Knowing Jesus’ strong stance against divorce, they hoped that pressing him on the matter might distance him from the Law of Moses in a way that would alienate him from the crowd. Their question concerns the issue of whether divorce is permissible for any cause,
referring to properly sanctioned and legitimate certificates of divorce. The lawful grounds for divorce were varied, and the scribes of the time debated the details, yet all agreed that divorce was allowed with valid reasons (whatever they were).
Knowing Jesus’ strong stance against divorce, they hoped that by pressing him on the matter he might distance himself from the Law of Moses in a way that would make him unpopular with the crowd present. Their question concerns the fundamental issue of whether divorce is permissible in any circumstance at all. The addition for any cause
clarifies that the Pharisees are referring only to properly sanctioned and legitimate certificates of divorce. The lawful grounds for divorce were varied, and the scribes of the time debated the precise details, yet all agreed on this point: that divorce was permitted when valid reasons existed (whatever these may have been).1
3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”