The Old Testament on divorce presents a complex tapestry of law, prophecy, and cultural context that continues to shape theological discourse and personal decisions today. While the New Testament introduces a higher ethic of grace, the foundational principles regarding the dissolution of marriage are rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures. Understanding these passages requires moving beyond a simplistic reading to appreciate the divine accommodation to the hardness of human hearts.
The Creation Mandate and the Privilege of Marriage
To understand divorce, one must first grasp the biblical view of marriage as instituted by God. The narrative of Genesis 1 and 2 establishes marriage as a divine creation ordinance, designed for human flourishing. In the creation account, God declares that it is not good for man to be alone, creating woman as a suitable helper. This establishes the foundational purpose of marriage: companionship, mutual support, and procreation within a sacred covenant framework.
The Sanctity of the Union
Jesus, in his dialogue with the Pharisees, explicitly grounds the discussion of divorce in the Genesis narrative. He quotes Genesis 1:27 and 2:24, emphasizing that God created them male and female and that a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife. The phrase "what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" highlights the sacred nature of the marital bond. From this perspective, divorce is seen as a deviation from the original creation plan, a concession to human failure rather than an ideal.
Moses’ Law: A Regulation of Dissolution
While the creation account reveals the ideal, the Mosaic Law acknowledges the reality of human sinfulness. In Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Moses provides a legal framework for divorce, permitting a man to write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away. This was a significant departure from the surrounding cultures where a husband could simply abandon a wife. The law provided protection for the woman, ensuring she was not left destitute and could remarry. This passage is crucial for understanding the "hardness of heart" Jesus referenced, as the law regulated a practice that was already occurring.
Permissibility: The law acknowledges that divorce will occur and provides a just procedure.
Protection: It mandates a written document to protect the woman's rights and security.
Restriction: The law strictly forbids a man from remarrying her if she has married another man and been divorced or widowed.
Jesus’ Teaching on Divorce and Remarriage
Jesus confronts the legalistic interpretations of his contemporaries, raising the standard of the law. In the Sermon on the Mount, he declares that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. Similarly, anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Here, Jesus addresses the heart issue, showing that divorce is not merely a legal transaction but a moral rupture. He restricts the grounds for divorce to porneia, a term generally understood to refer to sexual immorality or infidelity, which stands in contrast to the broader allowance of Deuteronomy 24.
The Exception Clause
The phrase "except for sexual immorality" (or "unchastity" in some translations) has been the subject of intense debate. This Matthean exception (found only in Matthew's Gospel) is often interpreted as allowing divorce in cases of adultery. While Jesus upholds the ideal of lifelong commitment, he acknowledges the tragic reality of betrayal. This clause does not grant permission for trivial dissatisfaction but addresses a fundamental breaking of the marital covenant. It serves as a boundary rather than a broad license, maintaining the gravity of the union.
