Divorce
Bible Verses for Divorce
20 quotes to explore from Scripture
Scripture speaks directly about marriage and divorce while also offering comfort, wisdom, forgiveness, community, and hope for people experiencing the pain and complexity of a broken marriage.
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14 ¶ Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet [is] she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 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.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
More Quotes for Divorce from Scripture
In this passage, Paul addresses the complex issue of marriage and divorce within the early Christian community, distinguishing between commands from the Lord and apostolic guidance. He urges married believers not to separate but acknowledges situations where an unbelieving spouse may leave, releasing the believer from marital obligation. Paul’s primary concern is preserving peace and faithfulness, emphasizing reconciliation and the sanctity of marriage while allowing for practical realities among mixed-belief marriages.
Ephesians 4:31-32 addresses attitudes and behaviors that can either poison or heal relationships, including marriage. The apostle Paul urges believers to reject bitterness and anger, emotions that often precede marital discord and potentially divorce. Instead, he advocates for kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness—practices foundational for reconciliation and maintaining unity. Though not explicitly about divorce law or morality, these verses highlight the relational dynamics critical to nurturing or restoring marital bonds.
Luke 16:18 explicitly addresses divorce and remarriage, stating that putting away a wife and marrying another constitutes adultery, which directly relates to the topic of divorce. The surrounding verses provide context about Jesus’ teaching on the law and moral standards, reinforcing the seriousness of the statement. The passage is clear, doctrinally significant, and distinct in its teaching on divorce and remarriage without ambiguity or distortion.
Matthew 5:32 directly addresses the topic of divorce, clarifying Jesus’ teaching on the conditions under which divorce is permissible and the moral consequences of remarriage after divorce. The surrounding verses provide context within the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing Jesus’ authoritative reinterpretation of Mosaic law. The passage is clear, specific, and distinct in its treatment of divorce, making it highly relevant and practically useful for understanding biblical views on the subject.
Romans 7:2-3 uses the example of a woman bound to her husband by law as long as he lives, and being free if he dies, to illustrate the believer’s relationship to the law and Christ. While it touches on marital status and the concept of being ‘loosed’ from the law upon death, it does not directly address divorce or its permissibility. The passage is more about spiritual allegory than legal or moral teaching on divorce. The context is strong for understanding Paul’s argument about the law and Christian freedom, but the passage is not distinctively about divorce as a topic.
Mark 10:12 directly addresses the topic of divorce, specifically the consequences of a woman divorcing her husband and remarrying, stating it constitutes adultery. The surrounding verses (Mark 10:7-11) provide clear teaching on the permanence of marriage and the sinfulness of remarriage after divorce, reinforcing the passage’s relevance and context. The passage is distinctive in its explicit mention of both husband and wife in the context of divorce and remarriage, and it is practically useful for understanding biblical views on divorce.
Genesis 2:24 describes the foundational principle of marriage as a man leaving his parents and cleaving to his wife, becoming one flesh. While it establishes the ideal unity in marriage, it does not directly address divorce or its permissibility. The passage is highly relevant to the topic of marriage but only indirectly related to divorce, requiring careful contextual interpretation.
Hebrews 13:4 affirms the honor of marriage and condemns sexual immorality, implying the sanctity of the marriage bed. While it does not explicitly address divorce, it underscores the seriousness of marital fidelity, which is relevant to discussions on divorce. The surrounding verses focus on Christian conduct and faithfulness, providing moderate context. However, the passage does not directly discuss divorce or its conditions, limiting its practical usefulness for that topic.
Jeremiah 3:8 uses the metaphor of a bill of divorce to describe God’s rejection of unfaithful Israel due to spiritual adultery. While it directly references divorce, the passage is primarily about covenant unfaithfulness and judgment rather than human divorce laws or personal marital situations. The surrounding context emphasizes Israel’s backsliding and God’s call to repentance, providing strong contextual background but limiting practical application to human divorce issues.
Isaiah 50:1 uses the imagery of a ‘bill of divorcement’ metaphorically to describe Israel’s relationship with God, emphasizing spiritual unfaithfulness rather than literal divorce. The passage is contextually about judgment and redemption, not about divorce laws or practices. However, the metaphorical use of divorce language creates some topical ambiguity that may warrant human interpretation.
Matthew 1:19 mentions Joseph’s intention to ‘put her away privily,’ which is a reference to divorce, but the passage is primarily about Joseph’s righteousness and the divine intervention preventing the divorce. The context clarifies that Joseph did not proceed with divorce due to the angel’s message. While relevant to divorce, it is not a comprehensive teaching on the topic and is more about Joseph’s character and obedience.
Isaiah 54:4 uses the imagery of widowhood and shame to describe restoration and hope after rejection or loss, which can be metaphorically related to divorce. However, the passage primarily addresses God’s relationship with Israel rather than human divorce laws or direct teachings on divorce. The context is about God’s mercy and restoration, not legal or practical instructions on divorce, making the topical connection indirect and requiring interpretive caution.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 directly addresses the topic of divorce, outlining the procedure for issuing a bill of divorcement and the restrictions on remarriage, providing clear legal and moral instructions within the Old Testament context. The surrounding verses maintain the legal and social context, reinforcing the passage’s relevance and clarity on divorce.
Ezra 10:1-16 directly addresses the issue of putting away foreign wives, which is a form of divorce, in order to maintain covenantal purity according to the law. The passage provides historical and legal context for divorce related to intermarriage with foreign women, showing communal repentance and covenant renewal. The context is clear and the passage is distinctive and practically useful for understanding biblical divorce in a covenantal and communal setting.
The verse addresses the marital status of a wife in relation to her husband’s life and death, indicating she is bound to her husband while he lives and free to remarry after his death, but only ‘in the Lord.’ This relates to divorce indirectly by clarifying the permanence of marriage during the husband’s life and the conditions for remarriage after widowhood. The surrounding verses discuss marriage and singleness, providing good context. However, it does not directly address divorce or separation, so its topical relevance is moderate. The passage is useful for understanding biblical views on marriage permanence and remarriage but is not distinctive or comprehensive on divorce itself.
Matthew 5:31 is directly about divorce, referencing the practice of giving a writing of divorcement. The surrounding verses (Matthew 5:27-36) provide Jesus’ teaching on the law, including the conditions and moral implications of divorce, making the passage highly relevant and contextually rich for the topic. The passage clearly addresses the issue without ambiguity or distortion.
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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? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made [them] at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Matthew 19:3–9 KJV
Matthew 19:3–9
In Matthew 19:3-9, Jesus addresses the Pharisees’ question on the legality of divorce, emphasizing God’s original design for marriage as a permanent union. His teaching highlights that Moses permitted divorce because of human hardness of heart but that such dissolution was not intended from creation. By permitting divorce only in cases of sexual immorality, Jesus reaffirms marriage’s sanctity and frames divorce not as a casual option but as a serious breach of the one-flesh covenant.