And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
MARK 10:5KJVWhat does Mark 10:5 mean?
Mark 10:5 means that Jesus explained to the people that Moses allowed certain rules, like divorce, because their hearts were hard and resistant to God’s ways. The command was not an ideal, but a concession to their stubbornness.
In this verse, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, who had asked Him about divorce. He points out that Moses’ instructions were given because the people were unwilling to fully follow God’s intentions for marriage. Jesus is highlighting that the law was shaped by the reality of people’s attitudes, not because it was God’s perfect plan.
The Greek behind Mark 10:5
- The word for "hardness" is σκληροκαρδία (sklērokardia), which combines the ideas of being hard or stubborn (σκληρός, sklēros) and heart (καρδία, kardia). This word emphasizes a deep, inner resistance to change or compassion.
- The Greek word for "precept" is ἐντολή (entolē), which means a command or instruction. Here, it refers to the specific rule Moses gave, showing it was a formal allowance, not a broad approval.
Why Mark 10:5 matters
- Mark 10:5 helps clarify that some biblical laws were given as accommodations to human weakness, not as expressions of God’s highest desire.
- This verse sets up Jesus’ later teaching in the chapter, where He points to God’s original design for marriage, contrasting it with what was allowed because of human stubbornness.
- Understanding this helps readers see the difference between what God permits because of people’s choices and what God truly wants for human relationships.