Mark 10 - In Depth Bible Commentaries

1602 160310.5 But then the Jesus said to them, "Because of the hardness of heart of1604yours, he wrote for you the commandment, this one. 10.6 But then, from creation's1601(...continued)they describe a possibility that might happen in Jewish marital relations, which would giverise to the commandment given in verse 4 of that chapter. Moses, instead of commandingthat this should happen, only permitted it to happen, and gives a law to govern thosesituations in which such a thing might happen. See our endnote, which gives acommentary on Deuteronomy 24:1-4.Lane, comments that "Jesus cut across the casuistry of the Jewish legal traditionwith a direct appeal to the Law...The Mosaic provision was made for the contingency ofdivorce, but did not in itself determine whether that contingency was right or wrong. Itsprimary function was to provide a degree of protection for the woman who had beenrepudiated by her husband." (P. 354)1602The opening phrase of this verse, o` de, ho de, literally “But then the (Jesus)...” isread by Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, L, Delta, Theta, Psi, Minuscules579, the first writer of 892 (see), 2427, a few other Greek manuscripts, the Old LatinManuscript c (see) and the Coptic tradition.It is changed to read kai. avpokriqei/j o`, kai apokritheis ho, “and having answeredthe (Jesus)...” by Alexandrinus, Bezae, W, Families 1 and 13 of Minuscules, Minuscule1424 (see), the “Majority Text,” the Latin Vulgate (see), some of the Old Latin witnesses(see), the Sinaitic Syriac (see) and the Peshitta Syriac (see).The variant reading does not change the meaning of Mark, but demonstrates thefreedom of copyists and translators to slightly change the original wording of the text foranother wording, which says the same thing in a slightly different way.1603The preposition pro,j, pros, means literally “towards,” or “directed at.” Here it is usedto point out the reason that lay behind Moses’ teaching–it was the “hardness of heart” ofthe people who were practicing divorce!1604Jesus is exactly right in this evaluation. The teaching of the Torah concerning therelationship of a husband and wife is to be found elsewhere in the "Five Books of Moses"--not in this passage just quoted, Deuteronomy 24:1-4. This passage is dealing withsituations that are contrary to the will of YHWH for the home and for marriage. "Sendingaway" and "divorce" are a fact of life, and the biblical legislation is willing and able to facesuch undesirable circumstances. But the biblical provisions made for unhealthy, brokenrelationships are not by any means to be looked upon as an expression of YHWH God'swill for the home, and for the normal husband / wife relationship. Rather, as Jesus states,this kind of legislation is given "because of the hardness of human hearts.”889(continued...)