Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 25:3 (Sep 1982)
Article: Mark’s Jesus On Divorce: Mark 10:1-12 Reconsidered
Author: Robert W. Herron, Jr.

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Mark’s Jesus On Divorce:
Mark 10:1-12 Reconsidered

Robert W. Herron, Jr.*

The existence of several pieces of material in the NT dealing with the question of divorce is strong testimony that it was a profound concern of the Church. The synoptic gospels record Jesus’ teaching about divorce in isolated sayings (Matt 5:31–32; Luke 16:18) and as controversy dialogues (Matt 19:1–9; Mark 10:1–12). Probably the earliest Christian statement on divorce to be written down is Paul’s record and interpretation of the Lord’s words in I Cor 7:10–16. The exact relation of each passage to the others is debated. In general the disagreement concerns which traditions provide the best means of access to the mind of Jesus. The task of this paper will be to critically analyze one tradition, Mark 10:1–12—not with the purpose of making a theological determination about divorce, but to offer some tentative conclusions regarding its historical accuracy and to detect possible theological concerns of the evangelist revealed in the presentation of the text.

The narrative itself can be divided into two sections, the kernel being the pronouncement story on the question of divorce in 10:2–9 to which is appended a dominical saying in 10:11–12. This division is legitimate inasmuch as scholars have longed recognized a period of oral transmission preceding the writing of the gospels. There is no reason to assume that the units have no intrinsic connection, although Paul apparently drew on the same tradition that preserved Mark’s dominical saying without any compulsion to include the pronouncement story. This at least provides a natural division for examining the text.

I. Integrity Of Pronouncement Story: Mark 10:2-9

1. Divorce in Judaism. Divorce was an accepted facet of life during the first century. A Jewish man, for example, could put away his wife by providing her with a legal notice of divorce in accordance with the provisions of Deut 24:1. The debate during Jesus’ lifetime focused on the acceptable grounds for divorce. Differences of opinion on this issue are preserved in extant Jewish sources:

The School of Shammai say: A man may not divorce his wife unless he has found unchastity in her, for it is written, Because he has found in her indecency in anything (Deut. 24:1a). And the School of Hillel say: (He may divorce he...

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