Bible Strands
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,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the Israelite assembly on the plains of Moab, delivering covenant stipulations that regulate marriage and divorce to prevent social exploitation and maintain tribal land inheritance.
The words — כְּרִיתֻת (ke.ri.Tut) = divorce; סֵפֶר (Se.fer) = document. The text specifies that the second husband must formally write and hand over a document of divorce before dismissing her, rather than acting on arbitrary dismissal.
The thread — The requirement of a written divorce document appears in Jeremiah 3:8; the prohibition against remarrying a divorced woman after a second marriage is echoed in Malachi 2:14-16 and cited in Matthew 19:7-9 and 1 Corinthians 7:11.
Why it lands — The text demands that marital dissolution be documented and legally finalized, and it forbids the first husband from reclaiming his wife after her second marriage ends, treating such a cycle as a defilement that corrupts the community.
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
And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;