Deuteronomy 24:1-5 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

The right of divorce on man's part (not woman's) is taken for granted here and elsewhere in the OT (see Deuteronomy 22:19; Deuteronomy 22:29; Leviticus 21:7; Leviticus 21:14; Leviticus 22:13 f., Numbers 30:9; cf. Matthew 19:9). Later Judaism (Kethuboth, vii. 10) extended to woman the right of divorce under certain specified conditions.

Deuteronomy 24:1. some unseemly thing: the Heb. as in Deuteronomy 23:14 (cf. mg.), unclean thing, LXX an ugly (lit. unshapely) thing. Unchastity is hardly meant, that is dealt with in Deuteronomy 22:13-30, but probably physical incapacity of some kind.

Deuteronomy 24:5. Cf. Deuteronomy 20:7.

Related Commentaries of Deuteronomy 24:1

Deuteronomy 24:1-5

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found somea uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business: but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken.