Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 19:4
He which made them at the beginning - When Adam and Eve were the first of human kind. Made them male and female - Merely through the design of matrimonial union, that the earth might be thus peopled. To answer a case of conscience, a man should act as Christ does here; pay no regard to that which the corruption of manners has introduced into Divine ordinances, but go back to the original will, purpose, and institution of God. Christ will never accommodate his morality to the times, nor... read more
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 19:3
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 αιτιαν , fault, cause, reason, three MSS. and the Coptic version read αμαρτιαν , sin or transgression: this was probably the original reading - the first syllable being lost, αρτιαν alone would remain, which a subsequent transcriber would suppose to be a mistake for αιτιαν , and so wrote it; hence this various... read more