The Truth About Divorce
Most churches teach that the only reason a spouse can get a divorce is if adultery has been committed or if they get divorced they must remain unmarried. Before we discuss what the scriptures say about this let’s take a look at it from a common sense point of view. Let’s ask ourselves some questions and see how we would handle these situations. Here are some questions to think about:
1. What if you or your daughter were married to someone that comes home and beats you on a regular basis. Are you going to stay in that relationship? Are you going to tell your daughter that she has to stay married to that monster because no adultery has been committed? What do you think Jesus would want you to do?
2. What if your spouse gets caught robbing a bank and is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Do you still have to stay married to them?
3. What if your spouse is a drug addict or an alcoholic and you’ve done all you can to help them. They are always using their paycheck to buy drugs or alcohol so you and your children have no money for food and eventually lose your home. Do you still have to stay married to them?
4. Some believe that you can get divorced but that you have to remain unmarried. Well that poses another question. Let’s say a young married girl in her early twenties gets saved after she is married but her husband refuses to live for God. Now let’s say her husband commits a crime and is sentenced to thirty years in prison. Do we really believe that if she divorces him that she can never remarry because no adultery was committed? Do we really believe that God will punish her for what her husband done and not allow her to ever have children or a husband that loves her?
Now that we have looked at it from a common sense point of view let’s look at what the scriptures tell us.
This study is based on the translation of the original Hebrew and Greek words that was translated into either “put away” or “divorce”. You will notice that the KJV used the words “put away” instead of “divorce” in 10 of the 11 times it was used. To fully understand this it is very important to read below about the translation of these words.
Translation of the original Hebrew and Greek word.
We’re going to look at what the scriptures say but first to get a better understanding of what is being said let’s look at the translation of the original Hebrew and Greek word.
Old Testament Hebrew words:
1. Hebrew original word: Keriythuwth (pronounced ker-ee-thooth') - Strong's #H3748. This word
means “divorce” and occurs 4 times in the Old Testament.
2. Hebrew original word: Shalach (pronounced shaw-lakh') - Strong's #H7971. This word means
“put away” and occurs 848 times in the Old Testament.
New Testament Greek words:
1. Greek original word: Apostasion (pronounced ap-os-tas'-ee-on) - Strong's #G647. This word
means “divorce” and occurs 3 times in the New Testament.
2. Greek original word: Apoluo (pronounced ap-ol-oo'-o) - Strong's #G630. This word means
“put away” and occurs 69 times in the New Testament.
Here are the three versus with Strong’s numbers that use the Greek word Apostasion #G647 which means divorce. You can’t take two different Greek words (Apostasion and Apoluo) and translate them into the same word.
Mat 5:31 It(G1161) hath been said,G4483 WhosoeverG3739 G302 shall put awayG630 hisG848 wife,G1135 let him giveG1325 herG846 a writing of divorcement:G647
Mat 19:7 They sayG3004 unto him,G846 WhyG5101 did MosesG3475 thenG3767 commandG1781 to giveG1325 a writingG975 of divorcement,G647 andG2532 to put her away?G630 G846
Mar 10:4 AndG1161 theyG3588 said,G2036 MosesG3475 sufferedG2010 to writeG1125 a billG975 of divorcement,G647 andG2532 to put her away.G630
No one can make a synonym out of the Greek words Apoluo (put away) and Apostasion (divorce). It won't work. No matter what language you used. Same in the Hebrew. Not one person can make synonyms out of Shalach (put away) and Keriythuwth (divorced).
Let’s take a look at the different bible translations. I personally like to use either the NKJV or the NIV but when you read about the different bible translations then you will understand why this is based on the KJV and ASV.
It’s worth noting that the 1901 American Standard Version Bible is the product of the work of over 101 Evangelical Christian scholars and is considered by most scholars to be the most accurate word for word translation in the English language.
While the KJV was translated entirely from "western manuscripts," the ASV 1901 used the older "eastern manuscripts" that form the basis for most of our modern English translations.
Different Bible Translations
We find in the New Testament two separate and distinct words for putting away and divorce but some English Bible versions chose to translate the Greek word apoluo into the word, divorce. In the NT the Greek word apoluo means putting away and the Greek word for divorce is apostasion.
The American Standard Version always translated it "put away." The King James Version translated it "put away" ten out of the eleven times Jesus used it.
In that 11th instance the King James translators wrote "divorced" instead of "put away." In Matt. 5:32, they wrote, "and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."
