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Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ὅτι ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ, καὶ γαμήσῃ ἄλλην, μοιχᾶται· καὶ ὁ ἀπολελυμένην γαμήσας μοιχᾶται.
RBT Greek Interlinear:
Strongs 3004  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
legō
λέγω
I am saying
V-PIA-1S
Strongs 1161  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
de
δὲ
and
Conj
Strongs 4771  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
hymin
ὑμῖν
to yourselves
PPro-D2P
Strongs 3754  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
hoti
ὅτι
that
Conj
Strongs 3739  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
hos
ὃς
which/whichever
RelPro-NMS
Strongs 302  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
an
ἂν
conditional particle
Prtcl
Strongs 630  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
apolysē
ἀπολύσῃ
he might release
V-ASA-3S
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
tēn
τὴν
the
Art-AFS
Strongs 1135  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gynaika
γυναῖκα
woman
N-AFS
Strongs 846  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
autou
αὐτοῦ
himself
PPro-GM3S
Strongs 3361  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus

μὴ
not
Adv
Strongs 1909  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
epi
ἐπὶ
upon
Prep
Strongs 4202  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
porneia
πορνείᾳ
harlotry
N-DFS
Strongs 2532  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kai
καὶ
and
Conj
Strongs 1060  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gamēsē
γαμήσῃ
should marry
V-ASA-3S
Strongs 243  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
allēn
ἄλλην
another
Adj-AFS
Strongs 3429  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
moichatai
μοιχᾶται
she commits adultery
V-PIM/P-3S
Strongs 2532  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
kai
‹καὶ
and
Conj
Strongs 3588  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
ho

the
Art-NMS
Strongs 630  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
apolelymenēn
ἀπολελυμένην
her who has been set free
V-RPP-AFS
Strongs 1060  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
gamēsas
γαμήσας
he who has been married
V-APA-NMS
Strongs 3429  [list]
Λογεῖον
Perseus
moichatai
μοιχᾶται›
commits adultery
V-PIM-3S
RBT Translation:
Dual Women of Himself
And I am saying to yourselves that whosoever should not set free the Woman of himself, on account of prostitution, and should marry another one, he is committing adultery.38
LITV Translation:
And I say to you, Whoever shall put away his wife, if not for fornication, and shall marry another, that one commits adultery. And the one who marries her who was put away commits adultery.
ESV Translation:
And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Footnotes

38

Strongs #G3361. "μὴ" does not mean "except." In Greek, "μὴ" is an adverb that means "not" and is used primarily with non-indicative moods (such as subjunctive, imperative, and infinitive). The word for "except" in Greek would typically be "εἰ μή" "if not" or "πλὴν." So, the translation of "ὅτι ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ μὴ" remains: "because whoever should not release his woman..."

In Ancient Greek, μὴ (meaning "not") can appear at the end of a sentence, although this placement is relatively rare compared to its usual position directly before the verb. When μὴ is placed at the end of a clause or sentence, it can function as a way of emphasizing negation or marking a special syntactical structure.

This phrase, "ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα μὴ ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ", has eluded translators because of word order and cases. The placement of μὴ at the end would typically imply a slightly more formal or emphatic negation. It can be used for stylistic reasons, perhaps to emphasize that the action of setting the woman free is being negated. "ἐπὶ πορνείᾳ" "upon prostitution" is in the dative case meaning "on account of prostitution."

Granted, this positioning is less common than placing μὴ immediately before the verb (e.g., "μὴ ἀπολύσῃ"). The placement at the end is still grammatically valid, and it's often seen in more complex or literary forms of Greek, especially when the author wants to focus the reader's attention on the negation itself. Considering the absence of "unless" or "except" within this clause, the negating adverb μὴ should be treated as such, i.e. as an adverb.

"καὶ ὁ ἀπολελυμένην γαμήσας μοιχᾶται" at the end is not a part of the original verse, per the earliest manuscripts.