Mark 10:5
And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
Original Language Analysis
Cross References
Historical Context
The phrase 'hardness of your heart' echoes Exodus 4:21; 7:13 (Pharaoh's hardened heart) and Deuteronomy 9:6 (Israel's stubbornness). In Jewish thought, 'heart' (kardia) represented the will and moral center, not mere emotions. Hardness indicated deliberate resistance to God. Jesus' diagnosis that divorce stemmed from sklērokardia was theologically radical—He reinterpreted Deuteronomy 24 not as divine ideal but as concession to sin. This challenged Pharisaic assumption that Mosaic law represented perfect divine will. Jesus taught that some Old Testament provisions accommodated sin without endorsing it, pointing toward the New Covenant's heart transformation (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26). Reformed theology distinguishes moral law (reflecting God's eternal character) from positive/civil law (temporary provisions for historical context).
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus' explanation that divorce was permitted 'for hardness of heart' help distinguish between what God allows and what God desires?
- What does this teach about interpreting Old Testament laws—some reflect eternal moral truth, while others accommodate human sin without condoning it?
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Analysis & Commentary
Jesus explained Moses' concession: 'For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept' (πρὸς τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ὑμῶν ἔγραψεν ὑμῖν τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην). The term 'hardness of heart' (sklērokardian, σκληροκαρδίαν) indicates stubborn refusal to obey God—literally 'hard-heartedness' or callous indifference to divine will. This phrase appears in contexts of rebellion (Deuteronomy 10:16; Jeremiah 4:4; Ezekiel 36:26). Jesus identifies divorce not as divine design but as accommodation to sinful human stubbornness. God permitted divorce to regulate an evil practice, preventing worse harm (forced cohabitation in hostile marriages, wife-abuse, unlawful remarriage). But permission doesn't equal approval. This interpretive principle is crucial: Old Testament concessions to sin (polygamy, divorce, slavery) aren't normative but demonstrate God's patient accommodation to human fallenness. Jesus points beyond concession to God's creational intent (vv. 6-9).