The word used in this verse is "apoluo,"(put away) which is the same word used in the other ten versus and should have been translated the same way. The American Standard Version corrected the error in 1901 but it never became popular enough to make much difference. This translation had already been accepted in the churches. (The ASV is considered more accurate and word for word than the KJV)
How did we ever begin to read "whosoever divorces his wife" into those places where Jesus literally said "whosoever puts away, or abandons his wife"? It may be partly due to the fact that in Matt 5:32 apoluo was mistranslated "divorced" in 1611 which helped to spread the process into the English spoken word. Even though it was translated correct in 10 out of the 11 versus many pastors and teachers still substituted the word “divorce” in place of “put away”. The scriptures in the original Greek, use apoluo (putting away) 11 out of 11 times.
Here are the 11 scriptures in question about divorce from the KJV.
1. Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
2. Mat 5:32 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. (For a more thorough explanation of Mat 5:32 please read Pastor Ray Geide's Article below)
3. Mat 19:3 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. Mat 19:8 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.
5. Mat 19:9 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.
6. Mar 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
7. Mar 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
8. Mar 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
9. Luk 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
10. 1Co 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
This is the scripture that was incorrectly translated in 1611 but notice that the ASV translated it correctly in 1901.
11.(KJV) Mat 5:32 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.
11. (ASV) Mat 5:32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery. (Again I encourge you to read Pastor Ray Geide's Article below).
Remember divorce and “put away” are not the same thing. The 11 verses mentioned above are much easier to understand when we know what the Hebrew and Greek translations really mean.
Before we go any further let’s take a look in the Old Testament at Deu 24:1-4.
Deu 24:1 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.
Deu 24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
Deu 24:3 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;
Deu 24:4 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.
Notice that in verse 2 it says: she may go and be another man's wife. This was after she was given a bill of divorcement. Notice in verse 4 that it says her former husband. She did not have a spouse because she was no longer married which means she was free to marry another. Remember in Mat 19:7 they asked Jesus: Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? Moses had to command them to give a writing of divorcement because they were putting their wives out of the house without a divorce just to be mean and cruel and sometimes because of financial loss.
Occasionally a bride may receive a dowry (money or property) from her father to help the marriage financially. But if a man divorced his wife then the dowry had to be returned either to his wife or her parents. The dowry, however, did not have to be returned in a case where there was no formal divorce. Simply sending his wife out of the house was a way of avoiding any financial loss. However, the consequences were very serious for the wife: without a formal divorce, she was left without a home and a means of support; and, being still married, it was not lawful for her to remarry. If a woman was put away she would have a hard time surviving because she couldn’t get married without the divorce papers.
Let’s take a look at some scriptures in the 7th chapter of 1Cor:
1Cor 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1Cor 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
In verse 8 the unmarried are not those who have never been married but those who have been divorced because in verse 25 he is now talking to the virgins, the ones who have never been married.
1Cor 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
1Cor 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
This Scripture is NOT referring to a finalized legal divorce, but a “separation” only. The Greek word used for “depart” is chorizo, and it means “to place room between, to separate.” This is clearly seen because the husband and wife before the separation are still husband and wife after the separation. For the wife is to “...be reconciled to HER HUSBAND” (1Corinthians 7:11), not, “...HER FORMER HUSBAND who divorced her...” (Remember Deuteronomy 24:4). If she were divorced, she wouldn’t have a husband. But when you’re just separated, you still have a husband.
1Cor 7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
1Cor 7:26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
1Cor 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.
1Cor 7:28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
The proper understanding of these verses would read: "Are you bound (married) to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed (divorced). Are you loosed (divorced) from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry (after you have been divorced), you have not sinned."
1Cor 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
Let’s take a closer look at verse 39:
We’re taught that we have a spouse yet we’re unmarried. We have been incorrectly taught and blindly believe that once a person is divorced, they somehow still have a spouse. They cannot get married again. This lie is designed to keep people in bondage their entire lives. Remember what Deu 24:4 says. It says her former husband not her husband.
If you were divorced or your spouse was deceased, would you still have a mate? Of course not! Let’s ask the same question a different way. If you are a woman and your husband was divorced from you or deceased, would you have a husband? And if you are a man and your wife was divorced from you or deceased, would you have a wife?
We have been told that a person cannot get married once they have been divorced because their spouse is alive, even though after the divorce they don’t have a spouse; but once that spouse dies, they can then get married. In the case of a woman who has been divorced, it is NOT true that their HUSBAND is alive, but it IS true that their FORMER HUSBAND is alive. To put it another way, we were told that we were “bound” (married) to someone when we weren’t.
