Mark 10:2

2 And the Pharisees, having come near, questioned him, if it is lawful for a husband to put away a wife, tempting him,

Mark 10:2 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 10:2

And the: Pharisees came unto him
As they every where did; not to be instructed by him, but to ensnare him;

and asked him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?
that is, as Matthew adds, "for every cause", (See Gill on Matthew 19:3): for, a divorce might be lawfully made for a cause, or reason, namely, adultery, but not for any, or every cause; which is the sense of this question of the Pharisees; and, which they put, not for information, but

tempting him;
trying to entangle him by opposing the authority of Moses, should he deny the lawfulness of divorces, or by objecting his former doctrine, ( Matthew 5:32 ) , and so expose him as an inconsistent preacher, should he allow them to be lawful for every reason. This clause is placed in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions before the question.

Mark 10:2 In-Context

1 And having risen thence, he doth come to the coasts of Judea, through the other side of the Jordan, and again do multitudes come together unto him, and, as he had been accustomed, again he was teaching them.

2 And the Pharisees, having come near, questioned him, if it is lawful for a husband to put away a wife, tempting him,

3 and he answering said to them, `What did Moses command you?'

4 and they said, `Moses suffered to write a bill of divorce, and to put away.'

5 And Jesus answering said to them, `For the stiffness of your heart he wrote you this command,