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Divorce

Original Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek connected to this term

How to read this: there is rarely one magic “true meaning” hidden behind an English word. A lexicon records a word’s semantic range. The intended meaning is narrowed by grammar, sentence, author, historical usage and context.

GREEK · G647

ἀποστάσιον

apostasion — divorce

ἀποστάσιον, -ου, τό (ἀφίστημι), [in LXX; Deu.24:1, 3, Jer.3:8, Isa.50:1 (כְּרִיתוּת) * ;] 1. in cl., only in phrase ἀποστασίου δίκη, an action against a freedman for forsaking his προστάτης (Dem.). 2. In LXX, βιβλίον ἀποστασίου, a bill of divorce: Mat.19:7, Mrk.10:4; in same sense ἀ. alone (MM, see word), Mat.5:31 (for other late exx., see MM, l.with; Kennedy, Sources, 121).† (AS)

3 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G3080

λύσις

lusis — divorce

λύσις, -εως, ἡ (λύω), [in LXX: Ecc.8:1 (Ecc.8:1) (פֵּשֶׁר), Dan LXX 12:8, Wis.8:8 * ;] a loosing: of divorce, 1Co.7:27.† (AS)

1 tagged verse occurrence · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H7971

שָׁלַח

sha.lach — to send: depart

: depart/send 1) to send, send away, let go, stretch out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to send 1a2) to stretch out, extend, direct 1a3) to send away 1a4) to let loose 1b) (Niphal) to be sent 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to send off or away or out or forth, dismiss, give over, cast out 1c2) to let go, set free 1c3) to shoot forth (of branches) 1c4) to let down 1c5) to shoot 1d) (Pual) to be sent off, be put away, be divorced, be impelled 1e) (Hiphil) to send

760 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H5612

סֵ֫פֶר

se.pher — scroll: document

: document 1) missive, document, writing, book 1a) missive 1a1) letter (of instruction), written order, commission, request, written decree 1b) legal document, certificate of divorce, deed of purchase, indictment, sign 1c) book, scroll 1c1) book of prophecies 1c2) genealogical register 1c3) law-book 1c4) book (of poems) 1c5) book (of kings) 1c6) books of the canon, scripture 1c7) record book (of God) 1d) book-learning, writing 1d1) be able to read (after verb 'to know')

173 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G863

ἀφίημι

aphiēmi — to release: leave

ἀφ-ίημι, [in LXX for נשׂא, נוח hi., נתן, סלח ni., עזב, etc. ;] 1. to send forth, send away, let go: of divorce (DB, iii, 274a), τ. γυναῖκα (Hdt.), 1Co.7:11-13; of death, τ. πνεῦμα (Gen.35:18, Hdt., al.), Mat.27:50; (φωνήν, to utter a cry, Mrk.15:37; of debts, to remit, forgive (cl.), τ. δανεῖον, Mat.18:27; τ. ὀφειλήν, Mat.18:32; esp. of sins (Cremer 296f.), τ. ἁμαρτίας, ἁμαρτήματα, ἀνομίας, Mat.9:2, Rom.4:7" (LXX), 1Jn.1:9, al.; punctiliar and iterative present (M, Pr., 119), Mrk.2:5, Luk.11:4; Ion. pf., ἀφέωνται (M, Pr., 38), Luk.5:23. 2. to leave alone, leave, neglect: Mat.4:11 5:24 15:14, Mrk.1:20, 31 Jhn.4:3, 28 al.; τ. ἐντολὴν τ. θεοῦ, Mrk.7:8; τον̀ τ. ἀρχῆς τ. Χριστοῦ λόγον, Heb.6:1; τ. ἀγάπην τ. πρώτην, Rev.2:4; ptcp., ἀφείς, pleonastic (as in Aram.; M, Pr., 14; Dalman, Words, 21f.), Mat.13:36 22:22, Mrk.8:13, al. 3. to let, suffer, permit: Mat.3:15; with accusative, Mat.3:15, 19:14, al.; with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Mat.5:40; with inf. pres., Mat.23:14, al.; aor., Mrk.5:37, al.; in late Gk. (M, Pr., 175f.), before ἵνα, Mrk.11:16, Jhn.12:7; with subjunct. (M, Pr., l.with; Bl., §64, 2), Mat.7:4 27:49, Mrk.15:36, Luk.6:42 (see further MM, see word). (AS)

