It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
You've heard it said that if a man wants to divorce his wife, all he has to do is give her divorce papers.
Jesus is about to challenge the bare minimum approach to relationships.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of Jesus, divorce was governed by Jewish law as described in the Old Testament, particularly in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which required a man to provide his wife with a written certificate of divorce to formalize the separation and protect her from arbitrary abandonment. This practice reflected the cultural norms of ancient Israel, where marriage and family structures were deeply tied to social and economic stability. Jesus references this in the Sermon on the Mount to challenge and deepen the understanding of God's original intent for marriage.
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