What Does the Bible Say About Divorce?
The Bible takes marriage seriously enough to treat divorce as a grief rather than a casual option. God declares through Malachi that He hates the treachery of unfaithful divorce, and Jesus explains that Moses permitted divorce "because of your hardness of heart," while pointing back to God's original design of lifelong union (Matthew 19:8).
Scripture does acknowledge painful realities. Jesus names sexual immorality as a ground for divorce (Matthew 19:9), and Paul addresses the case of an unbelieving spouse who abandons the marriage (1 Corinthians 7:15). Faithful Christians hold different views on the specifics of remarriage, and Scripture consistently extends grace to those affected by divorce. Because these situations are deeply personal, this is a topic to work through prayerfully with Scripture and wise pastoral counsel.
Key Bible Verses
“So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, don't let man tear apart.”
Matthew 19:6 (WEB)
“He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it has not been so."”
Matthew 19:8 (WEB)
“Yet if the unbeliever departs, let there be separation. The brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us in peace.”
1 Corinthians 7:15 (WEB)
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (public domain).
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is divorce a sin in the Bible?
- The Bible treats divorce as a serious matter that grieves God, permitted only because of human hardness of heart. Jesus names marital unfaithfulness as a ground (Matthew 19:9), and Paul addresses abandonment by an unbeliever (1 Corinthians 7:15). Christians differ on specifics, and Scripture extends grace to those affected.