What Does the Bible Say About Preventing Divorce?

Matthew 19:6 ESV / 14 helpful votes

So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Malachi 2:16 ESV / 9 helpful votes

“For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Luke 16:18 ESV / 6 helpful votes

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Matthew 19:9 ESV / 6 helpful votes

And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV / 5 helpful votes

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

James 4:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

1 Corinthians 7:12-13 ESV / 4 helpful votes

To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Matthew 19:3-9 ESV / 4 helpful votes

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” ...

Genesis 2:24 ESV / 4 helpful votes

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Hebrews 13:4 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

1 Timothy 3:12 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

1 Timothy 3:4-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1 Corinthians 7:15 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

1 Corinthians 7:11 ESV / 3 helpful votes

(but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband

1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

1 Corinthians 7:1-40 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ...

Mark 10:11-12 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Matthew 19:8 ESV / 3 helpful votes

He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

Matthew 19:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes

They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?”

Matthew 19:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?

Matthew 19:4-6 ESV / 3 helpful votes

He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 5:32 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Matthew 5:31 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Malachi 2:14-16 ESV / 3 helpful votes

But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Malachi 2:13-16 ESV / 3 helpful votes

And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

Jeremiah 3:9 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Because she took her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.

Deuteronomy 24:4 ESV / 3 helpful votes

Then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 ESV / 3 helpful votes

“When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.

Leviticus 21:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes

A widow, or a divorced woman, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry. But he shall take as his wife a virgin of his own people,

Leviticus 21:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes

They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God.

Genesis 1:1-31 ESV / 3 helpful votes

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. ...

1 John 1:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 ESV / 2 helpful votes

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. ...

1 Corinthians 5:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife.

Ezra 9:1-10:44 ESV / 2 helpful votes

After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, ...

Exodus 32:1-35 ESV / 2 helpful votes

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” ...

42 Bible Verses about Preventing Divorce

Matthew 19:6 ESV / 14 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Malachi 2:16 ESV / 9 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Luke 16:18 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:9 ESV / 6 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Philippians 4:8 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 ESV / 5 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

James 4:4 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:12-13 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:3-9 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 2:24 ESV / 4 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Hebrews 13:4 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 3:12 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Timothy 3:4-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:15 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:11 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:10 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:1-40 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Mark 10:11-12 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:8 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:5 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 19:4-6 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:32 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:31 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Matthew 5:27-28 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Malachi 2:14-16 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Malachi 2:13-16 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Jeremiah 3:9 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 24:4 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Deuteronomy 24:1-4 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 21:14 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Leviticus 21:7 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Genesis 1:1-31 ESV / 3 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 John 1:8 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

1 Corinthians 5:1 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Ezra 9:1-10:44 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

Exodus 32:1-35 ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful

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