Matthew 19:9, mng of PORNEIA

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Sat Oct 16 08:28:19 EDT 1999


To: Jeffrey B. Gibson,

SCM: << I've suggested  the following translation: "I say to you: whoever 
divorces his woman (except for divorcing whores) and marries another lives 
in adultery." >>

JBG: << But the problem here is that "prostitution" is not what the 
Deuteronomic and/or the more contemporary Rabbinic discussion (which seems 
to inform the debate behind Matt 19) envisages, nor does it seem a common 
enough situation (a man's wife engaging in "prostitution") in 1st cent CE 
Palestine to be the issue at stake. >>

I'm not suggesting that "prostitution" was a real problem, only that the 
term PORNEIA was used as an abusive metaphor. This to me, if I may be 
allowed to speak so bold, is a point which I believe most scholars have missed!

JBG: << I am still inclined to see that what Jesus is saying here is that 
even the reason that ordinarily, and according to the Mosaic Law, was 
recognized as grounds for divorce, is not to be considered so, i.e., that 
there is no cause for which a man may divorce his wife PORNEIA included. >>

So, how would you translate Mt 19:9?

 From my point of view, I would concede that MH EPI PORNEIi (of Mt 19:9) is 
a problem. I don't claim to personally have any new solution to this 
problem. But I do believe that my translation (quoted above) is consistent 
with mainstream scholarship, especially the interpretation argued for in 
Davies and Allison's commentary on Matthew.

-Steven Craig Miller
Alton, Illinois (USA)
scmiller at www.plantnet.com



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