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BY ALONZO GASKILL
Statistics show that half of all first marriages in the Unites States end in divorce. Second and third marriages have a much higher rate of failure. Fewer and fewer people are getting married but, instead, just live together. And those who do marry are getting divorced at a higher rate than ever. There was a time when a statistically high percentage of people embraced Paul’s position that “neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” (NIV 1 Corinthians 11:11) However, because the stigma once associated with divorce has largely faded, people are more comfortable than ever with severing a relationship that was once considered “until death do you part.” So, what does the Bible have to say about divorce? Here are a few of the most significant verses on the subject.
In the Book of Malachi, we read: “‘The man who hates and divorces his wife,’ says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘does violence to the one he should protect,’ says the Lord Almighty.” (NIV Malachi 2:16) The essential meaning of this rendering of the passage is that a husband has a duty to his wife and should not harm her by divorcing her. This was particularly true in antiquity, when a woman who had divorced did not have the ability to go out and provide for herself; and she would often struggle to be accepted in a second marriage. While the New International Version renders the Hebrew, “The man who hates…his wife,” a more common rendering of the Hebrew is this: “The Lord God All-Powerful of Israel hates anyone who is cruel enough to divorce his wife. So, take care never to be unfaithful!” (CEV Malachi 2:16) In other words, most translators believe that the Hebrew is saying that God “hates” cruel men who “divorce their wives”—placing them in an impossible situation (post-divorce). While God’s nature is not “hateful,” it seems fair to say that He is greatly displeased with us when we act in “hateful” ways toward our spouse—someone we promised we would love, honor, support, and sustain for the rest of our lives.
https://www.patheos.com/answers/bible-perspectives/what-does-the-bible-say-about-divorce