Matthew 19:9, mng of PORNEIA

Steven Craig Miller scmiller at www.plantnet.com
Sat Oct 16 15:19:45 EDT 1999


To: Paul Dixon,

<< Would you say, then, that the wife who has committed such 
infidelity/adultery could be lawfully divorced?  If so, how would that 
comport with the law which stipulates she should be stoned to death? >>

Although the evidence is not absolutely clear, it is possible that the 
Matthean Jesus was in effect suggesting that if we were under our own law, 
such a woman would be dead and thus one could remarry, but since we are not 
under Roman law (cf. Jn 18:31), we will allow such a man to remarry, BUT no 
one else! Or it could be that the Matthean Jesus no longer felt that 
adulterous women should be put to death (cf. Jn 7:53-8:11), and yet that 
the man should be able to divorce in such a situation, but no other. (See: 
Brown's "The Death of the Messiah" pp. 363-372.)

<< This is why PORNEIA here must be interpreted in light of the preceding 
verses and ultimately in light of Deut 24:1ff. It is apparently an 
uncleanness, indecency (literally, nakedness of some sort) falling
short of adultery. >>

How would you want to translate Mt 19:9?

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



More information about the B-Greek mailing list