Pharisees or “Some Pharisees” (Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New International Version) may be said to represent the Greek text. Other Greek manuscripts have “The Pharisees” (see King James Version), but TC-GNT believes that the definite article “the” was supplied by later scribes, as was also done in some manuscripts in the parallel at Mark 10.2. If translators have translated Pharisees in a way that indicates they were a sect or some kind of group, then it will be natural here to say “some members of the Pharisees group.” See discussion at 3.7.

Came up to him may be “approached him” or “went up to him.” The text does not indicate whether the Pharisees had traveled far to talk to Jesus or were already there in the area.

Tested (Good News Translation “tried to trap”) translates a verb which is used in the same sense in 16.1 (see also 22.18, 35); it is also used in the temptation narrative (4.1, 3). As we indicated at 16.1, the use of tested in this kind of context shows that the Pharisees were trying to discredit Jesus. “Tried to trap” of Good News Translation indicates that, as does “came to him with what they intended to be a test question” of Barclay. “Tried to catch Jesus out” or “asked Jesus a trick question” may also convey the meaning, if these expressions are not too colloquial or considered slang in the receptor language.

Tested him by asking is more literally “tested him and saying.” But this is a typical Semitic expression in which “and” is deceptive. Here “and” is not used to link equal parts; rather it is used as a means of indicating that the first part of the construction (“tested”) is explained by the second part (“saying”). Fortunately the majority of modern translations are consistent in making this meaning evident.

Is it lawful (so also New English Bible) has the Mosaic Law as the point of reference; Good News Translation translates “Does our Law allow,” and New Jerusalem Bible is similar (“Is it against the Law”).

Divorce was previously discussed in the Sermon on the Mount (5.31-32); it is now brought up in the context of debate. Among the Jewish teachers of religion, this was a frequent matter of debate, and the focal point of discussion was always the phrase “something unbecoming” of Deuteronomy 24.1.

The formulation of the question, to divorce one’s wife, reflects accurately the historical situation, since among the Jews a woman could not divorce her husband. Many translators will find it more natural to use “a man … his wife” as Good News Translation does instead of one’s of the Revised Standard Version text.

For any cause (so also An American Translation) is translated “for whatever reason he wishes” by Good News Translation, an interpretation which is accepted by most other translations (Barclay “for any reason he likes,” New Jerusalem Bible “on any pretext whatever,” New English Bible “on any and every ground”). According to this interpretation, the legitimacy of divorce is assumed, and so the question deals with the grounds on which it may be carried out. However, the phrase may be understood as a question regarding the legitimacy of divorce, an interpretation represented by Phillips (“on any grounds whatever”) and by New English Bible‘s alternative wording (“Is there any ground on which it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”). If this second interpretation is accepted, then Matthew is not considerably different from Mark.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .