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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Mark 10:4

The Pharisees said, "Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife by writing a certificate of divorce."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jesus, the Christ;   Marriage;   Polygamy;   The Topic Concordance - Divorce;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Adultery;   Divorce;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Hardening, Hardness of Heart;   Marriage;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Conflagration;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Deuteronomy;   Divorce;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Apostasy;   Baptism;   Celibacy;   Divorce;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Marriage;   Woman;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   Jesus Christ;   Mss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Asceticism (2);   Attributes of Christ;   Bill;   Celibacy (2);   Common Life;   Discourse;   Divorce (2);   Ethics (2);   Eunuch ;   Hating, Hatred;   Home (2);   Law of God;   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Moses ;   Writing;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Divorce;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Divorce in Old Testament;   Divorce in New Testament;   Family;   Suffering;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Marriage;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for September 29;   Every Day Light - Devotion for May 25;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They said, “Moses permitted us to write divorce papers and send her away.”
King James Version (1611)
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of diuorcement, and to put her away.
King James Version
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
English Standard Version
They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away."
New American Standard Bible
They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away."
New Century Version
They said, "Moses allowed a man to write out divorce papers and send her away."
Amplified Bible
They said, "Moses allowed a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND TO SEND HER AWAY."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They said, "Moses permitted a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY."
Legacy Standard Bible
And they said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away."
Berean Standard Bible
They answered, "Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away."
Contemporary English Version
They answered, "Moses allows a man to write out divorce papers and send his wife away."
Complete Jewish Bible
They said, "Moshe allowed a man to hand his wife a get and divorce her."
Darby Translation
And they said, Moses allowed to write a bill of divorce, and to put away.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And they sayd, Moses suffered to write a bill of diuorcement, and to put her away.
George Lamsa Translation
They said, Moses gave us permission to write a letter of separation, and then to divorce.
Good News Translation
Their answer was, "Moses gave permission for a man to write a divorce notice and send his wife away."
Lexham English Bible
So they said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away."
Literal Translation
And they said, Moses allowed "to write a bill of divorce, and to put away." Deut. 24:1
American Standard Version
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
Bible in Basic English
And they said to him, Moses let us give her a statement in writing, and be free from her.
Hebrew Names Version
They said, "Moshe allowed a certificate of divorce to be written, and to divorce her."
International Standard Version
They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to divorce her."Deuteronomy 24:1,3">[fn]Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 5:31; 19:7;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
But they say, Musha permitted us to write a writing of dismissal, and to send away.
Murdock Translation
They said: Moses permitted us to write a bill of divorce, and send [fn] away.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they sayde: Moyses suffred to write a booke of diuorcement, and to put her away.
English Revised Version
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
World English Bible
They said, "Moses allowed a bill of divorce to be written, and to divorce her."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
They said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorce, and to put her away.
Weymouth's New Testament
"Moses," they said, "permitted a man to draw up a written notice of divorce, and to send his wife away."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei seiden, Moises suffride to write a libel of forsaking, and to forsake.
Update Bible Version
And they said, Moses allowed to write a bill of divorce, and to divorce.
Webster's Bible Translation
And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put [her] away.
New English Translation
They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her."
New King James Version
They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her."
New Living Translation
"Well, he permitted it," they replied. "He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away."
New Life Bible
They said, "Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife, if he put it in writing and gave it to her."
New Revised Standard
They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, they, said - Moses permitted, to write, a roll of dismissal, and to divorce.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who said: Moses permitted to write a bill of divorce and to put her away.
Revised Standard Version
They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And they sayde: Moses suffred to wryte a testimoniall of devorsement and to put hyr awaye.
Young's Literal Translation
and they said, `Moses suffered to write a bill of divorce, and to put away.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They sayde: Moses suffred to wryte a testimoniall of deuorcemet, and to put her awaye.
Mace New Testament (1729)
Moses, said they, allowed a bill of divorce, and so to dismiss her.
THE MESSAGE
They answered, "Moses gave permission to fill out a certificate of dismissal and divorce her."
Simplified Cowboy Version
They puffed out their chests as they began to show off their scripture knowledge. "Moses said it was fine. All a cowboy has to do is give her a paper that says they are divorced."

Contextual Overview

1 Then Jesus left there and went into the area of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again, many people came to him, and Jesus taught them as he always did. 2 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to make him say something wrong. They asked him, "Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?" 3 Jesus answered, "What did Moses command you to do?" 4 The Pharisees said, "Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife by writing a certificate of divorce." 5 Jesus said, "Moses wrote that command for you because you refused to accept God's teaching. 6 But when God made the world, ‘he made people male and female.' 7 ‘That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. 8 And the two people will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 God has joined them together, so no one should separate them." 10 Later, when the followers and Jesus were in the house, they asked him again about the question of divorce.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Isaiah 50:1, Jeremiah 3:1, Matthew 1:19, Matthew 5:31, Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:7

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:9 - Moses

Cross-References

Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from Cyprus. They will defeat Assyria and Eber, but those ships will also be destroyed."
Isaiah 23:1
This is a message about Tyre: Ships traveling from Cyprus heard this message: "Cry, you ships from Tarshish! Your harbor has been destroyed."
Isaiah 23:12
He said, "Daughter Sidon, you have been hurt badly, so you will no longer rejoice like a bride. Go ahead, go to Cyprus for help, but you will not find a place to rest there either."
Ezekiel 27:12
"‘Tarshish was one of your best customers. They traded silver, iron, tin, and lead for all the wonderful things you sold.
Ezekiel 27:25
The ships from Tarshish carried the things you sold. "‘Tyre, you are like one of those cargo ships. You are on the sea, loaded with many riches.
Daniel 11:30
Ships from Cyprus will come and fight against the northern king. He will see those ships coming and be afraid. Then he will turn back and take out his anger on the holy agreement. He will turn back and help those who stopped following the holy agreement.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they said,.... By way of reply,

Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away, Moses did not command them to divorce their wives, only suffered them to do so: and gave orders that if they could not bear that they should live with them, but would divorce them, that they should give them a bill, which should certify, they were so divorced, and then send them out of their houses, free to marry other men; this law, or permission, is in Deuteronomy 24:1, of the form of a bill of divorcement,

Deuteronomy 24:1- :.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this question about divorce explained in the notes at Matthew 19:1-12.

Mark 10:12

And if a woman shall put away her husband - It would seem, from this, that a woman, among the Jews, had the power of separating herself from her husband, yet this right is not given her by the law of Moses. There is not, however, any positive evidence that females often claimed or exercised this right. Cases had occurred, indeed, in which it had been done. The wife of Herod had rejected her former husband and married Herod. And though instances of this kind “might” have been attempted to be defended by the example of Pagans, yet our Saviour was desirous of showing them that it did not free them from the charge of adultery. The apostles were going forth to teach Pagan nations, and it was proper for Christ to teach them how to act in such cases, and to show them that they were cases of real adultery.


 
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