1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. 3 Then the Pharisees came and tested Him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?” 4 Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” 10 His disciples said to Him, “If this is the case between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.” 11 “Not everyone can accept this word,” He replied, “but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” 13 Then little children were brought to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and pray for them. And the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them! For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 And after He had placed His hands on them, He went on from there. 16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Good Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” 17 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus replied. “There is no one who is good but God. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” the man asked. Jesus answered, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, 19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “All these I have kept from my youth,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When His disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 “Look,” Peter replied, “we have left everything to follow You. What then will there be for us?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Matthew · Majority Standard Bible
Matthew 19 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 John 10:40; Matthew 19:1–9; Mark 10:1–12; Matthew 7:28
- 2 Matthew 12:15; Matthew 15:30–31; Matthew 9:35–36; Matthew 4:23–25; Mark 6:55–56
- 3 Mark 10:2; Hebrews 3:9; Luke 11:53–54; Mark 12:15; Matthew 5:31–32
- 4 Genesis 2:23; Genesis 1:27; Genesis 5:2; Luke 10:26; Malachi 2:15
- 5 Genesis 2:21–24; 1 Corinthians 7:4; 1 Corinthians 7:2; Ephesians 5:31; Mark 10:5–9
- 6 Mark 10:9; Hebrews 13:4; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:10–14; Ephesians 5:28
- 7 Deuteronomy 24:1–4; Matthew 5:31; Mark 10:4; Malachi 2:16; Matthew 1:19
- 8 Malachi 2:13–14; Genesis 2:24; Zechariah 7:12; Jeremiah 6:16; Mark 10:5
- 9 Matthew 5:32; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 1 Corinthians 7:10–13; Mark 10:11–12
- 10 1 Corinthians 7:32–35; 1 Corinthians 7:8; Proverbs 19:13–14; 1 Corinthians 7:1–2; Proverbs 21:9
- 11 1 Corinthians 7:17; Matthew 13:11; 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:35; 1 Corinthians 7:7–9
- 12 1 Corinthians 7:32–38; 1 Corinthians 9:5; Isaiah 56:3–4; Isaiah 39:7; 1 Corinthians 9:15
- 13 Mark 10:13–16; Luke 18:15–17; Matthew 18:2–5; Acts 2:39; 1 Corinthians 7:14
- 14 Matthew 18:3; Luke 18:16–17; 1 Corinthians 14:20; Mark 10:14; Matthew 11:25
- 15 Mark 10:16; 1 Corinthians 7:14; Isaiah 40:11; 2 Timothy 3:15
- 16 Mark 10:17–30; John 3:15; Luke 18:18–30; Jude 21; Matthew 25:46
- 17 Leviticus 18:5; Galatians 3:11–13; Luke 10:26–28; Romans 10:5; 1 Samuel 2:2
- 18 Deuteronomy 5:16–21; Exodus 20:12–17; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; James 2:10–11
- 19 Leviticus 19:18; Exodus 20:12; Matthew 22:39; Deuteronomy 5:16; Ephesians 6:1–2
- 20 Galatians 3:24; Mark 10:20–21; Philippians 3:6; Luke 18:11–12; Luke 18:21–22
- 21 Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22; Luke 12:33; Acts 2:45; Luke 14:33
- 22 Ezekiel 33:31; Matthew 6:24; Matthew 13:22; Ephesians 5:5; Mark 10:22
- 23 1 Timothy 6:9–10; Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24; James 5:1–4
- 24 John 5:44; Luke 18:25; Mark 10:24–25; Jeremiah 13:23; Matthew 19:26
- 25 Romans 10:13; Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20; Luke 13:23–24; Romans 11:5–7
- 26 Jeremiah 32:27; Luke 1:37; Job 42:2; Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27
- 27 Philippians 3:8; Luke 18:28; Luke 5:11; Mark 1:17–20; Luke 15:29
- 28 Luke 22:28–30; 1 Corinthians 6:2–3; Matthew 25:31; Revelation 20:4; Isaiah 65:17
- 29 Luke 18:29–30; Mark 10:29–30; Philippians 3:8; Luke 14:26; Matthew 16:25
- 30 Matthew 20:16; Luke 13:30; Mark 10:31; Matthew 21:31–32; Luke 18:13–14
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
We heard in the Gospel that the Lord, rejoicing greatly in Spirit, said unto God the Father, "I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Having constantly left Judæa on account of the envy of those men, now He frequents it from this time forth, because the passion was to be nigh at hand; He goeth not up, however, unto Jerusalem for a while, but "into the coasts of Judæa." "And," when He was come, "great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them."
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… her that is divorced from another husband, committeth adultery." And, "There are some who have been made eunuchs of men, and some who were born eunuchs, and some who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake; but all cannot receive this saying." So that all who, by human law, are twice married, are in the eye of …
For this reason did the Lord declare that the first should in truth be last, and the last first. And the prophet, too, indicates the same, saying, "instead of fathers, children have been born unto thee." For the Lord, having been born "the First-begotten of the dead," and receiving into His bosom the ancient fathers, has regenerated them into the …
… how he may please the Lord; but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife." I should, therefore, have listened more attentively to these words, and, being severed "for the kingdom of heaven's sake," I would with greater happiness have expected Thy embraces.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)