Translation commentary on Matthew 5:32

But I say to you places the declaration of Jesus in contrast to that of the Old Testament; this is the same formula used in verse 22.

The text has every one, but it is often more natural to say “anyone” or “whoever.”

Unchastity (so also New English Bible, Moffatt, Translator’s New Testament) was translated “fornication” by Jerusalem Bible and “lewd conduct” by New American Bible, since the Greek word may refer to any illicit sexual relations, although it would be assumed to mean adultery here. Good News Translation, An American Translation, and Phillips have “unfaithfulness” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “unfaithful”). However, sociological studies of New Testament times have led some scholars to suggest that a better rendering would be “an unlawful marriage,” as for example between people of certain blood or legal relationships who were forbidden to marry each other by Mosaic Law. New Jerusalem Bible and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, for example, have “except for the case of an illicit marriage,” and the revised New Testament of New American Bible has “unless the marriage is unlawful.”

Translations which follow the first interpretation can have “unless she had committed adultery,” “unless she had been unfaithful,” or “unless she had slept with other men.” Those who follow the second will have a sentence similar to New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, or revised New American Bible, cited above.

In many languages, translators have to restructure this sentence slightly to cover the meaning of except. Examples are “anyone who divorces his wife for any reason except…” or “anyone who divorces his wife, but the reason was not because she….”

The Old Testament commandment allowing for a bill of divorce to be given accepted divorce as legitimate. However, Jesus is denying this by saying that unless the marriage was illegal (or possibly unless the woman had been unfaithful), then the divorce is not legal, and the woman is guilty of adultery if she marries again. Moreover, the assumption is that she will probably marry again. Therefore the inclusion of “if she marries again” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition, Bijbel in Gewone Taal) is necessary for the reader; otherwise the point of what Jesus is saying will be missed completely.

To say he makes her an adulteress means that “he makes her guilty of adultery” or “he is the one responsible for making her commit adultery.” Since this will only be the case if she marries again, something in the possible future, then translators can say “then if she marries again, he is the one responsible for her committing adultery in that way” or “when she remarries and in doing so becomes guilty of adultery, then he is the one who has caused this adultery.”

And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery is also based on the logic that in principle—though not legally—the divorced woman is still married to her first husband. Some Greek manuscripts omit this clause. But the UBS Greek New Testament favors the opinion that its omission is due to the overzealousness of certain scribes who may have regarded these words as unnecessary in light of the previous statement, makes her an adulteress (so TC-GNT).

The last clause can be expressed as “the man who marries a divorced woman is committing adultery” or “it is adultery also for the man if he marries a divorced woman.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:32

5:32

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 5:32b and 5:32c. Compare the order and structure of the clauses in the Berean Standard Bible and the New Century Version below.

32aBut I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, 32bexcept for sexual immorality, 32cbrings adultery upon her. (Berean Standard Bible)

32aBut I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife 32cforces her to be guilty of adultery. 32bThe only reason for a man to divorce his wife is if she has sexual relations with another man. (New Century Version)

5:32a

But I tell you: The clause But I tell you also occurs in 5:22a and 5:28a. Translate it here as you did there.

you: In the Greek text, the pronoun for you is plural.

anyone who divorces his wife: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as anyone refers only to men.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

any man who divorces his wife (God’s Word)
-or-
if a man divorces his wife (Good News Translation)

5:32b

except for sexual immorality: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as except for sexual immorality means “except on the ground of sexual immorality” (as in the English Standard Version). This indicates that the only acceptable reason for divorce is sexual immorality.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

except for marital unfaithfulness (New International Version)
-or-
for any reason other than unfaithfulness (God’s Word)
-or-
unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin (Contemporary English Version)

sexual immorality: There are several ways to understand the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sexual immorality:

(1) It refers specifically to adultery. This means that the woman has been unfaithful to her husband after the marriage. For example:

she has sexual relations with another man (New Century Version)

(2) It refers generally to any kind of sexual immorality before or after marriage.

(3) It refers to an unlawful or illegal marriage. For example:

an illicit marriage (New Jerusalem Bible)

Most English versions use a word or phrase that follows interpretation (1) or (2), but it is often not possible to tell which one. It is recommended that you also follow interpretation (1) or (2).

5:32c

brings adultery upon her: In that culture, a divorced woman almost always remarried. She remarried because there was no satisfactory way for her to support herself alone. If the first husband has divorced her even though she has been faithful, he has caused her to become unfaithful to him if she marries another man. In that sense, he brings adultery upon her.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

causes her to commit adultery (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
makes her guilty of sexual sin ⌊if she marries again⌋

5:32d

And he who marries a divorced woman: In this context, the phrase he who refers to another man who marries a divorced woman.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

if another man marries that divorced woman
-or-
if someone else marries the woman ⌊whose first husband⌋ divorced ⌊her⌋

commits adultery: In God’s view, it is as if the second husband is having sexual relations with another man’s wife. God wants a man to stay married to his first wife, and he wants the woman to remain married to her first husband. Their marriage binds them together as if the two of them were one person.

You will probably want to translate this expression the same way as in 5:32c.

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