We were quoted that “a wife is BOUND by law as long as her husband lives [that’s if she has one, but a divorced woman doesn’t have a husband]; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord”
This isolated Scripture was used as an illustration by the Apostle Paul to give an example of when a person dies; they are no longer under the law. Paul was NOT teaching about divorce.
How then can we accept that we have a spouse when we’re not married? When a person is divorced, they don’t have a husband or wife. This means they are not “bound” to someone. This Scripture is for the person who is MARRIED and wants to marry someone else while they are still married to another. You can’t be married to two people at the same time. If you’re divorced, you CAN get married again BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE A HUSBAND OR WIFE. Simply, you’re single or unmarried, if divorced.
Let’s take a look at two more scriptures from the Old Testament.
Isa 50:1 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.
This short section is an address to the exiled Israelites who are slow to respond to the LORD’s calls because they have come to believe that the ties they had with the mother land had been irretrievably broken. The message assures them that they are redeemable (meaning that they still have a covenant relationship with the LORD).
Verse 1 asks a series of questions, each one of them expecting a negative answer. There was no bill of divorcement—they still belonged to the LORD; there was no bill of sale—they were never given up. In Israel, if there was a bill of divorcement given, the person was free to remarry; but the LORD gave no such bill to Israel, or to the preceding generation.
The nation—that generation—was temporarily put away; but there was no divorce. So the image is an implied comparison between the idea of a divorce and the LORD’s disowning Israel. He sent the nation into exile to purge those who were not His people; but Israel still belonged to Him.
Likewise, if a man sold (into employment) children to help pay off a debt, they would be permanently lost to him. But God had no such debt; neither was He forced to sell Israel into the hands of a creditor . The nation was His possession; but He would bless only that generation of the nation that was faithful.
Rather, that wicked generation of Israelites sold themselves because of sin; and such sin the LORD could cancel by His grace. But the “nation” was not cast off forever. There would always be a remnant of God’s people, and with revival there would be a faithful generation.
Responding to the people’s complaint of utter abandonment by God, the prophet asserts that their sins were responsible for their banishment. Since there was no bill of divorce, the bond between the Lord and his people still exists and he has the power to deliver them.
Jer 3:8 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.
Notice that in Isa 50:1 God had put them away but not given them a bill of divorcement. Notice that in Jer 3:8 that God had put them away and gave them a bill of divorcement.
Summary
Remember that “put away” and “divorce” are not the same thing.
"Put away" (Greek: apoluo) in scripture means to separate or separated in the sense that it is used today. A couple that is only separated are still married. The marriage contract still stands until it is broken by death or a written divorce document. Some say that put away is the same as divorce however this is not the case.
"Divorce" (Greek: apostation) in scripture means that a bill of divorcement has been written and that the couple is no longer married. They then separate as part of the divorce. The bill of divorcement ends the contractual ties. When someone is divorced they may remarry. When they become aware of the translation errors then they can understand the "once you're divorced you can't remarry" false doctrine. If that were true then consider this scripture. Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jesus said this person committed adultery in his heart. Does that mean that his wife can divorce him? Which is more of a reason for divorce, The spouse that got caught robbing a bank and is sentenced to 20 years in prison or the man that looked at the woman with lust?
Here are a few of the other versions that translated it correctly. World English Bible, Darby Bible Translation, English Revised Version, Literal Standard Version and Young's Literal Translation
Pastor Ray Geide's Article
Sorry to add these extra pages but I thought it was necessary to add this information. I had been praying once again for God to show me exactly what his scriptures are telling us on this subject. I started searching the internet and found websites that teaches the same thing but I found one that really caught my attention. The article below is what I copied from his website. His name is Ray Geide. I did some searching on him and found that he was a missionary in Russia, a Pastor, majored in New Testament Studies when he studied in seminary, studied the Greek language and then took additional advanced Greek classes. His website is:
https://breakthroughversion.com/rayonthebible/divorcejesus.html
I always encourage everyone to pray, study and research this yourself.
Here is what he says on his website concerning divorce:
Jesus' teaching on divorce is a prime example of how the church has let tradition completely reverse what the Bible says.
Tradition says that divorce is a sin. This tradition can be traced back to the Roman Catholic Church. Most Christians and most churches agree with it: divorce is a sin. They twist the words of Jesus to support this. But what did Jesus really say?
One of Jesus' key teachings on divorce is in Matthew 5:31-32.
