Deuteronomy Chapter 24 verse 1 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVer 1. - Because he hath found some uncleanness in her; literally, a thing or matter of nakedness, i.e. some shameful thing, something disgraceful; LXX., ἄσχημον πρᾶγμα: Vulgate, "aliquam foeditatem." In the Targum of Onkelos, the expression is explained by עֲבֵירִת פִתֵגָם; "aliquid foeditatis" (London Polyglot); "iniquitas rei alicujus"(Buxtorf); "the transgression of a [Divine] word" (Levi). On this the school of Hillel among the rabbins put the interpretation that a man might divorce his wife for any unbecomingness (Mishna, 'Gittin,' 9:10), or indeed for any cause, as the Pharisees in our Lord's day taught (Matthew 19:3). The school of Shammai, on the other hand, taught that only for something disgraceful, such as adultery, could a wife be divorced (Lightfoot, 'Her. Hebrews et Talm.,' on Matthew 5:31, Opp., tom. 2:290). Adultery, however, cannot be supposed here because that was punishable with death. A bill of divorcement; literally, a writing of excision; the man and woman having by marriage become one flesh, the divorce of the woman was a cutting of her off from the one whole. Lightfoot has given (lee. et.) different forms of letters of divorce in use among the Jews (see also Maimonides, 'De Divortiis,' Deuteronomy 4. § 12).

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersXXIV.Deuteronomy 24:1-4. DIVORCE.Some uncleanness.--Evidently mere caprice and dislike are not intended here. There must be some real ground of complaint. (See Margin.)Let him write her a bill of divorcement.--"Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives," is the Divine comment upon this. It is a distinct concession to the weakness of Israel--not the ideal standard of the Law, but the highest which it was found practicable to enforce. (See Matthew 19:2 seq.) There are many other particular enactments in the Law of Moses of which the same thing may be said. The ideal standard of morality has never varied. There is no higher ideal than that of the Pentateuch. But the Law which was actually enforced, in many particulars fell short of that ideal.(2) If the latter husband hate her.--Rashi says here that "the Scripture intimates that the end of such a marriage will be that he will hate her." He makes a similar remark on the marriage with the captive in Deuteronomy 21. The result of the marriage will be a hated wife, and a firstborn son of her, who will be a glutton and a drunkard.(4) Her former husband . . . may not take her again . . . and thou shalt not cause the land to sin.--The comment upon this, supplied by Jeremiah 3:1, is singularly beautiful. "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."