Deuteronomy 24:1 kjv
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor 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.
Deuteronomy 24:1 nkjv
"When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some uncleanness in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house,
Deuteronomy 24:1 niv
If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house,
Deuteronomy 24:1 esv
"When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house,
Deuteronomy 24:1 nlt
"Suppose a man marries a woman but she does not please him. Having discovered something wrong with her, he writes a document of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house.
Deuteronomy 24 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:24 | Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast... | Foundation of marriage as a "one flesh" union. |
| Mal 2:16 | "For I hate divorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel... | God's clear declaration against divorce. |
| Matt 5:31-32 | "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery..." | Jesus' clarification on permissible divorce grounds (sexual immorality) and the sin of remarriage after unbiblical divorce. |
| Matt 19:3-9 | And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful... Jesus answered, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce..." | Jesus explains Moses' allowance for divorce as a concession due to human sinfulness, contrasting it with God's original creation intent. |
| Mark 10:2-12 | And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" ...But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.'" | Jesus points to God's creation design for indissoluble marriage. |
| Luke 16:18 | "Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery." | Reiterates the consequence of unbiblical divorce and remarriage. |
| 1 Cor 7:10-11 | To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband... and let the husband not divorce his wife. | Paul's apostolic teaching urging Christian spouses not to separate or divorce. |
| 1 Cor 7:15 | But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. | Paul's concession for believers whose unbelieving spouses abandon them. |
| Rom 7:2-3 | For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law concerning the husband... she becomes an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. | Marriage bond lasting until death, defining adultery. |
| Jer 3:8 | She saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away with a certificate of divorce. | God's metaphorical "divorce" of idolatrous Israel using the same legal concept. |
| Exod 21:10-11 | If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. If he does not do these three for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money. | Provisions protecting a wife's basic rights within polygamous contexts. |
| Deut 22:13-21 | If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then hates her and accuses her... and they find that she was not a virgin... then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones... | Laws concerning false accusations and actual sexual misconduct, highlighting the severity of certain "indecencies." |
| Deut 23:14 | Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. | Uses "indecent" in a broader sense of something shameful that offends God. |
| Deut 24:2 | and if she departs from his house and goes and becomes another man's wife, | The direct continuation of this verse, showing the woman's freedom to remarry. |
| Deut 24:3-4 | and if the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand... then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled... | Prohibition against remarrying a previously divorced spouse who remarried another man. |
| Num 30:6-8 | Or if she marries a husband, while under a vow or a hasty utterance by which she has bound herself... But if her husband makes them null and void... | Husband's legal authority to nullify a wife's vows, highlighting the patriarchal context. |
| Eph 5:31 | "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." | Reiteration of Gen 2:24, with spiritual application to Christ and the Church. |
| Hos 2:2 | "Plead with your mother; plead, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband; let her put away her whorings from her face..." | God's strong rebuke of Israel likened to a divorce due to spiritual infidelity. |
| Lev 18:6-18 | "None of you shall approach any one of his close relatives to uncover nakedness..." | Laws concerning forbidden sexual relations, the violation of which would constitute grave "indecency." |
| Lev 20:17-21 | "If a man takes his sister, a daughter of his father or a daughter of his mother, and sees her nakedness... it is a disgraceful thing..." | More on severe sexual improprieties defined as "disgraceful" (related to nakedness/shame). |
Deuteronomy 24 verses
Deuteronomy 24 1 Meaning
Deuteronomy 24:1 describes the legal process for a husband to divorce his wife in ancient Israel. It stipulates that if a man has married a wife but subsequently finds her displeasing due to some "indecency" (ervat davar) discovered in her, he is to formalize the separation by writing and handing her a "certificate of divorce" (sepher keritut), thereby officially sending her out of his household. This law did not introduce divorce, which was already practiced, but rather regulated it by mandating a formal, written document. This measure primarily protected the woman, establishing her legal freedom and right to remarry, thus preventing her from being considered an adulteress if she entered another union.
Deuteronomy 24 1 Context
Deuteronomy 24:1 initiates a specific civil statute within Moses' final instructions to Israel before entering the promised land. This chapter, like much of Deuteronomy, reiterates and expands upon laws from earlier books of the Pentateuch, emphasizing justice, fairness, and the purity required of God's covenant people. The immediate context of 24:1-4 deals specifically with the legalities of divorce and remarriage, outlining procedures and restrictions. Historically and culturally, divorce was an accepted reality in the ancient Near East, often leaving women highly vulnerable. Moses' law did not endorse divorce as God's ideal (which is lifelong union) but regulated it to prevent arbitrary or cruel repudiation. By mandating a formal, written "certificate of divorce," the law provided critical legal protection for the divorced woman, establishing her independent legal status and allowing her the right to remarry, thus averting social stigmatization and destitution. It was a concession given "because of your hardness of heart" (Matthew 19:8), aiming to mitigate the negative consequences of a practice stemming from human sinfulness.
