Translations:Didn't the law under the Sinai Covenant allow divorce for any cause?/6/en

1. Biblical marriage is a lifetime covenant, not a contract. It cannot be broken, except by a sinful act (like adultery) which is often serious enough to merit a death penalty (if witnessed and proven) under Biblical law.
2. Biblical law nowhere requires a spouse who has their marriage covenant broken [by their spouse's fornication] to seek separation from that spouse. There can be forgiveness and reconciliation with a repentant spouse, and the broken marriage covenant thus can be restored.
3. The act of giving a "writ of divorcement" (mentioned in Deut. 24:1) did not break the marriage covenant. It simply documented (legally) the claim of the husband that a covenant-breaking act had taken place. This protected the wife from future accusations of adultery from hard-hearted former husbands.
4. The act of giving a "writ of divorcement" did not require the involvement of a civil judge. It could be done privately (e.g. Matt. 1:19).