Divorce Bible Verses

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

WORDS OF GOD AND JESUS IN RED

To get a divorce is to legally dissolve one's marriage with a spouse. Also annulment or official separation. What does the Bible say about Divorce? Here are 81 related verses. Use this table of contents to go to any section:

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General Scriptures Concerning

EXODUS 21:7-11Verses in the Bible

  • 7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
    Exodus 21:7 Meaning
  • 8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
    Exodus 21:8 Meaning
  • 9 And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
    Exodus 21:9 Meaning
  • 10 If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
    Exodus 21:10 Meaning
  • 11 And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
    Exodus 21:11 Meaning

DEUTERONOMY 21:10-14Verses in the Bible

  • 10 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lord thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
    Deuteronomy 21:10 Meaning
  • 11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
    Deuteronomy 21:11 Meaning
  • 12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
    Deuteronomy 21:12 Meaning
  • 13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
    Deuteronomy 21:13 Meaning
  • 14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
    Deuteronomy 21:14 Meaning

DEUTERONOMY 24:1-4Verses in the Bible

  • 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.
    Deuteronomy 24:1 Meaning
  • 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
    Deuteronomy 24:2 Meaning
  • 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;
    Deuteronomy 24:3 Meaning
  • 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
    Deuteronomy 24:4 Meaning

EZRA 10:1-16Verses in the Bible

  • 1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
    Ezra 10:1 Meaning
  • 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
    Ezra 10:2 Meaning
  • 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.
    Ezra 10:3 Meaning
  • 4 Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
    Ezra 10:4 Meaning
  • 5 Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
    Ezra 10:5 Meaning
  • 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
    Ezra 10:6 Meaning
  • 7 And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
    Ezra 10:7 Meaning
  • 8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
    Ezra 10:8 Meaning
  • 9 Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
    Ezra 10:9 Meaning
  • 10 And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
    Ezra 10:10 Meaning
  • 11 Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
    Ezra 10:11 Meaning
  • 12 Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
    Ezra 10:12 Meaning
  • 13 But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
    Ezra 10:13 Meaning
  • 14 Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
    Ezra 10:14 Meaning
  • 15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
    Ezra 10:15 Meaning
  • 16 And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
    Ezra 10:16 Meaning

NEHEMIAH 13:23-30Verses in the Bible

  • 23 In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
    Nehemiah 13:23 Meaning
  • 24 And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
    Nehemiah 13:24 Meaning
  • 25 And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.
    Nehemiah 13:25 Meaning
  • 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.
    Nehemiah 13:26 Meaning
  • 27 Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?
    Nehemiah 13:27 Meaning
  • 28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son in law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
    Nehemiah 13:28 Meaning
  • 29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
    Nehemiah 13:29 Meaning
  • 30 Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;
    Nehemiah 13:30 Meaning

JEREMIAH 3:1In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.

MICAH 2:9In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever.

MALACHI 2:14-16Verses in the Bible

  • 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.
    Malachi 2:14 Meaning
  • 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.
    Malachi 2:15 Meaning
  • 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.
    Malachi 2:16 Meaning

MATTHEW 5:31,32Verses in the Bible

  • 31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
    Matthew 5:31 Meaning
  • 32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
    Matthew 5:32 Meaning

MATTHEW 19:3-12Verses in the Bible

  • 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?
    Matthew 19:3 Meaning
  • 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,
    Matthew 19:4 Meaning
  • 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?
    Matthew 19:5 Meaning
  • 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
    Matthew 19:6 Meaning
  • 7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
    Matthew 19:7 Meaning
  • 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.
    Matthew 19:8 Meaning
  • 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 19:9 Meaning
  • 10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
    Matthew 19:10 Meaning
  • 11 But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.
    Matthew 19:11 Meaning
  • 12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
    Matthew 19:12 Meaning

MARK 10:2In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.

LUKE 16:18In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

1 CORINTHIANS 7:10-17Verses in the Bible

  • 10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
    1 Corinthians 7:10 Meaning
  • 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
    1 Corinthians 7:11 Meaning
  • 12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
    1 Corinthians 7:12 Meaning
  • 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
    1 Corinthians 7:13 Meaning
  • 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
    1 Corinthians 7:14 Meaning
  • 15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
    1 Corinthians 7:15 Meaning
  • 16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?
    1 Corinthians 7:16 Meaning
  • 17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
    1 Corinthians 7:17 Meaning

Disobedience of the Wife to the Husband, a Sufficient Cause For, in the Persian Empire

ESTHER 1:10-22Verses in the Bible

  • 10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
    Esther 1:10 Meaning
  • 11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
    Esther 1:11 Meaning
  • 12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him.
    Esther 1:12 Meaning
  • 13 Then the king said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
    Esther 1:13 Meaning
  • 14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;)
    Esther 1:14 Meaning
  • 15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
    Esther 1:15 Meaning
  • 16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
    Esther 1:16 Meaning
  • 17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
    Esther 1:17 Meaning
  • 18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
    Esther 1:18 Meaning
  • 19 If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.
    Esther 1:19 Meaning
  • 20 And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
    Esther 1:20 Meaning
  • 21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
    Esther 1:21 Meaning
  • 22 For he sent letters into all the king's provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be published according to the language of every people.
    Esther 1:22 Meaning

• See Marriage

Figurative

ISAIAH 50:1In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

ISAIAH 54:4In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

JEREMIAH 3:8In the Bible Verse Meaning

  • 8 And 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.

Sources

The King James Bible text is sourced from the BibleForgeDB database (https://github.com/bibleforge) within the BibleForge project (http://bibleforge.com). Bible topic categories and verse references are from Nave's Topical Bible (1896) by Orville James Nave (1841–1917). Popularity rankings are based on search volume data from the Google AdWords Keyword Planner tool.


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