I encourage you to set aside tradition for a moment and take an honest look at what these two verses say.
The Context
First, look at the context of Matthew 5:31-32. These two verses are one point of six. The six points illustrate how Jesus did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Before making these six points, Jesus states that one jot or one tittle will not pass from the law until it is fulfilled. He also says that anyone who breaks these least commandments and teaches others so is least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:18-19).
Despite these statements, most people think that Jesus changed the law in these two verses, that He destroyed the part that tells people to get a divorce, and that He set up divorce as a sin.
If that is true, it would make Jesus a liar and He would be violating His own words.
The First Verse
Look at the first verse: "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement" (Matthew 5:31 KJV).
Doesn't this verse imply that some people were putting their wives away without giving them a writing of divorcement?
(Please note that in Greek, "put away" (apoluo) and "divorcement" (apostasion) are two completely different words. It is not correct to translate both as divorce as some Bible versions do. Apostasion is divorce. Apoluo is not.)
What would it be if a man put away his wife but did not give her a writing of divorcement?
The Law
What does the law say about divorce? "...then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it to her hand, and send her out of his house" (Deuteronomy 24:1b).
Does the law say that a husband can put away his wife and they are divorced? No. He must give her a bill of divorcement.
Does the law say that a husband can say, "I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee," and they are divorced? No. He must give her a bill of divorcement.
If a husband puts his wife away without giving her a bill of divorcement, are they divorced? No, not according to the law.
This is also true in America. A couple may split up and go their separate ways, but they are not divorced until one of them writes up a bill of divorcement, takes it to court, and the judge signs it.
What Jesus says in these two verses is not against divorce, it is against NOT getting a divorce. He is telling those who were putting away their wives without a writing of divorcement that they are wrong. They must get a writing of divorcement as the law states.
Jesus was validating what the law says, not changing it, not destroying it.
The Second Verse
Look at the second verse: "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 KJV).
(Please note that in this verse, "put away" and "divorce" are the same Greek word, apoluo. It is wrong to translate apoluo as "put away" the first time that it appears in the verse and then as "divorce" the second time. That hides the true meaning of this verse.)
This verse brings sin (adultery) into the divorce picture.
Or does it?
The Greek word for divorce (apostasion) is not in this verse.
This verse is not talking about divorce. It is talking about putting a wife away without giving her a writing of divorcement.
If a man puts his wife away without giving her a writing of divorcement, he is causing her to commit adultery. How can a wife who has been put away, stay faithful to her husband? She can't. She has to cheat on him (which is what adultery is) in some way. Her husband has forced her to commit adultery.
If the wife committed fornication (sexual sin), then the husband putting her away does not cause her to commit adultery because she has already done that on her own.
If a man marries a woman who has been put away by someone else, then he is marrying a woman who is already married and he is committing adultery.
(Please note the sin here, adultery. Adultery is a sin that involves at least one married person. Two single people cannot commit adultery, neither can two divorced people. By mentioning the sin of adultery, Jesus is showing that what He is talking about is not divorce. He is also showing that the practice of putting away a spouse does not end a marriage as divorce does.)
This verse brings sin (adultery) into the "putting away a spouse" picture, not the divorce picture.
The Conclusion
Jesus did not change the law in these verses. He supported it and went a step further by connecting their refusal to get a divorce with adultery.
During this time, the people were not following the law. They were separating from their spouses but NOT getting a divorce. A divorce took too much time and required them to air their greivences in public before a judge. It was much easier to tell the wife to leave and consider the marriage to be finished. But that was not how the law said to do it.
Divorce is not a sin. Ending a marriage without a divorce is. That is what Jesus taught in these two verses.
Some history that I found about Dr. James Strong and Strong’s Numbers
The Intended Use of Strong’s Numbers
Strong's Concordance by James Strong (August 14, 1822 to August 7, 1894) is not a translation of the Bible nor is it intended as a translation tool. The use of Strong's numbers is not a substitute for professional translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English by those with formal training in ancient languages and the literature of the cultures in which the Bible was written.
James Strong also served as editor of the massive ten-volume Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. It was published from 1867 through 1881. And if that’s not enough, this same Strong worked on a committee that produced the American Standard Version of the Bible. For thirty years this committee labored, from 1871 until the ASV was published in 1901. One hundred and one editors worked on the American Standard Version, and one of those 101 was Strong. Not one time was the word Apoluo ever translated into divorce in the 1901 ASV.
Most churches teach that the only reason a spouse can get a divorce is if adultery has been committed or if they get divorced they must remain unmarried. Before we discuss what the scriptures say about this let’s take a look at it from a common sense point of view. Let’s ask ourselves some questions and see how we would handle these situations. Here are some questions to think about:
1. What if you or your daughter were married to someone that comes home and beats you on a regular basis. Are you going to stay in that relationship? Are you going to tell your daughter that she has to stay married to that monster because no adultery has been committed? What do you think Jesus would want you to do?
2. What if your spouse gets caught robbing a bank and is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Do you still have to stay married to them?
3. What if your spouse is a drug addict or an alcoholic and you’ve done all you can to help them. They are always using their paycheck to buy drugs or alcohol so you and your children have no money for food and eventually lose your home. Do you still have to stay married to them?
4. Some believe that you can get divorced but that you have to remain unmarried. Well that poses another question. Let’s say a young married girl in her early twenties gets saved after she is married but her husband refuses to live for God. Now let’s say her husband commits a crime and is sentenced to thirty years in prison. Do we really believe that if she divorces him that she can never remarry because no adultery was committed? Do we really believe that God will punish her for what her husband done and not allow her to ever have children or a husband that loves her?
Now that we have looked at it from a common sense point of view let’s look at what the scriptures tell us.
This study is based on the translation of the original Hebrew and Greek words that was translated into either “put away” or “divorce”. You will notice that the KJV used the words “put away” instead of “divorce” in 10 of the 11 times it was used. To fully understand this it is very important to read below about the translation of these words.
Translation of the original Hebrew and Greek word.
We’re going to look at what the scriptures say but first to get a better understanding of what is being said let’s look at the translation of the original Hebrew and Greek word.
Old Testament Hebrew words:
1. Hebrew original word: Keriythuwth (pronounced ker-ee-thooth') - Strong's #H3748. This word
means “divorce” and occurs 4 times in the Old Testament.
2. Hebrew original word: Shalach (pronounced shaw-lakh') - Strong's #H7971. This word means
“put away” and occurs 848 times in the Old Testament.
New Testament Greek words:
1. Greek original word: Apostasion (pronounced ap-os-tas'-ee-on) - Strong's #G647. This word
means “divorce” and occurs 3 times in the New Testament.
2. Greek original word: Apoluo (pronounced ap-ol-oo'-o) - Strong's #G630. This word means
“put away” and occurs 69 times in the New Testament.
Here are the three versus with Strong’s numbers that use the Greek word Apostasion #G647 which means divorce. You can’t take two different Greek words (Apostasion and Apoluo) and translate them into the same word.
Mat 5:31 It(G1161) hath been said,G4483 WhosoeverG3739 G302 shall put awayG630 hisG848 wife,G1135 let him giveG1325 herG846 a writing of divorcement:G647
Mat 19:7 They sayG3004 unto him,G846 WhyG5101 did MosesG3475 thenG3767 commandG1781 to giveG1325 a writingG975 of divorcement,G647 andG2532 to put her away?G630 G846
Mar 10:4 AndG1161 theyG3588 said,G2036 MosesG3475 sufferedG2010 to writeG1125 a billG975 of divorcement,G647 andG2532 to put her away.G630
No one can make a synonym out of the Greek words Apoluo (put away) and Apostasion (divorce). It won't work. No matter what language you used. Same in the Hebrew. Not one person can make synonyms out of Shalach (put away) and Keriythuwth (divorced).
Let’s take a look at the different bible translations. I personally like to use either the NKJV or the NIV but when you read about the different bible translations then you will understand why this is based on the KJV and ASV.
It’s worth noting that the 1901 American Standard Version Bible is the product of the work of over 101 Evangelical Christian scholars and is considered by most scholars to be the most accurate word for word translation in the English language.
While the KJV was translated entirely from "western manuscripts," the ASV 1901 used the older "eastern manuscripts" that form the basis for most of our modern English translations.
Different Bible Translations
We find in the New Testament two separate and distinct words for putting away and divorce but some English Bible versions chose to translate the Greek word apoluo into the word, divorce. In the NT the Greek word apoluo means putting away and the Greek word for divorce is apostasion.
The American Standard Version always translated it "put away." The King James Version translated it "put away" ten out of the eleven times Jesus used it.
In that 11th instance the King James translators wrote "divorced" instead of "put away." In Matt. 5:32, they wrote, "and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."
The word used in this verse is "apoluo,"(put away) which is the same word used in the other ten versus and should have been translated the same way. The American Standard Version corrected the error in 1901 but it never became popular enough to make much difference. This translation had already been accepted in the churches. (The ASV is considered more accurate and word for word than the KJV)
How did we ever begin to read "whosoever divorces his wife" into those places where Jesus literally said "whosoever puts away, or abandons his wife"? It may be partly due to the fact that in Matt 5:32 apoluo was mistranslated "divorced" in 1611 which helped to spread the process into the English spoken word. Even though it was translated correct in 10 out of the 11 versus many pastors and teachers still substituted the word “divorce” in place of “put away”. The scriptures in the original Greek, use apoluo (putting away) 11 out of 11 times.
Here are the 11 scriptures in question about divorce from the KJV.
1. Mat 5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
2. Mat 5:32 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. (For a more thorough explanation of Mat 5:32 please read Pastor Ray Geide's Article below)
3. Mat 19:3 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. Mat 19:8 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.
5. Mat 19:9 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.
6. Mar 10:2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
7. Mar 10:11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
8. Mar 10:12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
9. Luk 16:18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
10. 1Co 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
This is the scripture that was incorrectly translated in 1611 but notice that the ASV translated it correctly in 1901.
11.(KJV) Mat 5:32 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.
11. (ASV) Mat 5:32 but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery. (Again I encourge you to read Pastor Ray Geide's Article below).
Remember divorce and “put away” are not the same thing. The 11 verses mentioned above are much easier to understand when we know what the Hebrew and Greek translations really mean.
Before we go any further let’s take a look in the Old Testament at Deu 24:1-4.
Deu 24:1 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.
Deu 24:2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
Deu 24:3 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;
Deu 24:4 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.
Notice that in verse 2 it says: she may go and be another man's wife. This was after she was given a bill of divorcement. Notice in verse 4 that it says her former husband. She did not have a spouse because she was no longer married which means she was free to marry another. Remember in Mat 19:7 they asked Jesus: Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? Moses had to command them to give a writing of divorcement because they were putting their wives out of the house without a divorce just to be mean and cruel and sometimes because of financial loss.
Occasionally a bride may receive a dowry (money or property) from her father to help the marriage financially. But if a man divorced his wife then the dowry had to be returned either to his wife or her parents. The dowry, however, did not have to be returned in a case where there was no formal divorce. Simply sending his wife out of the house was a way of avoiding any financial loss. However, the consequences were very serious for the wife: without a formal divorce, she was left without a home and a means of support; and, being still married, it was not lawful for her to remarry. If a woman was put away she would have a hard time surviving because she couldn’t get married without the divorce papers.
Let’s take a look at some scriptures in the 7th chapter of 1Cor:
1Cor 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1Cor 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.
In verse 8 the unmarried are not those who have never been married but those who have been divorced because in verse 25 he is now talking to the virgins, the ones who have never been married.
1Cor 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
1Cor 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
This Scripture is NOT referring to a finalized legal divorce, but a “separation” only. The Greek word used for “depart” is chorizo, and it means “to place room between, to separate.” This is clearly seen because the husband and wife before the separation are still husband and wife after the separation. For the wife is to “...be reconciled to HER HUSBAND” (1Corinthians 7:11), not, “...HER FORMER HUSBAND who divorced her...” (Remember Deuteronomy 24:4). If she were divorced, she wouldn’t have a husband. But when you’re just separated, you still have a husband.
1Cor 7:25 Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.
1Cor 7:26 I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.
1Cor 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife.
1Cor 7:28 But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
The proper understanding of these verses would read: "Are you bound (married) to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed (divorced). Are you loosed (divorced) from a wife? Do not seek a wife. But even if you do marry (after you have been divorced), you have not sinned."
1Cor 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
Let’s take a closer look at verse 39:
We’re taught that we have a spouse yet we’re unmarried. We have been incorrectly taught and blindly believe that once a person is divorced, they somehow still have a spouse. They cannot get married again. This lie is designed to keep people in bondage their entire lives. Remember what Deu 24:4 says. It says her former husband not her husband.
If you were divorced or your spouse was deceased, would you still have a mate? Of course not! Let’s ask the same question a different way. If you are a woman and your husband was divorced from you or deceased, would you have a husband? And if you are a man and your wife was divorced from you or deceased, would you have a wife?
We have been told that a person cannot get married once they have been divorced because their spouse is alive, even though after the divorce they don’t have a spouse; but once that spouse dies, they can then get married. In the case of a woman who has been divorced, it is NOT true that their HUSBAND is alive, but it IS true that their FORMER HUSBAND is alive. To put it another way, we were told that we were “bound” (married) to someone when we weren’t.
