# What does the Bible say about divorce? > What the Bible says about divorce — Scripture in context, where Christians differ, and why pastor and church come before any app, plus one next step today. Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/divorce By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · September 6, 2026 Verses are chosen for the question being asked. Topic pages quote the King James Version (public domain). The public reader and iPhone Bible tab use the Lumin Translation, rendered from Hebrew and Greek with AI and then checked for clarity and fidelity. Glosses in answers are original summaries, not a second Bible. Open the named passage; AI is not the interpreter. [How we cite Scripture](https://www.lumin.faith/about#how-we-cite) Scripture treats marriage as a covenant God witnesses, and it takes divorce with gravity. Jesus returns the Pharisees’ “any cause?” test to Genesis — one flesh, not to be pulled apart — and names Moses’ certificate as an allowance for hardness of heart. The New Testament also speaks to separation, mixed marriage, and sexual immorality. This page cites those texts. It does not issue a grounds checklist, approve a divorce or remarriage, or replace a pastor. ## Divorce in the Bible - **Genesis 2:24** — A man leaves father and mother and holds fast to his wife, and they become one flesh — the beginning Jesus later cites. - **Deuteronomy 24:1-4** — Moses regulates a certificate of divorce; Jesus later reads this as permitted because of hardness of heart. - **Malachi 2:14-16** — The Lord is witness of the marriage covenant and rebukes faithless divorce. - **Matthew 5:31-32** — Jesus addresses divorce and remarriage, including the clause “except for sexual immorality.” - **Matthew 19:3-9** — Asked about “any cause” divorce, Jesus returns to Genesis, names Moses’ allowance, and repeats the exception clause. - **Mark 10:2-12** — A parallel teaching on permanence; Mark does not include Matthew’s exception wording. - **1 Corinthians 7:10-11** — Paul’s charge from the Lord: do not separate; if separated, remain unmarried or be reconciled. - **1 Corinthians 7:12-16** — If an unbelieving spouse consents to stay, do not leave; if the unbeliever separates, the brother or sister is “not enslaved.” ## Highlighted verse > He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. > > — Matthew 19:8 (King James Version) ## Reflection Jesus’ teaching is stricter than a casual exit. Mark and Luke state the permanence of marriage without Matthew’s “except for sexual immorality” clause. Paul tells believing spouses not to separate, and if they do, to remain unmarried or reconcile; he also says that if an unbelieving partner leaves, the believer is not enslaved. Hebrews honors the marriage bed. None of that is a flowchart an app can run for you. Christians differ on how those texts apply — especially Matthew’s exception, 1 Corinthians 7:15, remarriage after divorce, and whether abandonment or abuse count as pastoral exceptions. Lumin will not invent a doctrine to settle that. Read the passages with a pastor who knows you. If you are in danger, safety comes first: Scripture never blesses harm, and an app is not shelter, counsel, or a court. God heals the brokenhearted; confession and forgiveness are real — they are not a remarriage formula. ## One next step Open Matthew 19:3-9 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 slowly. Then talk with a pastor — and, if you are unsafe, with people who can actually protect you — before treating any article, including this one, as a ruling. ## FAQ ### What is a key Bible verse about divorce? Matthew 19:6: what God has joined, let no one separate. Malachi 2:14-16 treats marriage as a covenant the Lord witnesses. Matthew 19:8 says Moses allowed divorce because of hardness of heart; from the beginning it was not so. Read Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7 together, not as a slogan. ### How should Christians respond to divorce? Read the passages in context, tell the truth, and involve a pastor who knows you. Scripture never blesses harm: if you are unsafe, get to safety first. Lumin will not issue a grounds checklist or approve a divorce or remarriage. An app is not a counselor, lawyer, or church. ### Does the Bible allow remarriage after divorce? Christians differ. Matthew includes an “except for sexual immorality” clause that Mark and Luke do not word the same way; 1 Corinthians 7:15 speaks of a believer “not enslaved” if an unbelieving partner separates. Churches disagree on how those texts, and pastoral cases of abandonment or abuse, apply. Take the decision to your church, not to an article. ## Related questions - [What does the Bible say about marriage?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/marriage.md) - [What does the Bible say about forgiveness?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/forgiveness.md) - [What does the Bible say about hope?](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hope.md) ## Related guides - [Ask with Scripture you can open](https://www.lumin.faith/ask.md) - [Read the chapter with Bible Coach](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-coach.md) - [The Lumin Covenant](https://www.lumin.faith/trust.md) --- Answered by Lumin, a Christian AI app for iPhone and iPad that gives short, Scripture-cited answers with one next step. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-bible-ai-companion/id6754889412