3 And the Pharisees came near to Him, testing Him, and saying, If it is acceptable for a man to put away his woman for every charge?” 4 Which now answering, he said, “Did you not know-again [read] that the one who built [them] from the beginning, made them a male and a female, 5 and said, On account of this will a man leave behind the father and the mother, and be glued to his woman, and the two will be into one flesh? 6 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has yoked together, let no man put space between.” 7 They say to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a scroll of divorce, and to put her away?” 8 He says to them, “Moses for your hardness of heart permitted you to put away your women, but from the origin this has not become. 9 And I say to you that whoever may put away his woman, except for whoredom, and may marry another, commits adultery; and he who marries her who has been put away, commits adultery.”
10 His disciples say to him, “If this is the charge of the man with the woman, it does not bring-together [advantage] to marry.” 11 And He said to them, “Not all make room for this word [logon], but [only] to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who from the mother’s womb were so fathered; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of the heavens. He who is able to make room—let him make room.”
Matthew 19:3-12 RBT
This passage has traditionally been interpreted as if “the word” mentioned by Jesus in verse 11 is related to “receiving the gift of the eunuch,” as if such a condition were a gift. However, it’s important to note that God Himself recognized being a eunuch as a misfortune:
And neither let speak a son of the Foreigner Who is Joined toward Yahweh, to say, “Yahweh utterly separates me from His gathered-ones.” Neither let the speak the Eunuch, “Behold, I myself am a dry tree!” For thus says Yahweh to the Eunuchs who guard my Sabbaths and have chosen in that which delights me and hold strong in my cut-out-one [covenant, indicative of Christ], even I have given to them in my house and in my walls a hand and a name more good than sons and daughters; I am giving a name of the future to them which is not cut off.
Isaiah 56:3-5 RBT
Therefore, it’s likely that “the word” Jesus was referring to was the phrase ‘What God has yoked together, let no man put space between.’ When seen in the context of how challenging it is for men to patiently allow God to unite them with the right woman chosen for them (“A woman is suited to a man by the Lord.” Proverbs 19:14 LXX), and how frequently they hastily enter into marriages and relationships without caution, driven by impatience and desire, thereby compromising their commitment to Christ, it becomes clear why such a word can be difficult for men to “make room” for. Unfortunately, many men only learn this lesson the hard way. Trusting that God has a woman prepared for him to be yoked with might very well be the most challenging test of a man’s life. And the eunuchs (representing those joined to Christ who don’t father any children) could be interpreted as those who were fathered negatively (i.e. no positive role model), influenced by worldly men, or the rare few that choose to stay unmarried as Paul (1 Co 7:8).
Those That are Able
To those whom this word has been given, understanding their sonship and their obligation to “not forget” the instructions in the Proverbs (Hebrews 12) they become consciously aware of the promises of a wife and learn to make room, be patient, and endure the lesser suffering of being without until God’s appointed time:
Pro.5.18 Pro.6.29 Pro.12.4 Pro.18.22 Pro.19.13 Pro.19.14 Pro.21.9 Pro.25.24 Pro.27.15 Pro.31.10
And the instructions regarding the woman:
Pro.2.16 Pro.5.18 Pro.6.24 Pro.6.26 Pro.6.26 Pro.6.29 Pro.6.32 Pro.7.5 Pro.7.10 Pro.9.13 Pro.11.16 Pro.11.22 Pro.12.4 Pro.14.1 Pro.18.22 Pro.19.13 Pro.19.14 Pro.21.9 Pro.21.19 Pro.25.24 Pro.27.15 Pro.30.20 Pro.31.3 Pro.31.10 Pro.31.30
