Deuteronomy 24:4
in Deuteronomy 24then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before Jehovah: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 24
Commentary
9 notes on this verseAlthough what relates to divorce was granted in indulgence to the Jews, yet Christ pronounces that it was never in accordance with the Law, because it is directly repugnant to the first institution of God, from whence a perpetual and inviolable rule is to be sought.
This site's exposition
If a man marries a woman
on Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Verses 1 to 3 set out a case, and verse 4 alone gives the command: the first husband may not take her back. The Pharisees cite this law at Matthew 19:7, and Jesus answers that Moses permitted divorce because of hard hearts.
This site's exposition
after she has been defiled
Defiled describes her state toward the first husband alone, and her marriage to the second man brought no sin. Wesley reads the ban as the first husband's penalty. Wesley adds that such lightness would defile the land the LORD was giving.
The record, by era
The Reformation1 voice
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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Defiled - Not absolutely, as if her second marriage were a sin, but with respect to her first husband, to whom she is as a defiled or unclean woman, that is, forbidden things; forbidden are accounted and called unclean, Judg. xiii, 7, because they may no more be touched or used than an unclean thing.
Her former husband which sent her away may not take her again to be his wife,....
"No" (says this law) "you shall not have her, you should have kept her when you had her." Note, It is best to be content with such things as we have, since changes made by discontent often prove for the worse. The uneasiness we know is commonly better, though we are apt to think it worse, than that which we do not know.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes--It appears that the practice of divorces was at this early period very prevalent amongst the Israelites, who had in all probability become familiar with it in Egypt [LANE]. The usage, being too deep-rooted to be soon or easily abolished, was tolerated by Moses (Mt 19:8).
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
She is defiled - Does not this refer to her having been divorced, and married in consequence to another?
How the passage was read
On Deuteronomy 24:1-4On Deuteronomy 24:1-4
Two Hebrew words the schools split over
This is the Torah's divorce text: a man who finds “some indecency” (Hebrew ervat davar, literally “a matter of nakedness”) in his wife writes her “a bill of divorcement,” the sefer keritut, later called the get: a formal written document whose careful delivery protected the woman's proven right to remarry. What exactly ervat davar covers became the most famous legal dispute of the generation before Jesus, between the two great Pharisaic teaching schools. The Mishnah records it verbatim: the house of Shammai permits divorce only for unchastity; the house of Hillel “even if she spoiled his dish”; Rabbi Akiva, later, “even if he found another fairer than she” (Gittin 9:10).
That standing debate is why the Pharisees' test question in Matthew 19:3, “is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?”, is not a cold question: “for any cause” is the Hillelite position quoted back at Jesus. He is being asked to pick a school. His answer reaches behind Moses to creation itself (Genesis 1:27, 2:24).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Gittin 9:10 (the Shammai, Hillel, and Akiva positions verbatim)
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יוּכַ֣ל | yukhal | he will be able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| בַּעְלָ֣הּ | ba'lah | husband her | H1167 → | 84 times |
| הָרִאשׁ֣וֹן | harishon | <the> former | H7223 → | 182 times |
| אֲשֶֽׁר־ | ʾasheroshi- | who | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שִׁ֠לְּחָהּ | shilechah | he sent away her | H7971 → | 845 times |
| לָשׁ֨וּב | lashuv | to return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לְקַחְתָּ֜הּ | lekachtah | to take her | H3947 → | 966 times |
| לִהְי֧וֹת | lihyot | to become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| לְאִשָּׁ֗ה | leishah | <into> wife | H802 → | 781 times |
| אַחֲרֵי֙ | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה | hutamaah | she has been declared unclean | H2930 → | |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תוֹעֵבָ֥ה | toevah | [is] an abomination | H8441 → | 117 times |
| הִ֖וא | hi' | that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַחֲטִיא֙ | tachati' | you will cause to sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֥ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְךָ֖ | lekha | to <the> you | ||
| נַחֲלָֽה׃ ס | nachalah | an inheritance | H5159 → | 222 times |
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יוּכַ֣לhe will be able
yukhalH3201 →194 times
בַּעְלָ֣הּhusband her
ba'lahH1167 →84 times
הָרִאשׁ֣וֹן<the> former
harishonH7223 →182 times
אֲשֶֽׁר־who
ʾasheroshi-H834 →5497 times
שִׁ֠לְּחָהּhe sent away her
shilechahH7971 →845 times
לָשׁ֨וּבto return
lashuvH7725 →1056 times
לְקַחְתָּ֜הּto take her
lekachtahH3947 →966 times
לִהְי֧וֹתto become
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
ל֣וֹof him
lo
לְאִשָּׁ֗ה<into> wife
leishahH802 →781 times
אַחֲרֵי֙after
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הֻטַּמָּ֔אָהshe has been declared unclean
hutamaahH2930 →
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תוֹעֵבָ֥ה[is] an abomination
toevahH8441 →117 times
הִ֖ואthat
hi'H1931 →1879 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תַחֲטִיא֙you will cause to sin
tachati'H2398 →238 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֥ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לְךָ֖to <the> you
lekha
נַחֲלָֽה׃ סan inheritance
nachalahH5159 →222 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 3:1“If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 24:1–4
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her…
- Ezekiel 16:26
You prostituted yourself with your lustful neighbors, the Egyptians, and increased your promiscuity to provoke Me to anger.
- Hosea 2:5–7
For their mother has played the harlot and has conceived them in disgrace. For she thought, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me bread and water, wool and linen, oil and drink.’
- Ezekiel 16:28–29
Then you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, because you were not yet satisfied. Even after that, you were still not satisfied.
- Deuteronomy 4:29–31
But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- Deuteronomy 24:1–4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies14
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.