Matthew 19

The Message

Divorce

19 ^1-2When Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them.

³One day the Pharisees were badgering him: “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”

^4-6He answered, “Haven’t you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female? And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh—no longer two bodies but one. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.”

⁷They shot back in rebuttal, “If that’s so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?”

^8-9Jesus said, “Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God’s original plan. I’m holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else. I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery.”

¹⁰Jesus’ disciples objected, “If those are the terms of marriage, we haven’t got a chance. Why get married?”

^11-12But Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life. It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked—or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.”

To Enter God’s Kingdom

^13-15One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left.

¹⁶Another day, a man stopped Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

¹⁷Jesus said, “Why do you question me about what’s good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you.”

^18-19The man asked, “What in particular?”

Jesus said, “Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself.”

²⁰The young man said, “I’ve done all that. What’s left?”

²¹“If you want to give it all you’ve got,” Jesus replied, “go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.”

²²That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.

^23-24As he watched him go, Jesus told his disciples, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for the rich to enter God’s kingdom? Let me tell you, it’s easier to gallop a camel through a needle’s eye than for the rich to enter God’s kingdom.”

²⁵The disciples were staggered. “Then who has any chance at all?”

²⁶Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

²⁷Then Peter chimed in, “We left everything and followed you. What do we get out of it?”

^28-30Jesus replied, “Yes, you have followed me. In the re-creation of the world, when the Son of Man will rule gloriously, you who have followed me will also rule, starting with the twelve tribes of Israel. And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family, fields—whatever—because of me will get it all back a hundred times over, not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”

Matthew 19

New English Translation

Questions About Divorce

19 Now when^[a] Jesus finished these sayings, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan River.^[b] ²Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

³Then some Pharisees^[c] came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful^[d] to divorce a wife for any cause?”^[e] ⁴He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,^[f] ⁵and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?^[g] ⁶So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” ⁷They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”^[h] ⁸Jesus^[i] said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts,^[j] but from the beginning it was not this way. ⁹Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.” ¹⁰The^[k] disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!” ¹¹He^[l] said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given. ¹²For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth,^[m] and some who were made eunuchs^[n] by others,^[o] and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”

Jesus and Little Children

¹³Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray.^[p] But the disciples scolded those who brought them.^[q] ¹⁴But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”^[r] ¹⁵And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.^[s]

The Rich Young Man

¹⁶Now^[t] someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”^[u] ¹⁷He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸“Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, ¹⁹honor your father and mother,^[v] and love your neighbor as yourself.”^[w] ²⁰The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed^[x] all these laws.^[y] What do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money^[z] to the poor, and you will have treasure^[aa] in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²²But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.^[ab]

²³Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth,^[ac] it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven! ²⁴Again I say,^[ad] it is easier for a camel^[ae] to go through the eye of a needle^[af] than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.” ²⁵The^[ag] disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?”^[ah] ²⁶Jesus^[ai] looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans,^[aj] but for God all things are possible.” ²⁷Then Peter said^[ak] to him, “Look,^[al] we have left everything to follow you!^[am] What then will there be for us?” ²⁸Jesus^[an] said to them, “I tell you the truth:^[ao] In the age when all things are renewed,^[ap] when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging^[aq] the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much^[ar] and will inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Footnotes

