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MATTHEW 19:3 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Matt 19:2Matt 19:4
“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?”
And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking: is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause? The divorce question is a test: the Greek for any cause reflects the famous first-century debate between the school of Shammai (divorce only for sexual immorality) and the school of Hillel (divorce for any reason). Jesus is being asked to take sides in an existing rabbinic controversy — and his answer will transcend both sides.

Church Fathers on Matthew 19:3

The Lord had before left Judaea because of their jealousy, but now He keeps Himself more to it, because His passion was near at hand. Yet does He not go up to Judaea itself, but into the borders of Judaea; whence it is said, 'And it came to pass when Jesus had ended all these sayings, he departed from Galilee.'

Chrysostom · 4th century · Hom., lxii

Here then He begins to relate what He did, taught, or suffered in Judaea. At first beyond Jordan eastward, afterwards on this side Jordan when He came to Jericho, Bethphage, and Jerusalem; whence it follows, 'And He came into the coasts of Judaea beyond the Jordan.'

Rabanus Maurus · 9th century

The Latin commentary that goes under the name of Chrys ostom’s resumes again at the first verse of this chapter]: As the righteous Lord of all, who loves these servants so as not to despise those.

Pseudo-Chrysostom · 5th century · [ed. note
Read all 35 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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