Mat 19:9 And I say to you, Whoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committs adultery: and who marries her who is put away commits adultery.

Ancient civilizations took the vows of marriage very seriously. Except for the most elite, marriage was not a matter of convenience, but a serious matter of social ties and individual survival. Marriage tied families together. The role of parents in supporting their children was absolute. Adultery, much less divorce, was considered a serious failure of character. In The Republic, Plato says that someone who commits adultery cannot be trusted in other matters. In Aristophane, adultery is equated with treason and treachery.

"Shall put away" is from apoluô, which means "to loose from," "to set free," and ""to discharge." Interestingly, in another context the word means "to destroy utterly," "to lose," and "to perish." It is the same word used to describe freeing someone from a debt (as in the last chapter).

"Fornication" is from porneia, which in Greek means "prostitution." It is translated more generally as "fornication" only in the New Testament.

"Marry" is from gameô, which mean "to marry" and "to take a wife." For a woman, it means "to give yourself in marriage." It can also mean to "take a lover."

"Adultery" is from the Greek moichaô, which means "adultery" or "to have an affair."