Divorce & Remarriage in the Bible

The social and literary context

© Dr. David Instone-Brewer (Eerdmans, 2002)

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DIVORCE & REMARRIAGE IN THE BIBLE

Ch. 1: The Ancient Near East:
Marriage is a contract

The Marriage Covenant

Marriage covenants in the ancient Near East

Payment and penalties in marriage covenants

Stipulations in marriage covenants

Legal records of marriage covenants

Marriage is a 'contract'

Conclusions

Ch. 2: The Pentateuch:
The divorce certificate allows remarriage

Distinctiveness of the Pentateuch

The monogamist ideal

The Practice of Divorce

Rights of women to divorce

The Rights of women to remain married

The right of women to a divorce certificate, and to remarry

The Rights of women to remain remarried

The primary distinctiveness of the Pentateuch

Conclusions

Ch. 3: The Later Prophets:
Breaking marriage vows is condemned

The Marriage metaphor before Hosea

Hosea's portrayal of Yahweh's marriage problems

Jeremiah's development of Hosea

Ezekiel on Judah's breaking of the marriage contract

Isaiah on Yahweh's divorce certificate

A consistent picture of God's divorce

Malachi on God's hatred of divorce

Conclusions

Ch. 4: Intertestamental Period:
Increasing rights for women

Polygamy in Israel

Qumran exegetes prohibited polygamy

Qumran exegetes did not criticise divorce or remarriage

Ginzberg's Explanation of "during their lives"

Divorce by Jewish women becomes easier outside Israel

Divorces by Jewish men and women at Elephantine

Development of the Jewish marriage contract

Discouragement of divorce by Simeon ben Shetah

Conclusions

Ch. 5: Rabbinic Teaching:
Increasing grounds for divorce

Divorces by women

Infertility as a ground for divorce

Unfaithfulness as a ground for divorce

Grounds for divorce in Exodus 21.10f

Material neglect as a ground for divorce

Emotional neglect as a ground for divorce

The no-fault 'Any Matter' divorce

The normal rabbinic divorce

Remarriage of widows and divorcees

Remarriage was Adulterous after an invalid divorce

Conclusions

Ch. 6: Jesus' Teaching:
Divorce on Biblical grounds only

The Question

Digression on Monogamy and lifelong marriage

Moses' Teaching

Answering the Question

The Exception

The Short Versions

Abbreviating the Answer

Marriage and children are not compulsory

Which version came first?

Putting it all together

The Practical Consequences of Jesus' Teaching

Other grounds for divorce

Conclusions

Ch. 7: Paul's Teaching:
Biblical grounds include neglect

Introduction

Divorce in the Graeco-Roman world

The Emotional Obligations in Marriage

The Material Obligations in Marriage

Desertion is not a valid means of divorce

"Not bound"

"for God has called us to peace"

Marriage is good, and lifelong, but difficult at present

Remarriage after widowhood (or divorce)

Romans 7.1-4: married to the Law or Christ

Conclusions

Ch. 8: Marriage Vows:
Vows inherited from the Bible and Judaism

Introduction

Jewish marriage vows

- Early Judaism (1st to 4th CE)

- Traditional Judaism (Talmud to Geniza)

- Karaite Judaism

- Samaritan Judaism

- Development of Jewish marriage vows

Christian Marriage Vows

- Faithfulness

- "Husband of one wife"

- Feed and clothe

- Vows in modern marriage services

- Obey is not a NT marriage vow

Conclusions

Ch. 9: History of Divorce:
Interpretations in church history

The loss of Jewish teaching at 70 CE

Interpretations by the Church Fathers

- Clement of Alexandria

- Tertullian

- Origen

- Irenaeus and Ptolemaeus

- Ambrosiaster

- Jerome and Chrysostom

- Epiphanius

- Augustine

- Aquinas and subsequent canon law

- Summarising the Fathers

Interpretations after the Reformation

- Erasmus

- Luther

- Zurich and Geneva Reformers

- English Reformers

- Modern England

- The Growth in Divorces

Conclusions

Ch. 10: Modern Re-interpretations:
Different ways to understand the biblical text

Introduction

How many grounds for divorce apply today?

What does Porneia mean today?

What does Paul's exception mean today?

When is Remarriage allowed?

How much does the NT agree with the OT and 1st century Judaism?

What is the main message of the NT about divorce?

Conclusions

Ch. 11: Pastoral Conclusions:
Reversing institutionalised misunderstandings

An Overview

How should we read Scripture?

Modern Church Practice

The NT's message to the modern world

Christian Grounds for Divorce

What the church should do

Bibliography