς (pros) carries the literal sense “because of,” identifying the cause for Moses’ written concession.
The thread — The same explanation of concession due to human stubbornness appears in Matthew 19:8, while the pattern of resisting divine commands runs through Nehemiah 9:16 and Acts 7:51.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to acknowledge that recorded allowances for human sin do not nullify the original standard. The text demands adherence to the foundational design rather than acceptance of later compromises.
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 Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
Cross-references
- Matthew 19:8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.
- Nehemiah 9:16 But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.
- Acts 7:51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Nehemiah 9:26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
- Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice,
- Deuteronomy 9:6 Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the LORD your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
- Deuteronomy 31:27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!