If we are to rightly divide the Word of Truth in the area of divorce, as taught in the Holy Scriptures, there are a couple of hurdles, which we must clear. The first and foremost hurdle we must overcome is that which occurs with the process of translating one language into another language.
Any time a very expressive language is translated into a less expressive language; there is an occasion for lack of clarity. Both the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament are both much more expressive languages than is the English language.
The second hurdle we must clear is any preconceived notion we harbor about divorce. Whether for the good or for the bad, we must realize that both society and church denominational teachings have had a huge influence on our understanding and our attitude about the subject of divorce.
Anyone who might have a memory range in the age of, say 60 to 70 years plus and who also has been associated with church life can probably remember the time when the churches seemed to consider divorce as the unpardonable sin. Anyone who was divorced was treated as a “seemly” second class Christian. For example, a divorcee could not be a pastor or a deacon. Many churches would not allow a divorcee to be a Sunday school teacher. Some churches would not allow a divorcee to vote on matters brought before the church counsel for general approval. There is actually a denominational teaching, which states that if someone has divorced and married someone else, that they are living in a continual state of sinful adultery. Therefore, God cannot bless the second marriage.
When we go into the scriptures to search out the Truth about divorce, upon surface reading most of the newer Bible translations, there seems to be some very strong language against divorce and especially against marrying another person after being divorced or marrying someone who is a divorcee.
The Word of God speaks of itself in this manner:
2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit inspired men to write the scriptures. The Holy Spirit chose the words to be written by these men in the original text. We have many study aids available to us today. The Strongs Concordance has numbered each word in the Bible and gives the Hebrew and Greek definitions. The Interlinear Bible lays the original text along side the King James translation and includes the Strongs numbers. This is very helpful in our study and understanding of the scriptures. We should all want to be workmen unto God who are rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Of course we know that we can only accomplish this by correctly studying the Word of Truth. Let’s begin the subject of divorce with the establishment of the law of divorce as given by God to Moses to be given to the children of Israel.
Deut 24:1 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.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
It is necessary to give detailed attention to this process as prescribed by God. This will become very important as we progress through the scriptures. The reason being is there is a definite Hebrew word for “a bill of” and there is a definite Hebrew word for “divorcement” and there is a definite Hebrew word for “and send her.” The following are the Strongs numbers and Hebrew definitions.
a bill of is #5612 cepher (say'-fer); or (feminine) ciphrah (Psa. 56:8 [9]) (sif-raw'); from 5608; properly, writing (the art or a document); by implication, a book:
divorcement is #3748 keriythuwth (ker-ee-thooth'); from 3772; a cutting (of the matrimonial bond), i.e. divorce:
and send her is #7971 shalach (shaw-lakh'); a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):
The process of the “law of divorce” is very easy to follow, as prescribed by God and given to Moses to be included in the Law. There are no “hard to understand” points here.
The man was to write a bill of divorcement and give it to the woman and send her out of his house. This was a simple process to follow and please note the absence of “hate” by God and the absence of “condemnation” by God. However we have all heard and read that God hates divorce. Here is the first hurdle to clear. God does not hate His Own Word! God established divorce! Well, one might ask how did we come to the conclusion that God hates divorce?
Many have come to that conclusion because of the bad translations included in the Bibles of today. In several cases, the translators of the scriptures did not rightly divide the Word of Truth. God hating divorce is one of those cases. If we go to Malachi 2:16 and compare translations of the Bible with the manuscripts, we will see a big part of the problem. First let’s use the KJV, which translates this verse correctly and then compare some of the other translations.
Mal 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
putting away is # 7971 shalach (shaw-lakh'); a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications).
When we compare this word #7971 here in Malachi, with the law of divorce in Deut 24:1, we see that “and sent her” is #7971. The KJV translators were correct to use “putting away” in Mal 2:16.
When we read some other translations, we see the Truth distorted by wrong translation of the word #7971. It is a gross violation of translation rules to swap the meaning of the Word #7971, which is to send away or put away with the word #3748, which is divorcement or the cutting of the marriage bond. Following are a few examples of Bible translations, which just swapped these words.
Mal 2:16 “I hate divorce,” says the LORD God of Israel. “I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your promise to be faithful to your wife.” (TEV)
Mal 2:16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, says he hates divorce and cruel men. Therefore, control your passions-- let there be no divorcing of your wives. (TLB)
Mal 2:16 "For I hate divorce, says the LORD the God of Israel, and covering one's garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless." (RSV)
Mal 2:16 "For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garment with violence," says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." (NKJ)
Mal 2:16 "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. (NIV)
Mal 2:16 "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously." (NAU)
It seems that just a small amount of study and research would have been enough to cause any of these newer translators not to have switched the word for “putting away” with the word “divorce.” In the KJV Mal 2:16, the term “putting away” is #7971 and should not have been switched to “divorce” which is #3748. Especially with newer translations of the Bible, we see that this problem is not limited to this verse here in Malachi. We find the same problem extending into the New Testament even to a greater degree.
