SEV Biblia, Chapter 24:1
¶ Cuando alguno tomare mujer y se casare con ella, si después no le agradare por haber hallado en ella alguna cosa torpe, le escribirá carta de repudio, y se la entregará en su mano, y la despedirá de su casa.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 24:1
Verse 1. Some uncleanness] Any cause of dislike, for this great latitude of meaning the fact itself authorizes us to adopt, for it is certain that a Jew might put away his wife for any cause that seemed good to himself; and so hard were their hearts, that Moses suffered this; and we find they continued this practice even to the time of our Lord, who strongly reprehended them on the account, and showed that such license was wholly inconsistent with the original design of marriage; see Matthew v. 31, &c.; xix. 3, &c., and the notes there.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. When a man hath taken a wife and married her , etc.] That is, when a man has made choice of a woman for his wife, and has obtained her consent, and the consent of her parents; and has not only betrothed her, but taken her home, and consummated the marriage: and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes ; is not agreeable to him, he takes no delight in her person, nor pleasure in her company and conversation; but, on the contrary, his affections are alienated from her, and he cannot bear the sight of her; because he hath found some uncleanness in her ; something that he disliked, and was disagreeable to him, and which made their continuance together in the marriage state very uncomfortable; which led him on to be very ill-natured, severe, and cruel to her; so that her life was exposed to danger, or at least become very uneasy; in which case a divorce was permitted, both for the badness of the man’s heart, and in favour of the woman, that she might be freed from such rigorous usage. This word “uncleanness” does not signify adultery, or any of the uncleannesses forbidden in ( Leviticus 18:6-19); because that was punishable with death, when it could be proved; and where there was only a suspicion of it, the husband might make use of the bitter water: though the house of Shammai seem to take it in this sense; for they say a man might not divorce his wife unless he found her in some unclean thing, something dishonest and wicked, and which they ground upon these words; but the house of Hillell say, if she burnt his food, or spoiled it by over salting, or over roasting it; and Akiba says, even if he found another woman more beautiful than her or more agreeable to him. But neither his sense, nor that of the house of Shammai, are approved of by the Jews in general, but that of the house of Hillell f411 ; and they suppose a man might divorce his wife for any ill qualities of mind in her, or for any ill or impudent behaviour of hers; as if her husband saw her go abroad with her head uncovered, and spinning in the streets, and so showing her naked arms to men; or having her garments slit on both sides; or washing in a bath with men, or where men use to wash, and talking with every man, and joking with young men; or her voice is sonorous and noisy; or any disease of body, as the leprosy, and the like; or any blemishes, as warts, are upon her; or any disagreeable smell that might arise from any parts of the body, from sweat, or a stinking breath f412 : then let him write her a bill of divorcement ; Jarchi says, this is a command upon him to divorce her, because she finds not favour in his eyes; and so the Jews generally understand it, and so they did in the time of Christ, ( Matthew 19:7); whereas it was no more than a permission, for reasons before given. A man might not dismiss his wife by word of mouth, which might be done hastily, in a passion, of which he might soon repent; but by writing, which was to be drawn up in form; and, as the Targum of Jonathan, before the sanhedrim, in a court of judicature, which required time, during which he might think more of it, and either recede from his purpose before the case was finished, or do it upon mature deliberation; and a firm resolution. The Jews say many things of the witnesses before whom it was to be written and sealed, and at what time, and upon what, and with what it was to be written, and who were proper persons to write it or not, in a treatise of theirs, called Gittin, or divorces. In the Hebrew text this bill is called “a bill of cutting off” f415 ; because the marriage was rescinded, and man and wife were cut off and separated from one another for ever; of the form of such a bill, (see Gill on “ Matthew 5:31”); and give [it] in her hand ; which was to be done before witnesses, and which is one of the ten things requisite to a divorce f416 ; though it made no difference whether it was delivered by himself, or by a messenger; or whether to her, or to her deputy, appointed by her before witnesses; or whether it was put into her hand, or in her bosom, so be it that she was but possessed of it; with which agrees the Jewish canon, “if he casts a bill to his wife, and she is within the house, or within the court, she is divorced; if he casts it into her bosom, or into her work basket, she is divorced f417 :” and send her out of his house ; which was a visible token and public declaration of her divorce; besides, were she to be continued in his house afterwards, it would give suspicion of cohabitation, which after a divorce was not lawful.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Where the providence of God, or his own wrong choice in marriage, ha allotted to a Christian a trial instead of a help meet; he will from his heart prefer bearing the cross, to such relief as tends to sin confusion, and misery. Divine grace will sanctify this cross, suppor under it, and teach so to behave, as will gradually render it mor tolerable.
Original Hebrew
כי 3588 יקח 3947 אישׁ 376 אשׁה 802 ובעלה 1166 והיה 1961 אם 518 לא 3808 תמצא 4672 חן 2580 בעיניו 5869 כי 3588 מצא 4672 בה ערות 6172 דבר 1697 וכתב 3789 לה ספר 5612 כריתת 3748 ונתן 5414 בידה 3027 ושׁלחה 7971 מביתו׃ 1004
