Luke 16:18Everyone who divorces his wife, and marries another, commits adultery. He who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.
The setting
Judea, ~30 AD. Jesus teaching crowds about kingdom values, including marriage permanence...
The emotion here: grieved over broken covenant relationships
The original word
moicheuei (μοιχεύει) — commits adultery, present tense indicating ongoing state
Why it matters
Roman law allowed easy divorce for men; Jewish schools debated grounds for divorce
Read with care
What most readers miss in Luke 16:18
This comes RIGHT after the parable about faithful stewardship — marriage is stewardship too
Common misconceptionMany think this makes divorce the 'unforgivable sin.' Jesus is establishing God's design, not condemning those already divorced. The gospel offers forgiveness and new beginnings.
Bible Genome reading
Luke 16:18 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Luke 16:18 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include marriage sanctity, adultery. Notable phrases: divorces his wife; commits adultery. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Luke 16:18 mean to you, today?
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