Divorce

Greek

The phrase “put away” is a literal rendering of the Greek term for what we would divorce.

Bill of Divorce

Matthew 5:31 And it has been said ‘He who would put away his wife must give to her a bill of divorce.’

Putting away a wife is the act of divorce. The bill of divorce only officiates the act, and was instituted in the days of Moses in order to protect women who were put off by their husbands. That is because a married woman found in the house of another man would have no defense against a charge of adultery – both her and the other man could be stoned to death. However if she could display a bill of divorcement, no such charge could hold. This law appears in Deuteronomy chapter 24.

Today many men fail, even men in Israel Identity, because they confuse the act of the issuing of a bill of divorcement with the act of divorce. That is a modern precept which finds no place in scripture. Here we see that it is clear, that the putting away of one's wife is the act of divorce, and the issuing of the bill of divorcement only officiates the act! If one puts away his wife without issuing the bill, one violates the law of divorcement. However the wife has still been put away! Those who would deny this, are practicing Midrash, and not obedience to the Scripture.