Matthew 19:4

New Testament Gospel ASV (1901)

What does Matthew 19:4 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And he answered and said, Have ye not read, that he who made [them] from the beginning made them male and female,” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And he answered and said, Have ye not read, that he who made [them] from the beginning made them male and female,
Matthew 19:4 — American Standard Version

Context — Matthew 19

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
4And he answered and said, Have ye not read, that he who made [them] from the beginning made them male and female,

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he answered and said unto them, etc.] Not by replying directly to the question, but by referring them to the original creation of man, and to the first institution of marriage, previous to the law of Moses; have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female? This may be read in (<010127>Genesis 1:27) and from thence this sense of things collected; that God, who in the beginning of time, or of the creation, as Mark expresses it, made all things, the heavens, and the earth, and all that is therein, and particularly “man”, as the Vulgate Latin, and Munster’s Hebrew Gospel supply it here, made the first parents of mankind, male and female; not male and…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female--or better, perhaps, "He that made them made them from the beginning a male and a female."”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And he answered and said ... - Instead of referring to the opinions of either party, Jesus called their attention to the original design of marriage, to the authority of Moses an authority acknowledged by them both. Have ye not read? - Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:21-22. “And said, For this cause,” etc., Genesis 2:24. That is, God, at the beginning, made but one man and one woman: their posterity should learn that the original intention of marriage was that a man should have but one wife. Shall leave his father and mother - This means, shall bind himself more strongly to his wife than he was to his father or mother. The marriage connection is the most tender and endearing of all human relations…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“He said, Have ye not read - So instead of contradicting him, our Lord confutes them by the very words of Moses. He who made them, made them male and female from the beginning - At least from the beginning of the Mosaic creation. And where do we read of any other? Does it not follow, that God's making Eve was part of his original design, and not a consequence of Adam's beginning to fall? By making them one man and one woman, he condemned polygamy: by making them one flesh, he condemned divorce. Matthew 19:5”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“19:4-5 The Pharisees were not considering all of God’s word. The Creator had made marriage as a permanent union (see Gen 2:18-25; see also 1 Cor 7:10-16).”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Have: Mat 12:3, Mat 21:6, Mat 21:42, Mat 22:31; Mar 2:25, Mar 12:10, Mar 12:26; Luk 6:3, Luk 10:26 that: Gen 1:27, Gen 5:2; Mal 2:15 Matthew 19:5”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification