Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
Tempting him - Trying what answer he would give to a question, which, however decided by him, would expose him to censure.
Is it lawful - for every cause? - Instead of , fault, cause, reason, three MSS. and the Coptic version read , sin or transgression: this was probably the original reading - the first syllable being lost, alone would remain, which a subsequent transcriber would suppose to be a mistake for , and so wrote it; hence this various reading. What made our Lord' s situation at present so critical in respect to this question was: At this time there were two famous divinity and philosophical schools among the Jews, that of Shammai, and that of Hillel. On the question of divorce, the school of Shammai maintained, that a man could not legally put away his wife, except for whoredom. The school of Hillel taught that a man might put away his wife for a multitude of other causes, and when she did not find grace in his sight; i.e. when he saw any other woman that pleased him better. See the case of Josephus, mentioned in the note on Matthew 5:31 (note), and Calmet' s Comment, vol. i. part ii. p. 379. By answering the question, not from Shammai or Hillel, but from Moses, our blessed Lord defeated their malice, and confounded their devices.
Other Adam Clarke entries containing Matthew 19:3:
Deuteronomy 24:1
Matthew 23:8
Mark 10:2
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