They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
The verse preserves the Pharisees' question asking why Moses directed the giving of a writing of divorcement and the putting away of the wife. The permission to divorce was granted as a concession because of the hardness of people's hearts and human degeneracy, not as part of God's original plan. A divorce granted under human law does not by itself end a marriage in God's sight, for only adultery releases a husband or wife from the marriage vow. When a legal divorce is granted on the ground of adultery, the innocent spouse is free to marry another.
The marriage vow remains binding until death under God's law. It is not set aside because love has faded and dislike has grown. Where deception is alleged as the reason, there are still no grounds for divorce, and the vow remains as duty.
The verse preserves the Pharisees' question asking why Moses directed the giving of a writing of divorcement and the putting away of the wife. The permission to divorce was granted as a concession because of the hardness of people's hearts and human degeneracy, not as part of God's original plan. A divorce granted under human law does not by itself end a marriage in God's sight, for only adultery releases a husband or wife from the marriage vow. When a legal divorce is granted on the ground of adultery, the innocent spouse is free to marry another.
The marriage vow remains binding until death under God's law. It is not set aside because love has faded and dislike has grown. Where deception is alleged as the reason, there are still no grounds for divorce, and the vow remains as duty.