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In Matthew 5:32, Jesus says, “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” This statement is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, where He intensifies the moral demands of the law by addressing not only outward actions but also the heart’s motivations behind them. To understand what Jesus means here, we must consider the context of marriage, divorce, and adultery as taught throughout Scripture.
First, Jesus affirms the sanctity and permanence of marriage. In Matthew 19:6, He says, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Marriage is a covenant before God, not merely a social contract. Therefore, breaking that covenant through divorce is a serious matter. In Matthew 5:32, Jesus introduces what is often called the “exception clause”: “except on the ground of sexual immorality.” The Greek word translated here as “sexual immorality” is porneia, which refers to any type of illicit sexual behavior. Jesus teaches that sexual immorality is the only legitimate grounds for divorce because it violates the one-flesh union established in marriage (Genesis 2:24).
When Jesus says that “whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery,” He is addressing situations where a divorce has occurred for reasons other than sexual immorality. In such cases, the original marriage bond is still considered valid in God’s eyes. Therefore, if someone marries a woman who is divorced without biblical grounds, he is entering into a relationship that God does not recognize as legitimate, and thus it is considered adultery. This is consistent with Matthew 19:9, where Jesus reiterates, “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
It is important to note that Jesus is not condemning all remarriage, but rather remarriage that follows an unbiblical divorce. The seriousness of this teaching lies in the fact that God holds marriage in high regard, and any attempt to dissolve it without just cause is a violation of His design. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day had allowed for divorce for almost any reason (see Matthew 19:3), but Jesus counters their leniency by pointing back to God’s original intent for marriage.
Jesus’ teaching serves as a warning against taking marriage lightly. It calls believers to uphold the covenant of marriage with faithfulness and to seek reconciliation with one’s spouse whenever possible. At the same time, Jesus offers clarity: if a divorce occurs due to sexual immorality, the innocent party is not bound and is free to remarry. Such a remarriage is not considered adulterous.
In summary, Matthew 5:32 teaches that marriage is a sacred covenant, and divorce is only permissible in cases of sexual immorality. Remarrying after an unbiblical divorce results in adultery because the original marriage bond remains intact in God’s eyes. This underscores the need for purity, faithfulness, and reverence for God’s design for marriage.
