Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 10:4

"And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away." — Mark 10:4 (ASV)

Jesus, as he often did when in controversy with the Jewish religious leaders, countered with a question of his own. Moses was their authority—what did he say? Jesus knew they would appeal to Moses. They admitted that a man could divorce his wife, but only after giving her a certificate of divorce, making the transaction permanent and legal.