What does Matthew 19:4 mean?

Some Pharisees are attempting to trap Jesus with a tricky question. They don't like Jesus, and they want to bring Him down. They hope either to discredit Him in the eyes of some of the people or to get Him to say something they can label as heresy. This time, they have asked Jesus about the hotly debated topic of whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason.

As He so often does, Jesus quotes from Scripture in response, rather than framing His response as an opinion or a debate point. He asks them if they have read—referring to Genesis—that the One who made people from the beginning made them male and female. He will finish the quote in the following verse.

Jesus knows these highly religious Pharisees have read and, in some cases, memorized the entire Scriptures. And yet, He often asks if they have read the Word of God. By implication, He is suggesting they are ignoring the truth they have been given by God. This is one of His primary complaints with these religious leaders (John 5:39–40).