Mark 10:9 (ASV)

Passage

What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Nearby Context

Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife;

Mark 10:8 and the two shall become one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh.

Mark 10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mark 10:10 And in the house the disciples asked him again of this matter.

Mark 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "hath", "joined", "together", and "asunder". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "and the two shall become one flesh..." into verse 10's "And in the house the disciples asked...", so "therefore" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.