Deuteronomy 24:4

then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, concluding a legal passage on marriage and divorce just before their entry into Canaan.

The words — The Hebrew employs the infinitive constructs לָשׁוּב (lāšûḇ, to return) and לְקַחְתָּהּ (ləqaḥtāh, to take her) without a connecting conjunction to define the prohibited act.

The thread — The land-purity warning aligns with Leviticus 18:24 and Joshua 22:17, while Jeremiah 3:1 later reflects the same scenario through a rhetorical question about returning to a divorced wife.

Why it lands — The text explicitly forbids the first husband from remarrying his former wife after she has been defiled, declaring the act an abomination that would bring sin upon the inherited land.

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

לֹא־lo'-not יוּכַ֣לyu.Khalhe will be able בַּעְלָ֣הּba'.La/hhusband/ her הָרִאשׁ֣וֹןha./ri.Shon<the>/ former אֲשֶֽׁר־'a.she.ro.Shi-who שִׁ֠לְּחָהּShi.le.cha/hhe sent away/ her לָשׁ֨וּבla./Shuvto/ return לְקַחְתָּ֜הּle./kach.Ta/hto/ take/ her לִהְי֧וֹתli/h.Yotto/ becomeל֣וֹl/oof/ himלְאִשָּׁ֗הle./'i.Shah<into>/ wife אַחֲרֵי֙'a.cha.Reiafter אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthat הֻטַּמָּ֔אָהhu.ta.Ma.'ahshe has been declared unclean כִּֽי־ki-for תוֹעֵבָ֥הto.'e.Vah[is] an abomination הִ֖ואhi'that לִפְנֵ֣יli/f.Nei<to>/ before יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahweh וְלֹ֤אve./Lo'and/ not תַחֲטִיא֙ta.cha.Ti'you will cause to sin אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land אֲשֶׁר֙'a.Sherwhich יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your נֹתֵ֥ןno.Ten[is] about to giveלְךָ֖le./Khato <the>/ youנַחֲלָֽה׃ סna.cha.Lahan inheritance

King James Version

Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Cross-references

Jeremiah 3:1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers—and you would return to Me?” declares the LORD.
Leviticus 18:24 Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
Joshua 22:17 Was not the sin of Peor enough for us, from which we have not cleansed ourselves to this day? It even brought a plague upon the congregation of the LORD.