Does God Allow Divorce? If So, In What Cases Is This True?

In Mark’s Gospel, some Pharisees approach Jesus and ask him, “Can a man divorce a woman?”
In summarizing his response, Jesus states, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

This appears to be a declaration that entirely rejects divorce and remarriage.

However, the Gospel of Matthew explains that this wasn’t the question asked.

Literally no Israelite during the time of Jesus believed that the Word of God, which was revealed via Moses, could possibly be incorrect in allowing divorce at all (and they were right!).

In truth, no one was debating whether divorce was legal, but rather how liberally (or not) it might be practiced.

The Gospel of Matthew contains a more detailed version of this question, and therefore sets Jesus’ answer in its proper context.

According to Matthew’s Gospel, the Pharisees put Jesus to the test by questioning him, “Can a man divorce a woman for any reason?“

What Did the Jewish Rabbis Say?

According to the conservative Jewish viewpoint, the only justifiable reason for divorce was “unfaithfulness.”

The Pharisaic rabbi Shammai advocated this viewpoint, whereas several more progressive Jewish interpretations claimed that a man had the right to divorce his wife for any cause (Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 90a).

The later view was represented by another Pharisaic rabbi named Hillel.

In other words, numerous unlawful divorces were allowed in Jewish society during Jesus’ time which was contrary to God’s commands in the Torah.

It is in this divorce-for-any-reason environment Jesus is stated, “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries one who is divorced from a husband commits adultery.”

Reading in Ancient Context

From a 21st-century Christian perspective, it appears that Jesus prohibited all remarriage.

In a first-century Jewish context, Jesus’ statement cannot be understood as a complete rejection of all remarriage, but only where unlawful divorce was present.

When confronted with this dilemma, Jesus rejected the view espoused by the Pharisees of the house of Hillel (that divorce was legal for any cause).

To Stand On Solid Ground

It’s important that we notice here, that Jesus’s word is the Word of the Father in Heaven, which leads us to a commandment, regarding divorce and remarriage. Jesus states that only when unfaithfulness / adultery is present, that the married couple have the right to end the marriage covenant (agreement).

For ANY other reason, is simply unlawful before God.