130 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G630

ἀπολύω

apoluō — to release: release

ἀπο-λύω [in LXX for שׁוּב, etc., frequently in 1-4 Mac ;] 1. to set free, release: Luk.13:12, Jhn.19:10, al.; a debtor, Mat.18:27; metaphorically, of forgive­ness, Luk.6:37. 2. to let go, dismiss (Field, Notes, 9 f.): Mat.15:23, Luk.2:29 9:12, Act.19:41, al.; of divorce, τ. γυναῖκα: Mat.1:19 5:31-32 19:3, 8 19:10 Mrk.10:2, 4 10:11, Luk.16:18; with ref. to Gk. and Rom. (net Jewish) custom, τ. ἄνδρα: Mrk.10:12. Mid., to depart: Act.28:25 (MM, see word) (AS)

61 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H635

אֶסְתֵּר

es.ter — Esther

A woman living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.2.7; daughter of: Abihail (H0032K); also called Hadassah at Est.2.7; Also named: ha.das.sah (הֲדַסָּה "Hadassah" H1919) § Esther = "star" the queen of Persia, heroine of the book of Esther-daughter of Abihail, cousin and adopted daughter of Mordecai, of the tribe of Benjamin, made queen by king Ahasuerus to replace divorced queen, Vashti.

45 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H1644

גָּרַשׁ

ga.rash — to drive out: drive out

: drive out 1) to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up 1a) (Qal) to thrust out, cast out 1b) (Niphal) to be driven away, be tossed 1c) (Piel) to drive out, drive away 1d) (Pual) to be thrust out Also means: ga.rash (גָּרַשׁ ": divorce" H1644H)

42 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G975

βιβλίον

biblion — scroll

βιβλίον, -ου, τό (diminutive of βίβλος, which see), [in LXX also in the alternat. form βυβ-, chiefly for סֶפֶר and the most frequently of the cognate forms ;] 1. a paper, letter, written document: β. ἀποστασίου, bill of divorce, Mat.19:7, Mrk.10:4. 2. a book, a roll: Luk.4:17, 20 Jhn.20:30 21:25, Gal.3:10, 2Ti.4:13, Heb.9:19 10:7, Rev.1:11 5:1-9 6:14 10:8 20:12 22:7-19; β. τ. ζωῆς, Rev.13:8 17:8 20:12 21:27. † (AS)

29 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G5563

χωρίζω

chōrizō — to separate/leave

χωρίζω [in LXX: 2Ch.12:8, al. (בָּדַל ni., etc.), Wis.1:3, 2Ma.5:21, al. ;] 1. to separate, divide, put asunder: with accusative of thing(s), opposite to συζεύγνυμι Mat.19:6, Mrk.10:9; with accusative of person(s), before ἀπό (Wis.1:3), Rom.8:35, 39; pf. pass ptcp., Heb.7:26. 2. In late writers, mid. and 1 aor pass., to separate oneself, depart: Phm 15; before ἀπό Act.1:4, ἐκ, Act.18:1-2; of divorce (polyb., al.), 1Co.7:10-11 7:15 (cf. ἀπο-, δια-χωρίζω).† (AS)

12 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

HEBREW / ARAMAIC · H2060

וַשְׁתִּי

vash.ti — Vashti

A woman living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Est.1.9; married to Ahasuerus (H0325) § Vashti = "beautiful" the queen, wife of Ahasuerus, whom he divorced for disobeying his orders

10 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

GREEK · G6845

διάλυσις

dialusis — parting

1. a loosing one from another, separating, parting , τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ τοῦ σώματος (Plato Philosophus); δ. τοῦ σώματος its dissolution , (Plato Philosophus); ἡ δ. τῆς γεφύρας the breaking down the bridge, (Thucydides): the disbanding , of troops, Xen.; ἡ δ. τῆς ἀγορᾶς the time of its breaking up , Hdt.; τὴν δ. ἐποιήσαντο broke off the action, Thuc.; δ. γάμου a divorce , (Plutarch) 2. an ending, cessation , κακῶν Eur.; πολέμου (Thucydides): absolute a cessation of hostilities, peace , (Demosthenes Orator) (ML)

0 tagged verse occurrences · see every occurrence →

Historical dictionary entry

The dissolution of the marriage tie was regulated by the Mosaic law (Deut. 24:1-4). The Jews, after the Captivity, were reguired to dismiss the foreign women they had married contrary to the law (Ezra 10:11-19). Christ limited the permission of divorce to the single case of adultery. It seems that it was not uncommon for the Jews at that time to dissolve the union on very slight pretences (Matt. 5:31, 32; 19:1-9; Mark 10:2-12; Luke 16:18). These precepts given by Christ regulate the law of divorce in the Christian Church.

Scripture references

Source: Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897). Historical dictionary wording reflects the scholarship and language of its era.

Compare other reference traditions

Look up Divorce in Smith’s Bible Dictionary and ISBE →