Luke 16:18 Meaning: The Absolute Teaching on Divorce?
“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
Every one that putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth one that is put away from a husband committeth adultery.
`Every one who is sending away his wife, and marrying another, doth commit adultery; and every one who is marrying her sent away from a husband doth commit adultery.
Every one who puts away his wife and marries another commits adultery; and every one that marries one put away from a husband commits adultery.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does Jesus say any remarriage after divorce is adultery? Luke 16:18 seems to give no exceptions, but Matthew adds one. Explore the meaning here.
Context
This verse comes in the middle of a chapter where Jesus is confronting the Pharisees. They loved money and scoffed at his teaching. He told them God sees their hearts, and what looks noble to people can be an abomination to God. Then he says that the Law and the Prophets were until John, but now the good news of the Kingdom is being preached. Right after that, he gives this hard word on divorce. The Pharisees prided themselves on keeping the law, but they allowed men to divorce their wives for almost any reason. Jewish teachers like Hillel said a man could divorce his wife if she over-salted his soup. Jesus calls them back to God’s original design for marriage. This verse is not an isolated rule, but part of a larger call to take God’s commands seriously, not to use loopholes.
Key Words
Three Greek words carry the weight here. Apoluōn means ‘to release’ or ‘set free’. It was the standard word for divorce, but Jesus uses it in a way that says no human release can undo what God has joined. Next, gamōn means ‘to marry’. The plain verb for entering marriage. Jesus takes this ordinary word and puts it alongside moicheuei, which means ‘commits adultery’. The same word appears in the Ten Commandments. Jesus is not inventing a new sin; he is exposing that a divorce without true grounds does not end the marriage in God’s eyes. So the word moicheuei hits hard: it says that starting a new relationship after such a divorce is not a fresh start, but a violation of the covenant that still stands. These words together strip away the false security of a legal document. Marriage is more than a contract; it is a bond God sees as lasting.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this verse differently across traditions. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that a valid marriage cannot be dissolved by divorce, and remarriage after divorce is adultery, though annulments may declare a marriage invalid. The Orthodox Church allows remarriage in certain cases as a pastoral concession, seeing the first marriage as having died. Many Protestant churches permit remarriage after divorce on grounds of adultery or abandonment, pointing to Matthew’s exception as part of the same teaching. Evangelical believers often hold that God hates divorce but offers grace for the remarried. Pentecostal traditions tend to emphasize the ideal of lifelong marriage while offering restoration. All agree that Jesus calls marriage to permanence, and the serious nature of this call should lead to humility and care for those who have suffered broken marriages.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
This verse asks you to take marriage seriously not just when it is easy, but when it is hard. If you are married, let it shape how you speak to your spouse, how you handle conflict, how you guard your heart against wandering. If you are divorced, let it drive you not to shame but to honest prayer before God about what happened. If you are remarried, do not let this verse haunt you, bring it and your whole story to Jesus, who meets failure with grace. The point is not to crush you, but to remind you that marriage matters deeply to God, and his care for you matters more.
Main takeaway: Jesus restores marriage to God’s original permanence, calling us to faithfulness and showing that divorce does not undo the covenant.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God made marriage to last forever. Jesus says that even if people try to end it with a paper, they are still married in God’s eyes. That is why he says starting a new marriage after divorce is wrong.
For ages 9, 12
Jesus is teaching that marriage is not just a contract you can tear up when things get hard. It is a promise before God. The Pharisees made divorce easy, but Jesus calls us back to how God designed it from the beginning: one man and one woman for life. This is a high standard, and when people fall short, God still offers forgiveness and help to start again in the right way.
Questions People Ask
Does Luke 16:18 mean all remarriage after divorce is adultery?
That is how it reads at first glance. But Matthew’s Gospel includes the phrase 'except for sexual immorality' (Matthew 19:9). Most Christians understand that Jesus did not contradict himself, so the exception applies here as well. Luke may have omitted it for brevity, not to change the meaning.
Why does Matthew include an exception for sexual immorality but Luke does not?
Luke’s Gospel focuses on the radical call of Jesus’ teaching, often compressing his sayings. Matthew’s account gives more detail because his audience was Jewish and familiar with the divorce debates. Both are inspired and together give the full picture: marriage is permanent, but unfaithfulness can break it.
What did Jesus mean by 'commits adultery'?
He uses the same word from the Ten Commandments: having sexual relations with someone who is not your spouse. In this context, he says that a divorced person who remarries is still bound to the first spouse in God’s sight, so the new marriage is considered adultery. This shows how seriously God views the marriage covenant.
Is divorce unforgivable according to this verse?
No. Jesus does not say divorce is unforgivable. He says it is a serious sin that breaks God’s design. But the whole Gospel is about forgiveness for every sin. If you are divorced and remarried, or have been divorced, you can bring your brokenness to Jesus and receive his mercy. He calls you to faithfulness from this point forward, not to undo the past.
How does this verse apply to someone who is already remarried?
If you are in a second marriage after divorce, this verse can bring guilt, but God’s grace is greater. The call is not to leave your current spouse, but to honor your present marriage and seek God’s forgiveness for the past. Many churches offer pastoral care for these situations, focusing on healing and faithful living now.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study