Deuteronomy 24 on Divorce
Engelsma examines Jesus's teaching on divorce in Matthew 5 and 19 in relation to the Mosaic regulation in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, analyzing how Christ's prohibition of divorce contrasts with and supersedes the Old Testament allowance. The article addresses the Pharisees' challenge to Jesus regarding Moses's permission for divorce and provides exegetical treatment of the relevant biblical passages. This resource is valuable for understanding the Reformed approach to biblical interpretation of marriage law and Christ's ethical teachings.
David J. Engelsma In Matthew 5 Jesus is obviously contrasting his teaching on divorce with another teaching. That other teaching is Moses’ regulation regarding divorce for Israel in the Old Testament. When Jesus declares in verse 31, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement,” he refers to the regulation concerning divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4: - When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour...