Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 19:3

3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?

Our Saviour, tho yet at some distance from Ierusa[illegible: 1 letter]em, yet was come into that Province, where the Pharisees had the greatest Power, and were in greater Numbers: Now they come to him, Tempting him, where the Word Tempting, rather signifies generally making a Tryal of him, than strictly, Solliciting him to sin, they came (as appeareth by their Question) to make a Tryal, whether they could intrap him, and ge[illegible: 1 letter] any Determination from him of a point, for which they might accuse him. The Question they propound to him is: Whether it be Lawful for a Man to put away his Wife for every Cause? The Word here translated Cause; signifieth not Cause, or Occasion, but Crime also. So it may be translated Crime, but they did not only put away their Wives for Crimes, but upon any occasion, in abuse of that Text. Deut. 24.1. When a Man hath taken a Wife and Married her, and it come to pass that she find no Favour in his Eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: Which the Pharisees had interpreted, of any kind of Deformity▪ or natural Infirmity, not meerly of Moral uncleanness. Had our Saviour now answered, Yes, he had Contradicted what he had formerly delivered, Ch. 5.32. had he denied, they had Trapped him as Contradicting the Law of Moses, Deut. 24.1. (according to their Interpretation of it) So they had had whereof to accuse him.