What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?

Q: What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?

The Bible's starting point is the permanence of marriage by creation design — "what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (; ) — and God's stated displeasure with divorce (). Yet Scripture also addresses divorce's reality: Moses regulated it "because of your hardness of heart" (BSB, ; ), Jesus names a "fornication" exception in Matthew (; ) that the parallels in Mark and Luke omit (; ), and Paul adds an abandonment provision (). Because the texts can be read more than one way, faithful traditions divide into roughly four positions — from no remarriage, to remarriage of an innocent party after adultery or abandonment, to broader grounds including abuse. We present them and endorse none. On one point a strong cross-tradition consensus has formed: protecting a spouse and children from abuse comes first. This is often a painful question. The aim here is clarity and care, not a verdict on anyone's situation.

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Short answer

The Bible's starting point is the permanence of marriage by creation design, "what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6; Genesis 2:24), and God's stated displeasure with divorce (Malachi 2:16). Yet Scripture also addresses divorce's reality: Moses regulated it "because of your hardness of heart" (BSB, Matthew 19:8; Deuteronomy 24:1-4), Jesus names a "fornication" exception in Matthew (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9) that the parallels in Mark and Luke omit (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18), and Paul adds an abandonment provision (1 Corinthians 7:10-15). Because the texts can be read more than one way, faithful traditions divide into roughly four positions, from no remarriage, to remarriage of an innocent party after adultery or abandonment, to broader grounds including abuse. We present them and endorse none. On one point a strong cross-tradition consensus has formed: protecting a spouse and children from abuse comes first.

This is often a painful question. The aim here is clarity and care, not a verdict on anyone's situation.

Question

What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage?

Analysis

The foundational texts

Permanence: Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:6; Malachi 2:16 ("I hate putting away").
Mosaic regulation: Deuteronomy 24:1-4, a certificate of divorce that protected the woman and limited remarriage; Jesus reads it as an accommodation to hard hearts (Matthew 19:8).
Jesus: the "except for fornication" (Greek porneia) exception appears in Matthew (Matthew 5:32; Matthew 19:9) but not in the parallels (Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18).
Paul: a wife should not depart, but if separated should remain unmarried or be reconciled (1 Corinthians 7:10-11); if an unbelieving spouse abandons the marriage, "a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases" (1 Corinthians 7:15), the "Pauline privilege."

The four main Christian positions (neutral)

Issue	Permanence	Confessional	Erasmian (extended)	Liberal / minimal
Divorce ever permitted?	Rare / never	Yes, adultery + abandonment	Yes, + abuse	Yes, most cases
Remarriage of the innocent party?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Remarriage of the at-fault party?	No	Generally no	Often, after repentance	Usually
Held by	Catholic, Orthodox, some Reformed	Westminster Reformed, classical Anglican, Lutheran	Most evangelical pastoral practice	Many mainline

The `porneia` debate (Matthew 19:9)

What Jesus' exception covers turns on the word porneia:

Reading	What it permits
Adultery specifically	The most common Protestant reading
All sexual immorality	A broader range of grave sexual sin
Unlawful / incestuous marriage	A union that should never have been formed
Betrothal-period unfaithfulness	The Joseph-and-Mary context (Matthew 1:18-19)

Abuse, the modern cross-tradition consensus

While the four positions divide on textual exceptions, modern Christian counseling across traditions broadly agrees that separation for the safety of an abused spouse and children is right and necessary, even traditions that resist remarriage typically affirm protective separation. Whether abuse grounds divorce-with-remarriage is where positions 1–2 and 3–4 part ways.

A pastoral note

Most traditions receive divorced and remarried believers as full church members with appropriate care; questions about serving in office vary by tradition. The annulment process (Catholic) addresses whether a valid marriage ever existed and is distinct from divorce.

Sources, trace every one

Every cited verse, in full. Tap any reference to open it in the reader.

Matthew 19:6bsb
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”
Genesis 2:24bsb
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Malachi 2:16bsb
“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.
Matthew 19:8bsb
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart. But it was not this way from the beginning.
Deuteronomy 24:1bsb
If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house.
Matthew 5:32bsb
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 19:9bsb
Now I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Mark 10:11bsb
So He told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.
Luke 16:18bsb
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
1 Corinthians 7:10bsb
To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
1 Corinthians 7:15bsb
But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.
Matthew 1:18bsb
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

On contested questions we show every major view, attributed and cited, and pick no winner. Answers are synthesized from primary sources, truth you can trace, not opinion.