What Does God Say About Divorce? A Biblical Overview

TL;DR: God's word addresses divorce across both Testaments. In the Old Testament, Moses permitted a bill of divorcement under specific conditions Deuteronomy 24:1. Jesus later clarified that this was a concession, not God's ideal, and tightened the standard significantly Matthew 5:31. Paul echoed the Lord's command that a wife should not depart from her husband 1 Corinthians 7:10. The consistent biblical thread is that God takes the marriage covenant seriously, though the scriptures do acknowledge real-world circumstances where divorce occurred.

"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 · Christianity

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.

FAQs

Did Moses command divorce or merely permit it?

Moses permitted rather than commanded divorce. The Pharisees in Matthew 19:7 asked why Moses "command[ed] to give a writing of divorcement" Matthew 19:7, but the Deuteronomy 24:1 text itself is structured as a conditional regulation, not a mandate Deuteronomy 24:1. Most biblical scholars read it as a legal accommodation to protect women in difficult marriages, not a divine endorsement of the practice.

What does the New Testament say a wife should do regarding divorce?

Paul, citing the Lord's own authority in 1 Corinthians 7:10, instructs that a wife should not depart from her husband 1 Corinthians 7:10. This echoes Jesus's elevation of the marriage standard beyond what the Mosaic bill of divorcement allowed Matthew 5:31. It's a command rooted in covenant faithfulness, though Paul does go on to address exceptional circumstances later in the same chapter.

Are divorced people treated differently under biblical law?

Numbers 30:9 specifically addresses widows and divorced women, stating that every vow they make "shall stand against her" — meaning their vows are fully binding without a husband's authority to annul them Numbers 30:9. This actually grants divorced women a measure of legal independence and dignity within the biblical framework, recognizing their full standing before God.

What was the 'bill of divorcement' mentioned in the Bible?

The bill of divorcement was a written legal document a husband was required to give his wife before sending her from his house, as described in Deuteronomy 24:1 Deuteronomy 24:1. Deuteronomy 24:3 reiterates the same requirement if a second husband also divorces her Deuteronomy 24:3. Jesus references this document in Matthew 5:31 when engaging the question of divorce ethics Matthew 5:31.

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