Hate and Divorce

Whenever we see a great discrepancy among Bible translations of certain verses, it is usually because the original Greek or Hebrew is particularly difficult in that verse. Such is the case in Malachi 2:16. Here are some translations:

"If he hates and divorces his wife', says the Lord God of Israel, 'he covers his garment with injustice.'"
                                                                                          -Malachi 2:16 (HCSB)

"I hate divorce, " says the God of Israel..."I hate the violent dismembering of the 'one flesh' of marriage."
                                                                                          -Malachi 2:16 (MSG)

"For I hate divorce! says the Lord, the God of Israel."To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty."
                                                                                         - Malachi 2:16 (NLT)

"I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment."                                                            -Malachi 2:16 (NIV 1984)

"The man who hates and divorces his wife," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "does violence to the one he should protect."                                                             -Malachi 2:16 (NIV 2011)



Regardless of the translation, God does hate divorce because of what it does to people and society. Even though God's words are harsh, keep these facts in mind: First, God rebuked the rejecting, not the rejected, marriage partner. Second, God does not hate those who have been divorced but rather the heartache and disruption that divorced persons and their families endure.

The Mosaic law does not condone divorce, but it does give instruction for divorce in order to protect women, the vulnerable partners (Deut. 24:1-4). Jesus said God allowed those provisions to regulate the inevitable because of humanity's hard hearts. He declared God's intention for marriage never included divorce; from the very beginning God intended two to become one and never separate (Matt. 19:1-8)

God's perfect will for marriage is one man and one woman together "as long as you both shall live". However, God's perfect grace forgives and restores all people who have not achieved His perfect standards yet have returned to Him. Bottom line- if  you're married, work hard and draw on God's power to uphold His standard of marriage as a lifelong covenant commitment. If you've been divorced, accept His grace and forgiveness and move forward with a commitment to uphold God's standards from this day on.

                                                                                  -Life Truths "For Further Study" (June 10)