Matthew 5:31 is Jesus quoting a legal rule his listeners already knew: a man who wanted to end his marriage had to give his wife a written certificate of divorce. Jesus is not endorsing that practice here. He is introducing a teaching that goes further than the rule, and he will make his point in the verse that follows. He spoke these words in the Sermon on the Mount, addressed to his disciples and to the crowds gathered on the hillside in Galilee.
“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’
Matthew 5:31 (WEB)
What Matthew 5:31 Means
The phrase “It was also said” signals that Jesus is quoting what people had long been taught, probably drawing on the law of Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1. That passage allowed a husband to give his wife a certificate and send her away. The phrase “whoever shall put away his wife” describes a man choosing to end the marriage, and “let him give her a writing of divorce” reflects the legal requirement that the divorce be documented. The verse itself records a rule, not a command for Christians to follow.
What the verse does not do is settle every question about divorce. It does not describe a wife’s right to leave, nor does it give a full ethic of marriage. Its purpose is to set up the contrast that Jesus draws in the next verse, where he deepens the standard rather than simply repeating the old rule.
The Context of Matthew 5:31
Matthew, traditionally identified as the tax collector who became one of the twelve apostles, wrote this Gospel for a community with strong ties to Jewish teaching. His readers knew the Mosaic law well, and he presents Jesus as the teacher who fulfills and interprets it. The Sermon on the Mount, of which this verse is part, is Jesus laying out what life in God’s kingdom looks like from the inside.
The verses just before, 28 through 30, speak about the heart behind sin, using the image of plucking out an eye or cutting off a hand rather than giving in to lust or wrongdoing. Verse 32 comes immediately after and shows Jesus reframing the old divorce rule around the seriousness of faithfulness. Read in that sequence, Matthew 5:31 is the setup for a sharper call to integrity in marriage.
Key Phrases in Matthew 5:31
Matthew 5:32
But I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery.
(WEB)
This verse is the direct continuation of the passage and shows Jesus replacing the old permission with a higher standard of faithfulness. Reading it alongside Matthew 5:31 reveals the contrast he is drawing and how seriously he takes the marriage bond.
Malachi 2:16
For I hate divorce”, says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence!” says the LORD of Armies. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you don’t deal treacherously.
(WEB)
Malachi speaks of God’s own hatred of divorce and his concern for the faithfulness of his people. This passage helps explain why Jesus treats the marriage covenant with such weight and why he presses past the permissions of the old law.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 5:31
Lord, you see the hurts that marriage can carry and the decisions that feel too heavy to make alone. Thank you that your word speaks honestly about divorce and also points us toward your deeper design for faithful love. Where I am tempted to justify a careless word or a hardened heart, soften me and turn me back toward you. If I am walking through a painful marriage right now, give me wisdom, courage, and the presence of people who will pray with me. Keep my heart faithful in the small daily choices. Amen.
