Bible Strands
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?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Pharisees approach Jesus immediately after He heals a large crowd, asking whether a man may lawfully divorce his wife for any reason.
The words — The Greek πειράζοντες (peirazontes) translates literally as testing, describing the Pharisees’ approach as an attempt to trap rather than learn.
The thread — The Pharisees test Jesus in Mark 10:2, Israel historically tested God in Hebrews 3:9, and Matthew 5:31 records the prior Mosaic instruction on divorce certificates.
Why it lands — The text presents a legal question designed to provoke a response, requiring the reader to distinguish between sincere inquiry and hostile examination before engaging the answer.
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
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
Cross-references
- Mark 10:2 Some Pharisees came to test Him. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” they inquired.
- Hebrews 3:9 where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.
- Matthew 5:31 It has also been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’
- Matthew 16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.
- Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.
- Matthew 22:35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:
- Mark 12:13 Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words.
- Mark 12:15 But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.”
- 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.