Matthew 19:4-6 and the Definition of Marriage
In Matthew 19:4-6, Jesus addresses the Pharisees' questions about divorce by referring to the creation account and God's original design for marriage. He quotes from Genesis, stating, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?" [3, 10].
This passage emphasizes the divine institution of marriage, which dates back to the creation of humanity [1, 2, 10]. Jesus highlights that God "made them male and female" [10], establishing the foundational binary nature of the marital union. The phrase "one flesh" signifies a profound unity between husband and wife [8, 9]. This unity is not merely physical but encompasses their entire being, making them "no more twain" but a single entity in God's design [8]. The Summa Theologica by Aquinas notes that marriage is directed to the rearing of offspring throughout their lives, requiring the parents to live together inseparably [6].
Jesus's reference to Genesis 2:24 underscores several principles regarding marriage. First, it establishes monogamy as the original law of marriage, a concept violated in later times by practices like polygamy [1, 2, 5]. Second, it implies the indissolubility of the marriage bond, except on the strongest grounds [2]. John Gill, in his commentary on Matthew 19:6, explains that God, by the first institution of marriage, declared husband and wife to be so closely united as to be "one flesh" [8]. Therefore, Jesus concludes, "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" [7]. This statement affirms that humans do not have the right to break the union that God has established [7].
The passage functions as a foundational text for understanding the nature of marriage in Christian theology. one tradition asserts that marriage is a covenant relationship, divinely instituted for the happiness of humanity, the increase of population, and the raising of godly offspring [4, 11]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary on Genesis 2:24 notes that Adam's approval of the marriage relation shows his righteousness [9]. The same commentary on Matthew 19:5 emphasizes that God's purpose was for "one man and one woman should by marriage become one flesh—so to continue as long as both are in the flesh" [12]. This divine constitution, Jesus argues, should not be broken by human action [12].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Marriage — Was instituted in Paradise when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:18-24). Here we have its original charter, which was confirmed by our Lord, as the basis on which all regulations are to be framed (Matt. 19:4, 5). It is evident that monogamy was the original law of marriage (Matt. 19:5; 1 Cor. 6:16). This law was violated in after times, when corrupt usages began to be introduced (Gen. 4:19; 6:2). We meet with the prevalence of polygamy and concubinage in the patriarchal age (Gen. 16:1-4; 22:21-24; 28:8, 9; 29:23-30, etc.). Polygamy was acknowledged in the Mosa”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Marriage — + Its origin and history .--The institution of marriage dates from the time of man's original creation. (Genesis 2:18-25) From (Genesis 2:24) we may evolve the following principles: (1) The unity of man and wife, as implied in her being formed out of man. (2) The indissolubleness of the marriage bond, except on; the strongest grounds, Comp. (Matthew 19:9) (3) Monogamy, as the original law of marriage (4) The social equality of man and wife. (5) The subordination of the wife to the husband. (1 Corinthians 11:8,9; 1 Timothy 2:13) (6) The respective duties of ”
- Matthew “Matthew 19:5 (NASB) — and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'?”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Marriage — Divinely instituted -- Ge 2:24. A covenant relationship -- Mal 2:4. Designed for The happiness of man. -- Ge 2:18. Increasing the human population. -- Ge 1:28; 9:1. Raising up godly seed. -- Mal 2:15. Preventing fornication. -- 1Co 7:2. The expectation of the promised seed of the woman an incentive to, in the early age -- Ge 3:15; 4:1. Lawful in all -- 1Co 7:2,28; 1Ti 5:14. Honourable for all -- Heb 13:4. Should be only in the Lord -- 1Co 7:39. Expressed by Joining together. -- Mt 19:6. Making affinity. -- 1Ki 3:1. Taking to wife. -- Ex 2:1. Giving daughte”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Wife — The ordinance of marriage was sanctioned in Paradise (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6). Monogamy was the original law under which man lived, but polygamy early commenced (Gen. 4:19), and continued to prevail all down through Jewish history. The law of Moses regulated but did not prohibit polygamy. A man might have a plurality of wives, but a wife could have only one husband. A wife's legal rights (Ex. 21:10) and her duties (Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim. 5:14) are specified. She could be divorced in special cases (Deut. 22:13-21), but could not divorce her husband. Divorce wa”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Supplement (Supplementum), Of the Bill of Divorce, Art. 1: Article: Whether inseparableness of the wife is of natural law? I answer that, By the intention of nature marriage is directed to the rearing of the offspring, not merely for a time, but throughout its whole life. Hence it is of natural law that parents should lay up for their children, and that children should be their parents' heirs (2 Cor. 12:14). Therefore, since the offspring is the common good of husband and wife, the dictate of the natural law requires the latter to live together for ever inseparably: ”
- Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 19:6: 19:6 Since God made marriage a union, humans do not have the right to break that union. Jesus affirmed the indissolubility of marriage.”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 19:6: Wherefore they are no more twain,.... They were two before marriage, but now no more so; not but that they remain two distinct persons, but one flesh; or, as the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read, "one body": hence the wife is to beloved by the husband as his own body, as himself, as his own flesh, Eph 5:28. what therefore God hath joined together; or, by the first institution of marriage, has declared to be so closely united together, as to be, as it were, one flesh, and one body, as husband and wife are; let no man put asunder; break the bond”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 2:24: one flesh--The human pair differed from all other pairs, that by peculiar formation of Eve, they were one. And this passage is appealed to by our Lord as the divine institution of marriage (Mat 19:4-5; Eph 5:28). Thus Adam appears as a creature formed after the image of God--showing his knowledge by giving names to the animals, his righteousness by his approval of the marriage relation, and his holiness by his principles and feelings, and finding gratification in the service and enjoyment of God. Next: Genesis Chapter 3”
- Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 19:4: And he answered and said unto them,.... Not by replying directly to the question, but by referring them to the original creation of man, and to the first institution of marriage, previous to the law of Moses; have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female? This may be read in Gen 1:27 and from thence this sense of things collected; that God, who in the beginning of time, or of the creation, as Mark expresses it, made all things, the heavens, and the earth, and all that is therein, and particularly "man", as the Vulgate Latin, ”
- Malachi (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Malachi 2:14: Wherefore?--Why does God reject our offerings? Lord . . . witness between thee and . . . wife--(so Gen 31:49-50). of thy youth--The Jews still marry very young, the husband often being but thirteen years of age, the wife younger (Pro 5:18; Isa 54:6). wife of thy covenant--not merely joined to thee by the marriage covenant generally, but by the covenant between God and Israel, the covenant-people, whereby a sin against a wife, a daughter of Israel, is a sin against God [MOORE]. Marriage also is called "the covenant of God" (Pro 2:17), and to it t”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 19:5: And said, For this cause--to follow out this divine appointment. shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?--Jesus here sends them back to the original constitution of man as one pair, a male and a female; to their marriage, as such, by divine appointment; and to the purpose of God, expressed by the sacred historian, that in all time one man and one woman should by marriage become one flesh--so to continue as long as both are in the flesh. This being God's constitution, let not man break it ”