Jesus, Himself, quoted from Duet 24:1. The Pharisees, who were trying to entrap Jesus, also quoted Duet 24:1, so this is a good starting point to look at the New Testament subject of divorce. Since we have the Old Testament Hebrew quoted in the New Testament Greek, we will have a correct corresponding word from the Hebrew text, which should be brought into the Greek text, for both words “divorce” and “putting away.” Again we will find very bad translations in the New Testament. Since the KJV translates these words correctly, we will begin with the KJV and read this passage and then examine the other translations.
Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?
4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.
6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.
11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
First, since verse 4 is a quote of Duet 24:1, we can get the corresponding Greek words for the Hebrew words used for “divorce” and “putting away”, as chosen by the Holy Spirit.
Mark 10:4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
divorcement is #647 apostasion (ap-os-tas'-ee-on); neuter of a (presumed) adj. from a derivative of 868; properly, something separative, i.e. (specially) divorce:
put her away is #630 apoluo (ap-ol-oo'-o); from 575 and 3089; to free fully, i.e. (literally) relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively, depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon or (specially) divorce:
Knowing that in the Greek word for “divorce” is #647 and in the Greek word for “putting away” is #630 we can examine the correctness of the words, as chosen by the translators. Let’ first examine the question posed to Jesus by the Pharisees in verse 2.
Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
to put away is #630 apoluo (ap-ol-oo'-o); from 575 and 3089; to free fully, i.e. (literally) relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively, depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon or (specially) divorce:
Here is where the translation plot thickens.
The Greek word #647 apostasion for divorcement and the Greek word #630 apoluo for putting away both have the ending definition of: “(specially) divorce”. This seemly would make the two words interchangeable. If we look back at the Hebrew word for divorcement #3748 keriythuwth and the Hebrew word for putting away, #7971 shalach, we do not find this “same meaning” ending the definition being the same in these two Hebrew words. In the Hebrew the words were not even close to being interchangeable. When translators bring one language into another language, it should not result in words being interchanged in the new language if the words were not interchanged in the original language.
We can see that both Jesus and the Pharisees used a specific Greek word for divorcement. That word is #647 apostasion, and should indicate that to be the only Greek word to be correctly translated as divorce.
We can see that both Jesus and the Pharisees used a specific Greek word for putting away. That word is #630 apoluo, and should indicate that to be the only Greek word to be correctly translated as putting away.
We already examined the question presented to Jesus by the Pharisees as recorded in the KJV.
Here is a refresher and then we will compare some other newer translations of the scriptures as presented in their Bibles.
Mark 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
to put away #630 apoluo (ap-ol-oo'-o); from 575 and 3089; to free fully, i.e. (literally) relieve, release, dismiss (reflexively, depart), or (figuratively) let die, pardon or (specially) divorce:
Mark 10:2 Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him. “Tell us,” they asked, “does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife?” (TEV)
Mark 10:2 Some Pharisees came and asked him, "Do you permit divorce?" Of course they were trying to trap him. (TLB)
Mark 10:2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" (RSV)
Mark 10:2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" testing Him. (NKJ)
Mark 10:2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" (NIV)
Mark 10:2 {Some} Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and {began} to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. (NAU)
Mark 10:2 And {some} Pharisees came up to Him, testing Him, and {began} to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce a wife. (NAS)
This interchanging of the word for divorce with the word for putting away is the biggest reason there has been much misunderstanding in the body of Christ concerning the subject of divorce and second marriages. Even today there are many Pastors who will not marry a couple in their church if one of the marrying parties has been married before, even if they are legally divorced. When we look at divorce, when God established divorce in Duet 24, we see a different attitude.
Deut 24:1 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.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
In the United Sates, we have the same social laws on the books as we find in Duet 24:1-2. If two people marry and then become legally divorced, each may go and become married to another person. However, if two people get married and the husband runs the wife off or even if the husbands abandons the wife, in this case if either the husband or the wife get married to another person, they are committing adultery and are punishable by the law of the land. The reason for that being counted as adultery is that they did not divorce the first mate and therefore they are still married to the first mate. Isn’t that simple?
If we look at the culture and history of the time when Jesus was ministering on the earth, we see that the culture had deteriorated to the point that men would not even bother to write a bill of divorcement and give it to their wife, but they would just put away their wife anytime that they wanted to and for any old cause. When we rightly divide the Word of Truth, we will find that to be the very question posed to Jesus.
Even in our culture there are a different set of answers to the questions of; “Is it lawful to divorce my wife or my husband and marry again?” or “Is it lawful for me to put away i.e. abandon my wife or my husband and marry again?” It is a huge mistake to apply the same lawful answer to both these questions.
When a translator of the scripture violates the proper laws of translation and switches the word #630, which is “putting away” with the word #647, which is “divorce” then that will render the answers from Jesus being applied to the wrong question.
