Matthew 19:7

7 They said to him, "Then why did Moshe give the commandment that a man should hand his wife a get and divorce her?"

Matthew 19:7 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 19:7

They say unto him
That is the Pharisees, who object the law of Moses to him, hoping hereby to ensnare him, and expose him to the resentment of the people, should he reject that, as they supposed he would;

why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and
put her away?
referring to ( Deuteronomy 24:1 ) which they thought to be a contradiction, and what they knew not how to reconcile to the doctrine Christ had delivered, concerning the original institution of marriage, and the close union there is between a man and his wife, by virtue of it, and which is not to be dissolved by men. Concerning a writing of divorcement and the form, and manner of it, (See Gill on Matthew 5:31)

Matthew 19:7 In-Context

5 and that he said, `For this reason a man should leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two are to become one flesh'?

6 Thus they are no longer two, but one. So then, no one should split apart what God has joined together."

7 They said to him, "Then why did Moshe give the commandment that a man should hand his wife a get and divorce her?"

8 He answered, "Moshe allowed you to divorce your wives because your hearts are so hardened. But this is not how it was at the beginning.

9 Now what I say to you is that whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery!"