Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 24:1
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, establishing legal boundaries for the covenant community before they cross the Jordan.
The words — The text relies on ki (כִּֽי־) to introduce a conditional scenario and yi.Kach (יִקַּ֥ח) to denote the initial act of taking a wife, framing the subsequent dismissal as a legal response to a stated condition.
The thread — The procedure is later questioned in Matthew 19:7 regarding Mosaic law, while Isaiah 50:1 uses the concept metaphorically to ask where the certificate of divorce is.
Why it lands — The passage mandates written documentation to formalize a husband's decision to dismiss his wife, prioritizing procedural clarity over emotional justification.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Matthew 19:7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses order a man to give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
- Deuteronomy 22:13 Suppose a man marries a woman, has relations with her, and comes to hate her,
- Isaiah 50:1 This is what the LORD says: “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold for your iniquities, and for your transgressions your mother was sent away.
- Mark 10:4 They answered, “Moses permitted a man to write his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
- Deuteronomy 22:19 They are also to fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given a virgin of Israel a bad name. And she shall remain his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
- Deuteronomy 22:29 then the man who lay with her must pay the young woman’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she must become his wife because he has violated her. He must not divorce her as long as he lives.
- Jeremiah 3:8 She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
- Exodus 21:10 If he takes another wife, he must not reduce the food, clothing, or marital rights of his first wife.
- Deuteronomy 24:3 and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies,
- Malachi 2:16 “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.