What Does God Say About Divorce? A Biblical Overview
"When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house."
This passage from Deuteronomy 24:1 represents the earliest biblical legislation on divorce Deuteronomy 24:1. Moses provided a formal legal process — a written bill of divorcement — that gave the woman a degree of legal protection in the ancient Near Eastern context. It wasn't an endorsement of divorce so much as a regulation of a practice that was already occurring Matthew 19:7.
Jesus directly engaged this Mosaic allowance in Matthew 19, where the Pharisees asked why Moses commanded a writing of divorcement Matthew 19:7. Jesus's response in Matthew 5:31 references that same Deuteronomic tradition before raising the ethical bar considerably Matthew 5:31. Meanwhile, Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:10 frames his instruction as coming from the Lord himself, not merely his own opinion, commanding that a wife not depart from her husband 1 Corinthians 7:10.
Protestant View on What God Says About Divorce
"And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband."
Protestant theology generally holds that God's ideal is lifelong, monogamous marriage, and that divorce represents a departure from that design. The Old Testament's allowance in Deuteronomy 24:1 — where a man could write a bill of divorcement if he found "some uncleanness" in his wife — is understood by most Protestant scholars as a concession to human sinfulness rather than a divine endorsement Deuteronomy 24:1.
Jesus's words in Matthew 5:31 are pivotal for Protestant interpretation. He quotes the Deuteronomic tradition and then immediately reframes it, indicating that the old standard was insufficient Matthew 5:31. Most Protestant denominations recognize what's often called the "exception clause" found in Matthew 19, where sexual immorality is cited as a permissible ground for divorce. The Pharisees' question about Moses's command in Matthew 19:7 prompted Jesus to clarify God's original intent for marriage Matthew 19:7.
Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 7:10 is particularly significant because he explicitly attributes the command to the Lord rather than himself: the wife should not depart from her husband 1 Corinthians 7:10. Protestants also note that Numbers 30:9 acknowledges the legal reality of divorced women, treating their vows as fully binding — a sign that scripture takes divorced persons seriously as full members of the covenant community Numbers 30:9.
In practice, Protestant denominations vary widely — from stricter traditions that permit divorce only for adultery or desertion, to more grace-oriented traditions that allow remarriage after divorce in a broader range of circumstances. But virtually all agree that God doesn't take divorce lightly, and neither should we.
Key takeaways
- Moses permitted a formal bill of divorcement in Deuteronomy 24:1, but this was a legal regulation, not a divine endorsement of divorce Deuteronomy 24:1.
- Jesus in Matthew 5:31 directly references the Mosaic tradition on divorce and raises the ethical standard beyond it Matthew 5:31.
- Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:10 attributes the command against marital separation to the Lord himself, not merely his own apostolic opinion 1 Corinthians 7:10.
- Numbers 30:9 recognizes divorced women as legally independent persons whose vows stand fully before God Numbers 30:9.
- The Pharisees' question in Matthew 19:7 about Moses's divorce command prompted Jesus's most extended teaching on God's original design for marriage Matthew 19:7.
Discussion
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