The answers from Jesus, which should be applied to “putting away” have now just become switched to be the answers to “divorce”. This is a terrible mistake in the protocol of translating one language into another language.
Let’s look at this further, because this has happened often in the newer Bibles of today and even in the KJV but not as often in the KJV as the other translations. Let’s examine Luke 16:8 and this is Jesus speaking.
Luke 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
When we go to the Strongs Concordance or the Interlinear Text, we will find that “putteth away” and “her that is put away” are both #630. Therefore, Jesus charges both parties with adultery because no writing of a bill of divorcement had taken place. Both parties were still married to each other and therefore if either party should marry another, it would be considered adultery. The same would be true even to the person, which either party might marry. If a single person, who has never been married before should marry a person, who is still married, the person who has never been married before person has entered into adultery by marrying a married person.
In Luke 16”18, if a translator should just arbitrarily change definition for the word #630 of “putting away” with the definition for the word #637 of “divorce” would that distort the Truth as spoken by Jesus? Yes, to the highest degree because now we have the correct set of answers applied to the wrong situation in question. Since the NIV is highly used today, let’s examine the NIV and learn if they made that mistake. The answer is yes they did.
Luke 16:18 "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (NIV)
When the Holy Spirit was inspiring men to write this scripture, the Holy Spirit used the Greek word #630 which is “putting away” and is the corresponding Greek word relating to the Hebrew word #7971 which is “to send away”. The NIV is not the only version to be so irresponsible in selecting words and definitions into their Bible translation. Just a bit of research will render these results to anyone who is interested in searching out this truth.
Now let’s continue on to Matt 19:3 and examine another of the passages about the subject of divorce and putting away and we will notice something interesting concerning translations. Again we will begin with the KJV.
Matt 19:3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
As we pointed out before, by this time those guys were discarding spouses like a pair of worn out sandals! Their question to Jesus shows this attitude towards spouses. First “to put away” is #630 and is established not to be the word for “divorce” which is #637. The KJV translates this correctly. Insight into the heart of these Pharisees will come to light in their line of thinking revealed in “for every cause”.
every is #3956 pas (pas); including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:
cause is #156 aitia (ahee-tee'-a); from the same as 154; a cause (as if asked for), i.e. (logical) reason (motive, matter), (legal) crime (alleged or proved):
We can again see the culture of that time coming through in this question to Jesus. They asked Jesus “is any old reason that we can come up with, legal or illegal, good enough to allow us to put away our wife?” Notice that they did not ask about divorce. Let’s examine the NIV on this verse.
Matt 19:3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" (NIV)
Once again the NIV distorts this dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees with the swapping of the word #630 with the word #637. This will prove to be very interesting as we move through the following verses. Jesus gave them an answer, and then the Pharisees had another question.
Matt 19:7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement (#637), and to put her away (#630)?
8 he saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away (#630) your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 and I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away (#630) his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away (#630) doth commit adultery.
Now let’s compare the translation of these verses in the NIV. This is a most terrible job!
Matt 19:7 "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce (#637) and send her away (#630)?"
8 Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce (#630) your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.
9 I tell you that anyone who divorces (#630) his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." (NIV)
The question is this. Why would any translator in verse 7 correctly translate #637 as “divorce” and #630 as “send her away” and then in verses 8 and 9 translate #630 as “divorce”. There is no logical reason that would suffice. This is terrible translating because the NIV totally changes what God and Jesus said about divorce.
When God established divorce with the Law of Moses, if the divorcement procedure was followed there was no attachment of sin, condemnation or adultery with following marriages. In fact just the opposite was true.
Deut 24:1 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.
2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
In John 4, with the woman at the well, Jesus recognized all five of the marriages as legitimate marriages. Jesus did not say, “You have had one husband and four adulterous marriages and the man you are with now is not your husband.”
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The Apostle Paul in his answers to the Corinthians about marrying again after divorce states that it is no more a sin to marry again the second time than it is a sin to marry for the first time.
However, Paul is telling those guys not to be jumping in and out of marriages. If you are familiar with the phrase “to live like a Corinthian” then you know where Paul is coming from.
1 Cor 7:2 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. (Paul did not mean forever)
28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
As the Apostle Paul established church doctrine and official positions of leadership in the individual churches, he included for the bishop and deacon to be the husband of but one wife.
Some have taken this to mean that a man who is married to his second, third, or etc wife cannot hold those church positions. These instructions simply mean one wife at a time.
1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
1 Tim 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
We might find it interesting to learn in Jeremiah 3 the LORD becomes a divorcee!
Jer 3:6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Also interesting, in Ezra 10, Ezra was commanded by God to set up a committee to execute divorce between the priest of Israel and the foreign women whom they had married, even if they had children.
Ezra 10:3 Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
Grace and Peace multiplied in the name of Jesus.
Compiled by Jerry Thomas 10/15/18
All scripture references are (KJV) unless otherwise denoted.
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