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.
But here's what I'm telling you: if you divorce your wife for any reason other than cheating, you're basically setting her up to be labeled an adulteress. And anyone who marries a divorced woman is committing adultery too.
Jesus says divorce should only happen because of unfaithfulness, otherwise everyone gets hurt.
📚 Historical Context
In the first century, Jewish society allowed divorce for various reasons based on interpretations of the Mosaic law in Deuteronomy 24, but debates existed among rabbis about what constituted valid grounds. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, was elevating the discussion by contrasting Old Testament permissions with God's original intent for marriage as a lifelong union, aiming to protect the vulnerable and uphold moral purity. This teaching addressed the casual attitudes toward divorce prevalent at the time, emphasizing that it often led to further sin like adultery.
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