New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 19:6

The Cost of Following

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” Matthew 19:6 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 19:6, in plain English

Jesus says it plainly: they are no longer two people — they are one. What God has joined together, no one should tear apart.

Why it's here

Jesus is saying marriage isn't just a legal arrangement. It's something God does, and it carries His weight.

Who's speaking

Jesus delivers one of His most powerful statements about the sanctity of marriage.

Where it sits in the story

This is the heart of Jesus' answer. Marriage is God's work, and it deserves to be honored that way.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

Jesus draws the conclusion: since God made the two 'one flesh,' no human authority (anthrōpos) has the right to divide what God has joined (synezeuxen, 'yoked together').

Language and setting

The verb synezeugnymi ('yoke together') implies divine action in forming the marriage bond, making separation a violation of God's work.

Voice

Jesus states the authoritative principle that marriage is a divine joining, not merely a human contract.

Significance

Jesus declares that marriage is God's act of joining, elevating it beyond human law and making its dissolution a violation of divine intent.

In context

Matthew 19:4–8

4Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’

5and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?

6So 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?”

8Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.

Read all of Matthew 19 — A rich young man walks away sad, children are welcomed, and the disciples wonder who can possibly be saved. Jesus redefines what it costs to follow him.

Understand every verse, not just this one

This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.

Get BibleKey

Understand every verse.

Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone & iPad