Deuteronomy 24 1 Word analysis
- When a man takes a wife and marries her: This refers to the establishment of a lawful and binding marital union according to Israelite custom, including formal betrothal and wedding ceremonies, symbolizing the beginning of a lifelong covenant relationship.
- and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes: This highlights the subjective nature of the husband's diminishing affection or approval. It suggests a personal displeasure or disappointment rather than an objective, actionable offense. This feeling, however, needed a legitimate (or perceived legitimate) basis in "indecency" for the divorce process to commence according to the law.
- because he has found some indecency in her (עֶרְוַת דָּבָר - ervat davar): This is the crucial and debated phrase:
- Ervat (עֶרְוַת): From ervah, meaning "nakedness," "shame," "disgrace." It denotes something exposed, improper, or defiling.
- Davar (דָּבָר): Meaning "word," "thing," "matter," or "deed."
- Combined, ervat davar literally means "nakedness of a thing" or "a shameful matter/deed." This phrase likely referred to a moral defect, a scandalous behavior, or a grave impropriety on the wife's part that did not constitute full adultery (which carried a different penalty). Interpretations varied among rabbinic schools, with the School of Shammai understanding it strictly as sexual impropriety falling short of adultery, and the School of Hillel more broadly as anything that displeased the husband, even minor faults. Jesus, in His New Testament teaching, points to porneia (sexual immorality) as the only legitimate ground, aligning with a stricter interpretation that focused on a moral or sexual defilement of the marital union.
- and he writes her a certificate of divorce (סֵפֶר כְּרִיתֻת - sepher keritut):
- Sepher (סֵפֶר): A "book," "scroll," or "document."
- Keritut (כְּרִיתֻת): From a root meaning "to cut off," "to cut down," hence "cutting off" or "severance."
- This term denotes a legally binding, written document that formalized the dissolution of the marriage, providing a "bill of severance." This official record was essential for preventing the wife from being wrongly accused of adultery if she later remarried and confirmed her independent legal status.
- and puts it in her hand: This detail specifies the direct delivery of the certificate to the wife, ensuring she formally receives and possesses the legal proof of her divorce. This was a clear, unambiguous act that conveyed her legal freedom.
- and sends her out of his house: This signifies the physical and public expulsion of the wife from the husband's household, signifying the complete and final separation of the marriage union in legal and social terms. Upon this act, she was officially divorced and free to return to her family or pursue another marriage.
Deuteronomy 24 1 Bonus section
- The provision of the sepher keritut or "scroll of cutting off" reflects an underlying divine intention to bring order and justice even to situations caused by human sin. It served as a legal and public record, preventing arbitrary accusations or clandestine repudiation of a wife.
- The absence of the certificate of divorce meant a woman was not legally free, and remarriage would constitute adultery. This underscored the permanence of the initial marriage covenant unless formally dissolved according to this prescribed process.
- This verse (and its surrounding context) established a critical precedent for marriage and divorce discussions in the Bible, laying the groundwork for Jesus' later clarifications in the Gospels and Paul's teachings in the epistles, which uphold the sanctity of marriage while addressing real-world complexities.
Deuteronomy 24 1 Commentary
Deuteronomy 24:1 provides insight into the practical management of marital dissolution in ancient Israel, offering a significant legal safeguard for women in a patriarchal society. This legislation, distinct from divine endorsement of divorce, demonstrates God's character in regulating a prevalent, yet regrettable, social practice. The critical phrase ervat davar (indecency/shameful matter) remains debated, yet it clearly points to a defect or conduct that rendered the marriage unacceptable in the husband's eyes, without necessarily being full-blown adultery. The primary contribution of this verse is the certificate of divorce, which served as vital legal protection. It ensured that the woman was not arbitrarily dismissed, but given formal documentation, which protected her honor, clarified her status, and most importantly, legally enabled her to remarry without being branded an adulteress. Thus, while divorce itself stemmed from the "hardness of human hearts" rather than God’s ideal for marriage (as clarified by Jesus), Moses’ law introduced structure and minimized abuse, demonstrating God's compassionate concern for justice even in imperfect human circumstances.