What other scriptures align with Deuteronomy 24:2 on divorce and remarriage? Foundational Passage: Deuteronomy 24:2 “and if, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife,” Parallel Old Testament References • Deuteronomy 24:3–4 — “and if the latter husband rejects her and writes her a certificate of divorce… her former husband who sent her away may not take her again to be his wife…” • Jeremiah 3:1 — “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, may he ever return to her again? Would not the land be completely defiled?” • Isaiah 50:1 — “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away?” • Malachi 2:14–16 — “…the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth… ‘I hate divorce,’ says the LORD, the God of Israel.” • Leviticus 21:7, 14 — Priests were forbidden to marry a divorced woman, underscoring the finality of divorce. • Numbers 30:9 — “Every vow of a widow or a divorced woman is binding on her,” acknowledging her new legal status. New Testament Insights • Matthew 5:31–32 — “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” • Matthew 19:3–9 — Jesus refers back to Moses, permits divorce only for sexual immorality, and warns that remarriage under other circumstances is adultery. • Mark 10:11–12 — “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.” • Luke 16:18 — “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” • Romans 7:2–3 — A wife is bound “while her husband lives,” but free to remarry if he dies; otherwise remarriage is adultery. • 1 Corinthians 7:10–11, 15 — Believers are commanded not to divorce; if separation occurs, remain unmarried or be reconciled. An unbelieving spouse’s departure releases the believer (“not bound”). Key Themes Across Scripture • Marriage is intended as a lifelong covenant (Genesis 2:24 echoed in Matthew 19:5–6). • Divorce is regulated, never celebrated; certificates protect the innocent party but signal broken covenant. • Remarriage after divorce is acknowledged (Deuteronomy 24:2) yet strictly limited; returning to the first spouse is forbidden (Deuteronomy 24:4; Jeremiah 3:1). • Jesus narrows the grounds for divorce to sexual immorality, reaffirming God’s original design and warning that wrongful remarriage results in adultery. • Death, not divorce, fully dissolves the marital bond (Romans 7:2–3). • In cases of abandonment by an unbeliever, the believer is “not bound” (1 Corinthians 7:15), showing pastoral provision within God’s standards. These passages together reinforce Deuteronomy 24:2 by recognizing legal divorce, permitting subsequent remarriage within defined limits, and emphasizing God’s enduring intent for covenant faithfulness. |
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