In Order to Marry Another

In Matthew 19:9, Jesus is answering the question in vs. 7 where the Pharisees ask why Moses legislated the bill of divorce. Jesus also speaks prophetically concerning the motive behind divorce.

The reason Moses was inspired to legislate the bill of divorce was to legally free an expelled wife to marry another man and remain married. In the ancient near-east, a man could expel or abandon his wife—and she still belonged to him! If she married another man, the husband that had expelled her could reclaim her if he wished, breaking up her second family. But if the first husband gave her a bill of divorce and she married another man, her first husband could never again reclaim or marry her, even if her second husband died. The purpose of the bill of divorce was to mitigate the oppression of women.

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Author: Sherman Nobles

Keywords: Marriage, Divorce, Bill of divorcement, Certificate of divorce, Certificate of divorcement, Bill of divorce, School of Hillel, School of Shammai, Any cause, Every cause, Divorce for any cause, Divorce of every cause, Rabbinic debate, Commits adultery, Continues to commit adultery, Remarriage, Divorcement, Exception clause, Put away, Put assunder, Putteth away, divorce and remarriage, divorce and marriage

Bible reference(s): Deuteronomy 24:1-3, Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19:3-9, Mark 10:4, Mark 10:11-12, Luke 16:18, 1 Corinthians 7:15, 1 Corinthians 7:39, 1 Corinthians 7:28

Source: “Adultery is the Breaking of Devotion.”

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