God, On Divorce


A friend of mine recently asked me about God's thoughts on divorce. I figured I should do some research, so here's a (partial) list of the passages I've found that use the word in the NIV.

• Leviticus 21:7-15 "[Priests] must not marry women... divorced from their husbands"
• Numbers 30:9-12 "Any vow or obligation taken by a... divorced woman will be binding on her."
• Deuteronomy 22:13-29 "If a man takes a wife... and slanders her... he must not divorce her as long as he lives."
• Deuteronomy 24:1-4 "If a man... writes her a certificate of divorce... her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce... her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her."
• Malachi 2:13-16 "do not break faith with the wife of your youth... 'I hate divorce'"
• Matthew 5:31-32 "anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress"
• Matthew 19:3-12 "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?... what God has joined together, let man not separate... did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce... Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard."
• Mark 10:2-12 "Is it lawful for a man to divorce[?]... because your hearts were hard... Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her... if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
• Luke 16:16-18 "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
• 1 Corinthians 7:8-16 "A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife... If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him... But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so."

Posted: Fri - September 8, 2006 at 07:29 AM          

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