Deuteronomy 24:3 - If the latter husband hates her, and write her a bill of divorce, and puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife;

Generated Verse: Deuteronomy 24:3

What does "Deuteronomy 24:3" mean?


Deuteronomy 24:3 outlines the circumstances under which a divorced woman could remarry. Let's break down the verse:

"If the latter husband hates her...": This sets the stage – the second husband develops animosity or dislike towards his wife. It's important to note that the specific reasons for this "hatred" aren't detailed, but it's understood as a breakdown of the marriage.

"...and write her a bill of divorce, and puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house...": This describes the process of divorce according to Jewish law at the time. A "bill of divorce" (or "get" in Hebrew) was a legal document that formally ended the marriage. Delivering this document to the wife and sending her away from his home were the actions that finalized the divorce.

"...or if the latter husband die, who took her to be his wife;": This presents an alternative scenario. If the second husband dies while married to her, the marriage is naturally dissolved by death.

Meaning and Context

The significance of this verse becomes clear in the context of the subsequent verses (Deuteronomy 24:4). These verses state that if a woman has been divorced by her first husband, then remarried, and then either divorced by her second husband or the second husband dies, she is forbidden to remarry her first husband.

In essence, this verse (Deut. 24:3) just establishes the conditions that trigger the prohibition to remarry her first husband described in Deut 24:4.

Therefore, Deut 24:3 focuses on circumstances surrounding divorce and death in remarriages, setting up the rule in the subsequent verse.

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