Matthew 19:1 tn Grk “it happened when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Matthew 19:1 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).
Matthew 19:3 tn Grk “And Pharisees.”sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
Matthew 19:3 tc ‡ Most mss have either ἀνθρώπῳ (anthrōpō, “for a man” [so א³ C D W Δ Θ 087 ƒ^{1, 13} 33 1241 M latt]) τινί (tini, “for someone” 700), ἀνθρώπῳ τινί (anthrōpō tini, “for a man” [565]) or ἀνδρί (andri, “for a husband” [1424^c]) before the infinitive ἀπολῦσαι (apolusai, “to divorce”). “For a husband” is an assimilation to the parallel in Mark; the other readings may have been motivated by the clarification needed (especially to give the following αὐτοῦ [autou, “his”] an antecedent). But a few significant mss (א* B L Γ 579 1424*) have neither noun or the pronoun. In light of the variety of additions that clarify the subject of the infinitive, and especially since the shorter reading is the more difficult, it is likely that none of these additions was present in the autograph. As the harder reading, the shorter reading seems to best explain the rise of the others. NA²⁸, however, reads ἀνθρώπῳ here.
Matthew 19:3 sn The question of the Pharisees was anything but sincere; they were asking it to test him. Jesus was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea and beyond the Jordan) and it is likely that the Pharisees were hoping he might answer the question of divorce in a way similar to John the Baptist and so suffer the same fate as John, i.e., death at the hands of Herod (cf. 14:1-12). Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic custom and the debate over Deut 24:1, but rather from the account of creation and God’s original design.
Matthew 19:4 sn A quotation from Gen 1:27; 5:2.
Matthew 19:5 sn A quotation from Gen 2:24.
Matthew 19:7 tc ‡ Although the majority of witnesses (B C N W Γ Δ 078 087 ƒ¹³ 33 565 1241 1424 M sy^p,h) have αὐτήν (autēn, “her”) after the infinitive ἀπολῦσαι (apolusai, “to divorce”), several authorities lack the αὐτήν. This shorter reading may be due to assimilation to the Markan parallel, but since it is attested in early and diverse witnesses (א D L Z Θ ƒ¹ 579 700 lat) and since the parallel verse (Mark 10:4) already departs at many points, the shorter reading seems more likely to be initial text’s wording here. The pronoun has been included in the translation, however, for clarity. NA²⁸ includes the word in brackets, indicating reservations about its authenticity.sn A quotation from Deut 24:1. The Pharisees were all in agreement that the OT permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce his wife (not vice-versa) and that remarriage was therefore sanctioned. But the two rabbinic schools of Shammai and Hillel differed on the grounds for divorce. Shammai was much stricter than Hillel and permitted divorce only in the case of sexual immorality. Hillel permitted divorce for almost any reason (cf. the Mishnah, m. Gittin 9.10).
Matthew 19:8 tc A few significant witnesses (א Φ a b c mae) have the name “Jesus” here, but it is almost certainly not original. Nevertheless, for clarity’s sake, “Jesus” is added in the translation.tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Matthew 19:8 tn Grk “heart” (a collective singular).
Matthew 19:10 tc ‡ Some significant witnesses, along with the majority of later mss (P²⁵ C D L N W Z Γ Δ 078 ƒ^{1, 13} 33 565 579 700 1241 1424 M lat sy sa^mss bo), read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after μαθηταί (mathētai, “disciples”), but this looks to be a clarifying reading. Other early and significant witnesses lack the pronoun (P^71vid א B Θ e ff¹ g¹ sa^ms mae; SBL), the reading adopted here. NA²⁸ includes the pronoun in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.
Matthew 19:11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 19:12 tn Grk “from the womb of the mother” (an idiom).
Matthew 19:12 tn The verb εὐνουχίζω occurs twice in this verse, translated the first time as “made eunuchs” and the second time as “became eunuchs.” The term literally refers to castration. The second occurrence of the word in this verse is most likely figurative, though, referring to those who willingly maintain a life of celibacy for the furtherance of the kingdom (see W. D. Davies and D. C. Allison, Matthew [ICC], 3:23).
Matthew 19:12 tn Grk “people.”
Matthew 19:13 tn Grk “so that he would lay his hands on them and pray.”
Matthew 19:13 tn Grk “the disciples scolded them.” In the translation the referent has been specified as “those who brought them,” since otherwise the statement could be understood to mean that the disciples scolded the children rather than their parents who brought them.
Matthew 19:14 sn The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant.
Matthew 19:15 tn Grk “went from there.”
Matthew 19:16 tn Grk “And behold one came.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Matthew 19:16 sn Here the questioner asks how to gain eternal life. In several places Matthew uses “life” or “eternal life” in proximity with “the kingdom of heaven” or merely “the kingdom,” suggesting a close relationship between the two concepts (compare Matt 25:34 with v. 46; Matt 19:16, 17, 29 with vv. 23, 24). Matthew consistently portrays “eternal life” as something a person enters in the world to come, whereas the Gospel of John sees “eternal life” as beginning in the present and continuing into the future (cf. John 5:24).
Matthew 19:19 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20.
Matthew 19:19 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
Matthew 19:20 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
Matthew 19:20 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command—to give away all he had—revealed that internally he loved money more than God.
Matthew 19:21 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Matthew 19:21 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
Matthew 19:22 tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, ktēma) is often used for land as a possession.
Matthew 19:23 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Matthew 19:24 tn Grk “I say to you.”
Matthew 19:24 tc A few, mostly late, witnesses (579 1424 al arm Cyr) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamēlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.
Matthew 19:24 sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle. (Although the story of a small gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” has been widely circulated and may go back as far as the middle ages, there is no evidence that such a gate ever existed.) Jesus was saying rhetorically that it is impossible for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom, unless God (v. 26) intervenes.
Matthew 19:25 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 19:25 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
Matthew 19:26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 19:26 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anthrōpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men, but for God all things are possible”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” in v. 28.
Matthew 19:27 tn Grk “Then answering, Peter said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
Matthew 19:27 sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice have been noticed.
Matthew 19:27 tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
Matthew 19:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Matthew 19:28 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Matthew 19:28 sn The Greek term translated the age when all things are renewed (παλιγγενεσία, palingenesia) is understood as a reference to the Messianic age, the time when all things are renewed and restored (cf. Rev 21:5).
Matthew 19:28 sn The statement you…will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel looks at the future authority the Twelve will have when Jesus returns. They will share in Israel’s judgment.
Matthew 19:29 sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (a hundred times as much) and (2) eternal life will be given.

The Message (MSG)

New English Translation (NET)

Matthew 19 The Message