We were quoted that “a wife is BOUND by law as long as her husband lives [that’s if she has one, but a divorced woman doesn’t have a husband]; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord”
This isolated Scripture was used as an illustration by the Apostle Paul to give an example of when a person dies; they are no longer under the law. Paul was NOT teaching about divorce.
How then can we accept that we have a spouse when we’re not married? When a person is divorced, they don’t have a husband or wife. This means they are not “bound” to someone. This Scripture is for the person who is MARRIED and wants to marry someone else while they are still married to another. You can’t be married to two people at the same time. If you’re divorced, you CAN get married again BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE A HUSBAND OR WIFE. Simply, you’re single or unmarried, if divorced.
Let’s take a look at two more scriptures from the Old Testament.
Isa 50:1 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.
This short section is an address to the exiled Israelites who are slow to respond to the LORD’s calls because they have come to believe that the ties they had with the mother land had been irretrievably broken. The message assures them that they are redeemable (meaning that they still have a covenant relationship with the LORD).
Verse 1 asks a series of questions, each one of them expecting a negative answer. There was no bill of divorcement—they still belonged to the LORD; there was no bill of sale—they were never given up. In Israel, if there was a bill of divorcement given, the person was free to remarry; but the LORD gave no such bill to Israel, or to the preceding generation.
The nation—that generation—was temporarily put away; but there was no divorce. So the image is an implied comparison between the idea of a divorce and the LORD’s disowning Israel. He sent the nation into exile to purge those who were not His people; but Israel still belonged to Him.
Likewise, if a man sold (into employment) children to help pay off a debt, they would be permanently lost to him. But God had no such debt; neither was He forced to sell Israel into the hands of a creditor . The nation was His possession; but He would bless only that generation of the nation that was faithful.
Rather, that wicked generation of Israelites sold themselves because of sin; and such sin the LORD could cancel by His grace. But the “nation” was not cast off forever. There would always be a remnant of God’s people, and with revival there would be a faithful generation.
Responding to the people’s complaint of utter abandonment by God, the prophet asserts that their sins were responsible for their banishment. Since there was no bill of divorce, the bond between the Lord and his people still exists and he has the power to deliver them.
Jer 3:8 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.
Notice that in Isa 50:1 God had put them away but not given them a bill of divorcement. Notice that in Jer 3:8 that God had put them away and gave them a bill of divorcement.
Summary
Remember that “put away” and “divorce” are not the same thing.
"Put away" (Greek: apoluo) in scripture means to separate or separated in the sense that it is used today. A couple that is only separated are still married. The marriage contract still stands until it is broken by death or a written divorce document. Some say that put away is the same as divorce however this is not the case.
"Divorce" (Greek: apostation) in scripture means that a bill of divorcement has been written and that the couple is no longer married. They then separate as part of the divorce. The bill of divorcement ends the contractual ties. When someone is divorced they may remarry. When they become aware of the translation errors then they can understand the "once you're divorced you can't remarry" false doctrine. If that were true then consider this scripture. Mat 5:28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jesus said this person committed adultery in his heart. Does that mean that his wife can divorce him? Which is more of a reason for divorce, The spouse that got caught robbing a bank and is sentenced to 20 years in prison or the man that looked at the woman with lust?
Here are a few of the other versions that translated it correctly. World English Bible, Darby Bible Translation, English Revised Version, Literal Standard Version and Young's Literal Translation
Pastor Ray Geide's Article
Sorry to add these extra pages but I thought it was necessary to add this information. I had been praying once again for God to show me exactly what his scriptures are telling us on this subject. I started searching the internet and found websites that teaches the same thing but I found one that really caught my attention. The article below is what I copied from his website. His name is Ray Geide. I did some searching on him and found that he was a missionary in Russia, a Pastor, majored in New Testament Studies when he studied in seminary, studied the Greek language and then took additional advanced Greek classes. His website is:
https://breakthroughversion.com/rayonthebible/divorcejesus.html
I always encourage everyone to pray, study and research this yourself.
Here is what he says on his website concerning divorce:
Jesus' teaching on divorce is a prime example of how the church has let tradition completely reverse what the Bible says.
Tradition says that divorce is a sin. This tradition can be traced back to the Roman Catholic Church. Most Christians and most churches agree with it: divorce is a sin. They twist the words of Jesus to support this. But what did Jesus really say?
