Matthew 19:7

7 They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and to send [her] away?

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 said, On account of this a man shall leave father and mother, and shall be united to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh?

6 so that they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

7 They say to him, Why then did Moses command to give a letter of divorce and to send [her] away?

8 He says to them, Moses, in view of your hardheartedness, allowed you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not thus.

9 But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, not for fornication, and shall marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries one put away commits adultery.