Ok. I can’t get one person to be honest about the clear contradiction in the ESV which is kind of unsettling to be honest. Against my better judgement I’ll explain the situation a little.
Deut. 24 allows for divorce and remarriage. The woman is to be given a certificate of divorce, which she keeps and she is sent away to remarry if she chooses.
Deuteronomy 24:1-1 KJV When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.
Jeremiah 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
You see in these verses the put away and the divorce, the Shalach (put away) and the Keriythuth (divorce certificate). Two separate words to be used in conjunction but not interchangeable.
Isaiah 50:1 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.
You’ll notice here the Lord says where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement whom I have put away... The fact is there there was no bill of divorcement only the put away, the separation due to transgression.
“Though the sufferings of Judah were the necessary result of sin, no certificate of divorce or sale to creditors occurred... although there would be a time of separation”
MSB
You must understand the process of the marriage, separation and divorce at the time of Jesus’s ministry. If a woman was guilty of fornication she could be sent away without the divorce certificate. Not having a divorce certificate would keep her from claiming benefits of the katubah “prearranged alimony” and would also prohibit her from being remarried.
So when the Pharisees came to test Jesus on this matter, seeking to ensnare him they asked is it lawful to put away (apoluo) your wife for any reason.
Matthew 19:3 KJV The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
They’re asking is if it’s ok to send away (apoluo) the wife for any reason, notice the absence of divorce certificate (apostasion).
Matthew 19:9 KJV And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Jesus basically says if you send away (apoluo) your wife for any reason other than fornication you’re guilty of adultery and if you marry a woman who is put away you’re guilty of adultery. Notice the absence of the divorce certificate (apostasion) in Jesus’s response.
Why is it adultery if you send away your wife and marry another for a reason other than fornication? Because you separated under false pretenses and or without a divorce certificate.
What we’re witnessing here is Jesus addressing the manipulation of the Duet 24 law. The problem was the abandoning of the wife without a proper qualifications and or certificate. Why would men do this?
There’s many reasons but the main one is money. You see, the Jewish betrothal included what’s called a katubah, a “prenup”. The katubah was prearranged by the father of the bride, the bride and the groom. The katubah was only payable to a bride if she had a divorce certificate. If she committed fornication she wasn’t entitled to to the divorce certificate, the “alimony” or to remarry for that matter.
So you see, Jesus didn’t change the Duet 24 law he just elevates it as he does with the adulterous and murderous heart statements. He’s basically saying if you manipulate the law you’re guilty of adultery.
Other fun facts.
According to the lexicon the word apostasion: divorce, divorce certificate is only used 3 times in the NT, not once by Jesus.
The word apoluo: put away, dismiss... is used 89 times in the NT, not once as divorce. It’s used in places like when Jesus dismisses the crowds and sends out his disciples...
1 Corinthians 7:27-27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
Loosed in the Greek lusis: a loosing that is specifically divorced.
Are you divorced from a wife? Seek not a wife but if you do marry it’s not a sin.
When you mistranslate or misinterpret apoluo to mean apostasion you basically claim that Jesus voids the Duet 24 law that allows for divorce and remarriage and cause all sorts of whacky no remarriage doctrines and scripture twister.