Matthew 5:31,32 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

It hath been said, &c.— The doctors of the school of Sammai affirmed, that in the law concerning divorce, Deuteronomy 24:1 the words some uncleanness were to be understood of adultery only; whereas they of the school of Hillel interpreted them of any manner of dislike whatever. Hence the Pharisees asked Jesus, ch. Matthew 19:3 if it was lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? The opinion of Hillel was generally espoused by the Jews, as appears both from their practice and their writings. Thus Malachi 2:16 the clause which in our translation runs, The Lord says he hateth putting away, that is to say, divorces on frivolous pretences, is by the Chaldee paraphrast and the LXX rendered, If thou hatest, thou shouldst put her away. Also the son of Sirach, Eccl'us, Ecclesiastes 25:26. If she go not as thou wouldst have her, cut her off from thy flesh; and and Josephus, Antiq. l. 4. c. 8. "He that would be disjoined from his wife, for any cause whatever, as many such causes there may be among men, let him give her a bill of divorce." Nay, one of their doctors delivered it as his opinion, "That a man may put away his wife, if he likes any other woman better." As therefore they had perverted the law of divorce, that they might give full scope to their lusts, Jesus thought fit to reduce it to its primitive meaning; assuring them, that he who divorces his wife for any of the causes allowed by the doctors, whoredom excepted, layeth her under a strong temptation to commit adultery; unjust divorce being no divorce in the sight of God: and that since such marriages still subsisted, he who married the woman unjustly divorced, committeth adultery also. See Macknight, Calmet, and 1 Corinthians 7:15