One of Jesus' key teachings on divorce is in Matthew 5:31-32.
I encourage you to set aside tradition for a moment and take an honest look at what these two verses say.
The Context
First, look at the context of Matthew 5:31-32. These two verses are one point of six. The six points illustrate how Jesus did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). Before making these six points, Jesus states that one jot or one tittle will not pass from the law until it is fulfilled. He also says that anyone who breaks these least commandments and teaches others so is least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:18-19).
Despite these statements, most people think that Jesus changed the law in these two verses, that He destroyed the part that tells people to get a divorce, and that He set up divorce as a sin.
If that is true, it would make Jesus a liar and He would be violating His own words.
The First Verse
Look at the first verse: "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement" (Matthew 5:31 KJV).
Doesn't this verse imply that some people were putting their wives away without giving them a writing of divorcement?
(Please note that in Greek, "put away" (apoluo) and "divorcement" (apostasion) are two completely different words. It is not correct to translate both as divorce as some Bible versions do. Apostasion is divorce. Apoluo is not.)
What would it be if a man put away his wife but did not give her a writing of divorcement?
The Law
What does the law say about divorce? "...then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it to her hand, and send her out of his house" (Deuteronomy 24:1b).
Does the law say that a husband can put away his wife and they are divorced? No. He must give her a bill of divorcement.
Does the law say that a husband can say, "I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee," and they are divorced? No. He must give her a bill of divorcement.
If a husband puts his wife away without giving her a bill of divorcement, are they divorced? No, not according to the law.
This is also true in America. A couple may split up and go their separate ways, but they are not divorced until one of them writes up a bill of divorcement, takes it to court, and the judge signs it.
What Jesus says in these two verses is not against divorce, it is against NOT getting a divorce. He is telling those who were putting away their wives without a writing of divorcement that they are wrong. They must get a writing of divorcement as the law states.
Jesus was validating what the law says, not changing it, not destroying it.
The Second Verse
Look at the second verse: "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 KJV).
(Please note that in this verse, "put away" and "divorce" are the same Greek word, apoluo. It is wrong to translate apoluo as "put away" the first time that it appears in the verse and then as "divorce" the second time. That hides the true meaning of this verse.)
This verse brings sin (adultery) into the divorce picture.
Or does it?
The Greek word for divorce (apostasion) is not in this verse.
This verse is not talking about divorce. It is talking about putting a wife away without giving her a writing of divorcement.
If a man puts his wife away without giving her a writing of divorcement, he is causing her to commit adultery. How can a wife who has been put away, stay faithful to her husband? She can't. She has to cheat on him (which is what adultery is) in some way. Her husband has forced her to commit adultery.
If the wife committed fornication (sexual sin), then the husband putting her away does not cause her to commit adultery because she has already done that on her own.
If a man marries a woman who has been put away by someone else, then he is marrying a woman who is already married and he is committing adultery.
(Please note the sin here, adultery. Adultery is a sin that involves at least one married person. Two single people cannot commit adultery, neither can two divorced people. By mentioning the sin of adultery, Jesus is showing that what He is talking about is not divorce. He is also showing that the practice of putting away a spouse does not end a marriage as divorce does.)
This verse brings sin (adultery) into the "putting away a spouse" picture, not the divorce picture.
The Conclusion
Jesus did not change the law in these verses. He supported it and went a step further by connecting their refusal to get a divorce with adultery.
During this time, the people were not following the law. They were separating from their spouses but NOT getting a divorce. A divorce took too much time and required them to air their greivences in public before a judge. It was much easier to tell the wife to leave and consider the marriage to be finished. But that was not how the law said to do it.
Divorce is not a sin. Ending a marriage without a divorce is. That is what Jesus taught in these two verses.
Some history that I found about Dr. James Strong and Strong’s Numbers
The Intended Use of Strong’s Numbers
Strong's Concordance by James Strong (August 14, 1822 to August 7, 1894) is not a translation of the Bible nor is it intended as a translation tool. The use of Strong's numbers is not a substitute for professional translation of the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English by those with formal training in ancient languages and the literature of the cultures in which the Bible was written.
James Strong also served as editor of the massive ten-volume Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. It was published from 1867 through 1881. And if that’s not enough, this same Strong worked on a committee that produced the American Standard Version of the Bible. For thirty years this committee labored, from 1871 until the ASV was published in 1901. One hundred and one editors worked on the American Standard Version, and one of those 101 was Strong. Not one time was the word Apoluo ever translated into divorce in the 1901 ASV.
